This easy to make and nutritious ‘rice less idli’ is a modification over a traditionally called ‘avira kudumu’.
Take 3 cups of urad dal (black gram), wash 2-3 times and then soak in water for overnight.
Grind soaked urad dal to a slightly coarse batter along with some cut ginger and green chillis. Add salt according to taste. Use buttermilk or curd for grinding instead of water. Leave ground dal for a few hours to ferment and becomes somewhat spongy.
Add ½ tsp of Asafoetida, ½ tsp cracked pepper and 3/4 tbsp of lemon juice to the ground dal.
Apply oil to the idli making plate and pour ground dal in each idli slot.
In a separate container, boil 2 Tbsp of cut pieces of cashew nuts, almonds and peanuts with some salt for a few minutes or till tender. Add already boiled cashewnuts and peanuts as toppings on each idli. Note: This step is optional.
Steam cook for 12-15 minutes using idli cooker. Alternatively, a microwave idli cooker can be used for 8-10 minutes at high.
Serve idlis with any curry powder or chutney of your taste. If preferred, some ghee can be added on top of idlis before serving.
Recipe courtesy: Subbalakshmi Yerramilli