Idli Upma

I cannot claim that my idlis are perfect, mostly because the weather here is just too chilly at the moment to get fermentation going very quickly, so they're not quite as light as they could be. However, they are certainly getting better every time I make them. The good news is that even slightly-less-than-light idlis make good idli upma, and it's a fantastic way of using up leftovers.

 

  

It's best if the idlis dry out slightly, so leave them overnight in the fridge if you can. Then crumble them roughly.

 

I like a seasoning mixture of shallots, green chillies and grated ginger. This gives a nice fresh flavour to the leftover idlis.

 

 

Heat a little oil in a pan. Then add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard pops and the dal reddens, add curry leaves, shallots, chillies and ginger. Stir and fry for a few minutes until the shallot softens and goes a little translucent. Then add the idli crumbs, plus salt to taste.

 

 

Stir and fry until the idli crumbs are heated through and well combined. Then add a sprinkle of lemon juice, to taste, and chopped fresh coriander. Stir to mix and serve.

 

 

Of course, breakfast is always better with chutney! I roasted some peanuts in a pan.

Separately I also roasted some coriander seeds and chillies. I ground the spices and peanuts in a mortart and pestle with a little salt, a little jaggery and a few sprinkles of water.

 

Finally, a tadka of mustard, asafetida and curry leaves finishes the chutney off.

 

 

What a quick, tasty breakfast!