Padmajha PJ June 10, 2012 20 Comments

When we lived in the orient, there was no dreaming about having Idli for breakfast for the simple reason that the batter does not ferment well due to the climatic conditions. But when we came down for the vacation, we were sure to have loads of these soft and fluffy beauties almost everyday!At least hubby would do that while Lil Angel and me would love to treat ourselves with crispy dosa. Sometimes when Lil Angel is in a mood for Idlis mini idlis was her favorite.


Though there is nothing special in mini idlis and they taste exactly like the regular idli,[after all it is made with the same batter except that it is poured into mini moulds instead of the big ones] some how the Lil one liked it better. Each mini idli would have to be smeared with ghee and she loved to dunk each bite into a bowl of piping hot sambar. I love to watch her eat this way and am happy that she loves this dish.

As she grew, she graduated from ghee smeared mini idli to flavoured mini idli like this one – Onion Podi Idli. We once had this in a restaurant and she took just a bite thinking it would be spicy but she was so impressed by the taste and texture that she almost finished my share!

This was pretty easy to recreate at home and I make this once in a while for her and she loves the crunch of the onion and the flavor from the spice mix….

For this simple tiffin treat you need
Mini idli -15 numbers
Onion- 1 large,peeled and thinly sliced
Milagai podi – 2 tablespoons
Salt – to taste
Curry leaves – a few
Mustard – 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon

  1. Heat oil in a pan and put in mustard and cumin seeds.
  2. When they splutter add curry leaves and onion.
  3. Sauté onion till soft. [I leave them crunchy].
  4. Add the podi and mini idli. Gently mix everything together till the podi coats the mini idlis. Add a pinch of salt.The idli and podi both have salt so check before adding.
  5. Sprinkle a little water if the mixture is too dry.
  6. Cover and let it cook on low flame for a few minutes for the flavors to blend.Mix gently.
  7. Remove from heat and serve hot.  

Note:

  • This dish does not require a side dish, but you can serve it with plain yogurt / sambar.
  • Sometimes I also use the sweet and spicy milagai podi for a change.
  • You can also use Flax seed chutney powder to make this dish more healthy.
  • Increase or decrease the quantity of onion and podi to suit your taste.

Sending this to Radhika’s Let’s cook – Kid’s special,Smitha who is hosting Kids delight – What kids love ,a series started by Srivalli

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#17

Bon Appetit…

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