Kanchipuram Idli Recipe that gets ready in less than half an hour and that too without any soaking or fermentation. A perfect healthy snack to have in the evening or in breakfast or have it in the main course.
It is a regular in my family. Everybody loves it. Especially my husband, Sandeep, is very fond of Kanchipuram idli. There was a time when we used to buy ready-made packs of Kanchipuram Idli.
Then one day my friend Shikha Kapoor, told me about this easy recipe for making these idlis at home. So easy and quick to make. Since then I am blindly following this recipe and we all love it.
What is Kanchipuram Idli
Idli, indeed, is one of the healthiest food items. And there are many variants of it, like Rice Idli, Rawa Idli, Kanchipuram Idli, Vegetable Idli, Masala Idli, and so on.
Kanchipuram idli is offered as 'Prasad' in Varadharaja Perumal Temple at Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu. Also known as Kovil Idli, it is basically idli flavored with spices and lentils. One can actually eat it raw without any accompaniment. It
Now the mix of spices varies from region to region even in South India.
Here I am sharing my version of making these idlis. You can adjust the spices as per your preference.
Must read: Millet Idli without Rice
Instant Kanchipuram Idli
Though traditional Kanchipuram Idli is made using rice and lentil and is eaten with Sambhar and coconut Chutney but as this recipe is instant, so this is made using Rava (semolina) and not the usual rice batter.
I also love it as it can be made instantly without any prior planning. No soaking for hours... no fermentation.
Any day any time, it can be prepared in less than half an hour.
Serving Suggestions
- If you are having it as a snack then serve it with tomato chutney or coconut chutney or simply tomato ketchup or gun powder.
- If you are having it in the main course, then you can serve it with Sambhar and coconut chutney.
And, leftover Idli, if any, can be used to make Idli Chaat
Step By Step Recipe
- Take fine Semolina in a bowl.
- Add curd, salt, and water to make the batter.
- Prepare the tempering.
- For this, take oil in a pan, crackle mustard seeds.
- Add Chana dal, Urad Dal, curry leaves, and whole red chili.
- Saute for 30 to 40 seconds.
- Roast Peanuts and crush them.
- Add tempering and peanuts to the semolina batter.
- Mix everything.
- Sprinkle Baking Soda and squeeze lemon juice over it. See the bubbly froth in the pic. Gently mix.
- Spoon the idli batter in idli molds.
- Take care that the two plates of idli stand are not one above the other. See the picture below.
- Cover and steam for 10 to 12 minutes or till steamed fully.
- Gently run a butter knife around the idlis and they will pop out smoothly. Serve with love, Sambhar, dips optional.
FAQs
Q) What is Rawa?
Rawa, also known as Suji or semolina in English is a coarse and grainy flour made from durum wheat. It is high in protein as well as in gluten.
Q) Which type of semolina (Rava) is used in this recipe?
I prefer making these with Chiroti Rawa or say fine semolina. However, when I don't have it then I use normal semolina also.
Q) Can I make these Idlis without curd?
No, you need curd in this recipe. Also, If possible use sour curd. I normally keep Whey (water drained while making hung curd) stored in a bottle in my refrigerator and use it. The whey gives excellent results.
Though it is made instantly it is better if you soak the semolina batter for at least 10 minutes.
Q) Can I skip spices, lentils and make plain Rava Idli?
Of course, yes!. Skip the tempering and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Q) Can I use Eno instead of baking soda and lemon juice?
Yes! Use 1 teaspoon Eno instead. Read Homemade Eno Recipe
Q) Is this gluten-free?
No. If you are looking for gluten-free Idli then try my Millet Idli recipe.
Some More Semolina Recipes:
Some Other Quick Snacks that you will love to try:
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Kanchipuram Idli
Idli flavored with spices and lentils in less than half an hour.
For Idli
- 2 Cups (250 gms) Semolina (Chiroti Rawa)
- 1/2 Cup Curd/ Buttermilk
- Salt as per taste
- 1 Cup Water
- 2 Tbsp Peanuts (Roasted and Crushed)
- 3/4 tsp Baking Soda + Juice of 1 lemon
For Tempering
- 1 Tbsp Oil
- 1 Tbsp Bengal Gram (Chana Dal)
- 1 Tbsp Dehusked Black Gram (White Urad Dal)
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds (Kali Sarson)
- Few Sprigs Curry Leaves
- 1 or 2 Dried Red Chili
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In a big bowl, take semolina, curd (or buttermilk), salt. Make thick batter using water. Keep it aside and do the following preparations.
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Roast peanuts. Once cool, crush them roughly using a rolling pin.
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Wash the lentils, tear curry leaves and red chilli roughly.
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Prepare the tempering. For this, in a pan, heat oil. Crackle mustard seeds. Add Black gram and Bengal gram, curry leaves and red chilli.
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Saute on high flame for 30 to 40 seconds, stirring continuously.
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Now start heating water in the idli cooker or simply in a big vessel in which you can keep your idli stand.
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Mix crushed peanuts and the above-prepared tempering in the semolina mix.
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Adjust consistency using water, if it has become too thick by now. It should be thick but of dropping consistency. Do not add too much water or you will have flat idlis.
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Sprinkle baking soda over the batter and above it put lemon juice. You will see fizz all over. (See Note 2)
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Gently mix.
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Put the batter, using a spoon, in the idli moulds.
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Keep it in the idli cooker/vessel. Cover the vessel.
- Steam it on high flame for the first 2 minutes. Now reduce the flame.
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Check after 1o minutes by inserting a tooth pick .
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Take out idlis from the moulds by running a butter knife all around the idlis.
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Serve with dips or gun powder or Sambhar.
- The quantity of curd or buttermilk can be easily increased or decreased by 2 or 3 tablespoons.
- You can use Eno in place of baking soda and lemon juice. They both are the same. Just that Eno is store-bought and the other one is homemade Eno.
- Adjust the quantity of tempering as per your preference.
- You can also add cashews to it. I don't because nobody likes it (in idli) in our family.
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