HEALTHY VEGETABLE IDLIS WITH SPICY TOMATO CHUTNEY

Breakfast is really an important meal. The word derives from the concept that we are breaking the fast after an involuntary fast occurs during our night sleep. Studies show that kids who had a healthy breakfast perform well and are attentive in the classrooms than those who skipped the breakfast. Hence schools are now insisting parents about the importance of healthy breakfast. South Indian breakfast typically includes idlis, dosas, and pongal with a variety of combinations. To give a headstart to the day’s veggie consumption, I thought of preparing vegetable idlis.

INGREDIENTS:

Idli rice – 3 cups

Raw rice – 1 cup

Urad dal – 1 cup

Cooked rice – handful

Salt – As required

FOR VEGETABLE CURRY:

Mix of vegetables – 2 cups (carrot, cabbage, green peas, onions)

Ginger – 1 small piece

Green chilly – 1-2

Finely chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves – few

Oil – 2 tbp

Cumin seeds – 1 tbp

Salt – As required

METHOD:

· Clean both the rice and soak them in water for 3 hours. Soak urad dal separately for 1 hour. Coarsely grind the soaked rice along with cooked rice and the necessary salt. Grind the urad dal to a smooth paste.

· Mix them both and allow it to ferment for six to eight hours.

· Chop all the vegetables very fine. I grated carrot and ginger and chopped the cabbage and onion.

· Heat oil in a pan, fry cumin seeds to golden brown color, add the chopped chilies and curry leaves, then add onion and the chopped vegetable mixture. Add little salt. Finally, add the coriander leaves. It is okay if the vegetables are half cooked because it is going to get steamed well along with the idlis.

· Add the vegetable mixture and idli batter together, mix well.

· Grease the idli plates with oil and pour the batter and stem cook for 10-12 minutes.

· Switch off the stove once they are done and let it cool for sometime before taking them out.

· Healthy vegetable idlis are now ready.

· Serve with any chutney/sambar. I had with spicy tomato chutney.

SPICY TOMATO CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS:

Tomatoes – 4

Red chilies – 8

Asafoetida – Small piece

Urad dal – 4 tbp

Mustard seeds – 1 tbp

Oil – 2 tbp

Salt – As required

METHOD:

· Heat pan with little oil, add asafoetida and urad dal. When the urad dal turns brown color, add the red chilies and fry for some seconds. Transfer the contents to a bowl and keep it aside separately.

· In the same pan, add mustard seeds, when they crackles, add the tomatoes and the required salt. Once the tomatoes have become softened and become juicy, switch off the stove and allow it to cool.

· Now grind the tomatoes smoothly along with red chilies and asafoetida. Finally add the urad dal and grind again for a minute.

· Transfer the contents to a bowl and if needed do the seasoning with another tbp of mustard seeds.

· Serve with hot idlis, dosas, and pongal.