Kanchipuram idli is a south Indian special breakfast with black pepper and cumin tempering with ghee and asafoetida. Step by step detailed pictures post.
My mom makes a quick version of Kanchipuram idli to my brother. Just with ordinary idli batter, but seasoning it with pepper, cumin in ghee with asafoetida and curry leaves. My brother loves pepper flavorful very much, so she does it specially for him. Or sometimes mustard, urad dal channa dal curry leaves and asafoetida in ghee and add it to the usual idli dosa batter.
I never tasted it or may be I didn't like it. But had no idea about the Kanchipuram idli, but have heard about it as prasadam in few temples and have seen in few blogs too. Usually the prasadam we offer to god will not include parboiled rice (idli rice) but we at home make it using idli rice for perfect texture.
I had a recipe in my hand written note book. But to be frank, it was a terrible recipe - it was made so artificially with curd, cooking soda and all. When I searched for recipe, I found one in Hindu news paper. Actually not one, many recipes from where ever it is famous. But I took the recipe for my convenience. It turned out good.
Many of you would have noticed these idlies as sneak preview to this post when I updated the pictures in my Idli podi post and shared in the Facebook page. So here is the Kanchipuram idli recipe. Also check out the Idli podi post updated with new pictures!
Recipe card
Kanchipuram idli
Ingredients
- 1 cup Raw rice sona masoori
- 1 cup Idli rice
- ¾ cup Urad dal White, whole
- ½ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds / methi seeds/ vendhayam
- Salt
To temper
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 tablespoon Black pepper whole or crushed coarsely
- 2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 10 Cashew nuts Optional
- 1 Curry leaves sprig
- 2 Asafoetida pinches
- 2 pinches Dry ginger powder Sukku
Instructions
- Soak both rice, urad dal & methi seeds, as we soak for the regular idli. You can soak together and grind too, I have tried both ways, but I prefer soaking separately and grinding separately as I do for the regular idli. This way it comes out really good with full flavour. If you are comfortable soaking together and grinding, then you can do so, but the texture comes a bit denser than grinding separately. Either way, grind it coarsely.
- Mix and keep in a large vessel overnight for fermentation.
- Before making, spoon the batter using ladle and mix required salt and the items given under ‘To temper’ table as needed and mix gently. Do not over mix. Boil water in idli pot and I used my cooker inner vessel, lined with a aluminium foil at the bottom. You can use banana leaf if you have too. This makes easy for taking out the idli after steaming. You should grease the vessel as well. Pour batter to it, say 1 & ½ inches height.
- Steam for 15 – 20 mins until the tooth pick (or a knife) inserted comes out clean. Let it be for a minute aside and invert in a clean platform. You can run a knife through the sides to make it easy for the idli to come out when you invert.
- I used a big coffee filter’s bottom. You can use a steel tumbler too, to cut out. But you should be ready to eat the left outs from the cut. Apparently, you can also grease mini tumblers and line it with either banana leaf or mandharai leaves (traditional) and pour batter inside to fill ¾th and steam it.
Notes
- Do not avoid methi seeds, otherwise the flavor will be different with more urad dal flavor’s dominating.
- You can pour the batter in greased tumblers or bowls or steam as usual in idli plates as well.
- Make sure you grind coarsely like rava/ semolina/ sooji, otherwise texture wont be the same.
- Keep the container with batter for steaming only after the water boils in the idli pot. This ensures soft texture of the idlies.
- Also keep less water only as required, otherwise there are chances for water overflowing inside the vessel. Even too less water may end up in burnt bottom. So better keep an eye. If needed in between add some water.
- Use good amount of water and avoid too thick and heavy batter as it will give you hard idli
Kanchipuram idli method:
- Soak both rice, urad dal & methi seeds, as we soak for the regular idli. You can soak together and grind too, I have tried both ways, but I prefer soaking separately and grinding separately as I do for the regular idli. This way it comes out really good with full flavour. If you are comfortable soaking together and grinding, then you can do so, but the texture comes a bit denser than grinding separately. Either way, grind it coarsely.
- Mix and keep in a large vessel overnight for fermentation.
- Before making, spoon the batter using ladle and mix required salt and the items given under 'To temper' table as needed and mix gently. Do not over mix. Boil water in idli pot and I used my cooker inner vessel, lined with a aluminium foil at the bottom. You can use banana leaf if you have too. This makes easy for taking out the idli after steaming. You should grease the vessel as well. Pour batter to it, say 1 & ½ inches height.
- Steam for 15 - 20 mins until the tooth pick (or a knife) inserted comes out clean. Let it be for a minute aside and invert in a clean platform. You can run a knife through the sides to make it easy for the idli to come out when you invert.
- I used a big coffee filter's bottom. You can use a steel tumbler too, to cut out. But you should be ready to eat the left outs from the cut. Apparently, you can also grease mini tumblers and line it with either banana leaf or mandharai leaves (traditional) and pour batter inside to fill ¾th and steam it.
Enjoy hot with chutney or sambar or Idli podi as I did. Its quite filling, one can eat only 2 or 3.
Chitra Ganapathy says
Ur bro's fav 🙂 I too tried from Hindu and posted it long back . l make this whenever I have banana leaf in stock 🙂
AparnaRajeshkumar says
i was thinking how u got the shape. never thought in a circle pan and cut in to the circle. brilliant idea.
Veena Theagarajan says
my fav.. As you said I have tasted many diff flavour.. This one is good too...
Karunakaran M kalathi says
I am from kanchipuram and I feel I can give few suggestions on this.
The original recipe calls for equal amounts of raw rice 1measure, parboiled rice 1 measure, urad dhal 1 measure. These things along with meti seeds are soaked for a while and ground in a coarser consistency... It should not be like idly batter. It can be left to ferment overnight after adding salt.
The next morning take generous amounts of ghee ( or ghee and gingelly oil in equal proportions) - generous means equivalent to urad dhall amount ( calorie conscious- plz stay away). one has to add a cup of curd, ghee to the batter. Then it needs to tempered with generous amounts of jeera, pepper, sukku podi( must !!!!!), asafoetida and curry leaves.
These mixture can be steamed in idly pots placed in Kudalai ( leafy container available only in kanchipuram ) or as you did in idly pot covered with mandharai leaves. It needs slow cooking. cooker not advisable. After an hour or so, it can be sliced.
Best side dishes being idli podi and mint chutney.
Raks anand says
Thank you for your suggestions, I am editing to add sukku podi 🙂
Hamaree Rasoi says
Lovely and wholesome to look at Kanchipuram idlis.
Deepa
divya says
Beautifully presented,u made me hungry dear..Loved it ,superb!!
Sangeetha M says
the shape you got by cutting the circle idli using tumblers is brilliant...idlis looks soft and yummy...inviting pics!
Anu s kitchendelights says
Looks perfect. I have never tasted it and sure to try.
Shama Nagarajan says
yummy preparation
nandoos Kitchen says
Lovely, perfectly prepared idli's.
Sandhya Khattri says
Yummy Kanchipuram idli with beautiful presentation, love the clicks
SHARMILEE J says
Looks super perfect, tempts me to try tooo...
arunarvkmr says
Very very nice idlis and please clarify my doubt that cant the batter put in idli plates? and please tell me the technique involved in the making of sambar especially for idlis
aruna nellore, A.P
arunarvkmr says
please tell me the procedure of making nice sambar for this mouth watering idlis
achoo says
should i follow same measure even when grinding in mixie or the measure differs for it.... nice pics... tempted to try this one....
Raks anand says
It can be made in normal idli plates too. Please follow the links above the last pictures. Click the sambar word and it will take you to the tiffin sambar recipe.
Raks anand says
Same measure can be used.
Sathish K says
I ve studied in Kanchipuram for 4 years. I jus love dis dish. But dunno how to prepare. Thanks for sharing dis lovely recipe so dat i can enjoy dis in home itself. Thank u very much ...
Swarna Arunkumar says
Should I grind the rice alone coarsely or the dal too? Can I grind in the moxie?
Raks Anand says
I grind dal and methi smoothly. If soaking everything together, you can grind all coarsely too. Sure you can use mixie, use ice water for grinding.