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Cornmeal Idli is prepared using coarse corn meal and black gram. These idlis taste great and are nutritious for a breakfast.
Ingredients:
Cornmeal (coarse like semolina) – 3 cups
Black Gram/Urad Dal – 1 cup
Fenugreek Seeds – 1 1/2 tsps
Salt to taste
For Cooking:
Steamer with Idli molds
Ghee/Oil – a few tsps for greasing the molds.
Method:
- Wash and soak black gram and fenugreek seeds in water for 4-5 hours.
- Wash and soak cornmeal in water for 4-5 hours. Make sure the water level in the container used for soaking cornmeal is an inch above the level of cornmeal. Once you add water, mix thoroughly and set it aside.
- Discard the water used for soaking black gram and fenugreek seeds. Grind them with just enough quantity of fresh water – about a cup of water. Grind into a smooth batter.
- Add salt and grind it the batter for a minute more.
- Mix this batter with the soaked cornmeal. Beat the batter thoroughly until well combined.
- Allow the batter to ferment overnight or for atleast 7-8 hours. The batter will foam up and double in volume.
- Pour enough water in the steamer and set it on high flame.
- Grease the cavities of each mold with 2 drops of ghee or oil.
- Now lightly mix the batter to combine well. It is very important NOT to over mix the batter; doing so will release all the air captured during fermentation and make the idlis harder when cooked. Just 2-3 gentle stirs should be good enough.
- Pour the batter into the greased cavities.
- Place the molds in the steamer and cook for 25-30 minutes or depending on the size of your steamer, on medium-high flame.
- Turn off the flame and immediately, remove the lid of steamer to discard the vapors collected in the lid.
- Allow the mold to rest for 2-3 minutes.
- Unmold carefully and serve topped with ghee, with your choice of chutney and/or sambhar.
