Idli with sambar

Method

1. Ahead (Saturday morning): rinse 280 g idli rice in a sieve 3 times, until the water runs almost clear. Soak it in a bowl with plenty of water. In a second bowl, rinse 70 g urad dal with ½ tsp fenugreek seeds and soak them too. Leave both on the bench for 5–6 hours.
2. Ahead: drain the urad dal and fenugreek. Grind them in the large mixer jar with 140 ml (about ½ cup) cold water, in 30-second bursts, for 3–4 minutes in total. Stop when it is smooth, pale and fluffy, like whipped cream. Scrape it into a large mixing bowl.
3. Ahead: drain the rice and grind it in the same jar with 240 ml (about 1 cup) cold water, in 30-second bursts, for 4–5 minutes. Stop when a drop rubbed between your fingers feels like fine semolina. Pour it into the dal, add half of the 1¾ tsp salt (the rest goes in the sambar) and mix with a clean hand for 1 minute. It should be thick but pourable, like pancake batter. Add a splash more water only if it is stiff.
4. Ahead (overnight): check the bowl is no more than half full, as the batter rises. Cover loosely and leave it in a warm spot for 8–12 hours. In an Australian winter, put it in the oven with only the light on (oven off). It is ready when it has risen, looks bubbly and smells pleasantly sour.
5. Ahead: stir the risen batter gently, spoon it into jars and put them straight in the fridge. It keeps 5 days. From now on, keep the batter in the fridge between uses.
6. The night before (sambar keeps 3 days): soak 15 g tamarind in 160 ml (about ¾ cup) hot water for 10 minutes. Squeeze it with your fingers, strain the sour water into a cup and throw away the pulp.
7. Peel and halve 80 g (~6½) shallots. Chop 120 g (~1 medium) tomato. Cut 120 g pumpkin and 60 g (~½ medium) carrot into 2 cm chunks and 60 g drumstick into finger lengths (straight from frozen is fine).
8. Rinse 80 g toor dal twice in a sieve. Put it in the pressure cooker with all the vegetables, ½ tsp turmeric and 600 ml (about 2½ cups) water. Cook on high heat to 3 whistles (about 10 minutes), then turn off and let the pressure drop by itself.
9. Open the cooker and mash the dal lightly with the ladle. Stir in the tamarind water, 1½ tbsp sambar powder and the rest of the salt. Simmer uncovered on medium heat for 5 minutes, until it bubbles and the raw spice smell is gone. It should be like a thick soup; add a splash of hot water if it is too thick.
10. Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in the small pan on medium heat for 1 minute. Add 1¼ tsp mustard seeds and wait until they pop, about 30 seconds. Add 1 dried chilli (broken in half), 1 sprigs curry leaves and a pinch asafoetida, stir 10 seconds until the leaves crackle, and pour it over the sambar.
11. Morning: put about 3 cm of water in the idli steamer and bring it to the boil on high heat, about 5 minutes. Lightly grease the idli moulds with oil.
12. Stir the batter gently (do not beat out the air) and fill each mould three-quarters full.
13. Stack the plates in the steamer, cover and steam on medium-high heat for 10–12 minutes. They are done when a toothpick pushed into the middle comes out clean.
14. Turn off the heat and rest 3–5 minutes with the lid off. Run a wet spoon around each idli to lift it out. Serve hot with the sambar.

Tips

• For a toddler, scoop out some dal and vegetables before the sambar powder and the dried chilli tempering go in.
• Make a double pot of sambar: it keeps 3 days in the fridge and tastes better on day two.

Make it easier

• Weekend: Soak and grind idli/dosa batter (Saturday). Soak rice and dal separately for 5–6 h, grind, mix with salt, ferment overnight.
• The night before: Make the sambar tonight, it tastes better the next day. Make a double pot: it keeps 3 days.

Keeping and freezing

• Fridge: keeps 3 days in a lidded box. Cool it within an hour of cooking.
• Freezer: freezes well for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot.

Good to know

• Contains: gluten (wheat, oats).
• Toddlers: take their portion out before adding chilli or pepper.