Kanchipuram Idli

Ingredients

Parboiled (Idli) Rice – 2 cups
Urad Dhal – ¾ cup
Fenugreek seeds – ½ teaspoon
Pepper – 1 teaspoon
Jeera – 1 teaspoon
Dry Ginger Powder – a pinch
Asafotida powder – a pinch
Coconut cut into tiny bits – 1/2 cup
Bengal gram dhal – 1 tablespoon
Cashew nuts – broken into small bits – 1 tablespoon
Ghee – 1 tablespoon
Gingelly Oil – 4 to 5 tablespoon
Salt – 2 teaspoon or as per taste

Note: Soaking Time 4 hours – Fermentation 8 hours – Cooking Time 15 minutes

Method:

• Soak rice and urad dhal with fenugreek seeds separately for atleast 4 hours. Then grind it separately to a coarse paste. Mix both along with salt and keep it overnight for fermentation.
• Next day add gingelly oil, pepper, cumin seeds, dry ginger, asafoetida and coconut pieces into the idli batter and stir well. Fry the bengal gram dhal and cashewnuts in the ghee and put it in the batter.
• We have to steam this batter like ordinary idli batter. But with different shape. For this, first pour water in the idli cooker. Let it boil. Grease small tumblers and pour the idli batter 3/4th and keep it inside the idli cooker and steam it for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Or you can steam it like ordinary idli.

General guidelines for healthier food – Both body and mind:

• One should be thinking about Perumal (Nama Smaranam) while cooking, and the purpose should be to offer the preparation to Him.
• Once the food is prepared, it should be offered to Perumal first. While offering, one should make sure that the food is neither too hot nor cold. It should be offered with love and affection.
• Please do not offer either pre-cooked food bought from outside or any pre-consumed food.
• Please follow thiruvaradanam kramam as instructed by your respective acharya. (http://anudinam.org/2012/03/08/bhagavad-tiruvaradhanam/)
• Follow ahara niyamam as much as possible. Atleast make sure that onion and garlic are not used at all.(http://anudinam.org/2012/06/11/srivaishnava-ahara-niyamam/)
• Please ensure that food which are not prasadams are not consumed.