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    Home Β» Recipes Β» Bachelor Cooking

    Kaima idli recipe, Saravana bhavan style

    January 24, 2013 by Raks Anand 53 Comments / Jump to Recipe

    kaima idli recipe
    Kaima idli recipe, that's very close to Saravana bhavan's Kaima idli, only that this is homemade! You can deep fry or even bake for healthy version.

    I had Kaima idli first time in Saravana bhavan, then 2-3 times in Madras woodlands in some other name like, chilli idli or something similar to that. I have even attempted to try this at home. But deep frying the idlies was my main concern about the recipe when I saw this recipe at Lavi’s blog. Not that I wont deep fry the idlies, but I could not properly deep fry my idli.

    It was so soft to deep fry and always got stuck to the ladle. So I dropped the idea of trying at home. But that was long time back. Now since we come to learn few basic kitchen tricks, I tried this again. I refrigerated the left over idlies before deep frying and the deep frying part was totally mess free.It came out crispy and golden in colour.

    I wanted it spicy and look more like the Saravana bhavan hotel style kaima idli, so added what ever I could figure out in the recipe and the result was very satisfying. I am sure everybody would enjoy this as snack. If you are making for your kid, try to skip chillies and add more of tomato ketchup or sauce to match their taste. Check out my kothu parotta.
    1-kaima-idli-recipe

    kaima-idli-recipe
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    4.75 from 4 votes

    Kaima idli recipe

    Kaima idli recipe, that's very close to Saravana bhavan's Kaima idli, only that this is homemade! You can deep fry or even bake for healthy version.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Indian
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Servings 2
    Cup measurements

    Ingredients

    • 5 Leftover idli
    • 1 Onion
    • 2 Tomato
    • 2 Green chilli
    • Β½ Capsicum
    • 3 tablespoon Green peas frozen
    • ΒΎ teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
    • 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
    • 1 teaspoon Biryani masala/ Pav bhaji masala
    • 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds powder
    • 1 tablespoon Tomato sauce optional
    • Salt - as needed
    • Oil - as needed
    • 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves chopped
    • 1 sprig Curry leaves
    • ΒΎ teaspoon Fennel seeds/ cumin
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • If you are going to make this in the evening/night, refrigerate the idlies from morning. This is for easy deep frying. It absorbs less oil if we refrigerate. The cut into bite sized pieces as shown in the picture. You can also bake it in a preheated oven at 190 deg C (Baking and pre heat temperature same) for 15 mins (or until crisp), turning in between once.
    • Cut onion length-wise, chop tomatoes finely, capsicum into thin short strips. I used frozen peas, you can use any cooked peas in place of it. Deep fry the idli pieces in hot oil until crisp and golden brown. Set aside in kitchen towel. Heat a kadai with 2 teaspoon of oil and pop the fennel seeds and add curry leaves.
    • Fry onion till transparent and add ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute. Add chopped tomatoes and salt.
    • Fry till it gets mushy. Add green peas and capsicum to it and fry for 2 more minutes. Add chilli powder, daniya powder and pav bhaji masala. Add tomato sauce and fry until all masalas blend well.
    • Add the fried idlies and toss well.
    • Add ΒΌ cup water and boil in high flame, mix well and garnish with the chopped coriander leaves. Transfer to the serving bowl.

    Video

    Notes

    • Deep frying the idlies is optional, but it gives the idli nice colour and it helps to hold the shape.
    • If the idlies are not refrigerated, the idli pieces get stuck to the laddle while frying. So make sure to refrigerate the idlies.
    • You can replace the pav bhaji masala with garam masala powder too.
    • Its really spicy, so adjust the spiciness according to your taste.
    • If you eat immediately then it will be crunchy and juicy as well. but if later, then it will be only juicy, still tastes great!
    • If you want you can skip tomato sauce and add a teaspoon of lemon juice. But i love the sweetness from the sauce.
    • Capsicum and green peas helps in reducing the heat while eating.
    • Do not boil for long time after adding water. Just bring to boil in high flame and mix well.
    • ΒΌ cup water in last step is approximate. If you feel its very dry, you can add more to make the gravy loose and coat the idlies well.
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    Kaima idli recipe steps:

    1. If you are going to make this in the evening/night, refrigerate the idlies from morning. This is for easy deep frying. It absorbs less oil if we refrigerate. The cut into bite sized pieces as shown in the picture. You can also bake it in a preheated oven at 190 deg C (Baking and pre heat temperature same) for 15 mins (or until crisp), turning in between once.step1 deep fry
    2. Cut onion length-wise, chop tomatoes finely, capsicum into thin short strips. I used frozen peas, you can use any cooked peas in place of it. Deep fry the idli pieces in hot oil until crisp and golden brown. Set aside in kitchen towel. Heat a kadai with 2 teaspoon of oil and pop the fennel seeds and add curry leaves.step2 temper
    3. Fry onion till transparent and add ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute. Add chopped tomatoes and salt.step3-fry
    4. Fry till it gets mushy. Add green peas and capsicum to it and fry for 2 more minutes. Add chilli powder, coriander powder and pav bhaji masala. Add tomato sauce and fry until all masalas blend well.step4-masala
    5. Add the fried idlies and toss well.step5-add
    6. Add ΒΌ cup water and boil in high flame, mix well and garnish with the chopped coriander leaves. Transfer to the serving bowl.step6

    Serve hot, best it tastes. Hot and spicy kaima idli! Love to have it with onion raita. I could not resist myself from eating until I finish clicking, so had few in kadai which I munched in between clicking 😉.

    2-kaima-idli-recipe

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sudha Sabarish

      January 24, 2013 at 5:38 am

      Kaima idly looks yummy and is tempting a lot.Pics are superb as usual.

      Reply
    2. Nagalakshmi V

      January 24, 2013 at 5:43 am

      I have never heard of this dish before. now i feel like having some although i JUST had lunch!

      Reply
    3. Jeyashrisuresh

      January 24, 2013 at 5:47 am

      This is totally tempting me , craving for kaima idly now though i had my lunch!! Pictures are inviting

      Reply
    4. Jeyashrisuresh

      January 24, 2013 at 5:49 am

      Oh nags, same comment from both of us!!

      Reply
    5. Divya Kudua

      January 24, 2013 at 5:58 am

      Kaima idli looks great.I have had chilli idli at sangeetha and I am guessing both are same,got to try this!

      Reply
    6. Madhavi

      January 24, 2013 at 5:59 am

      AWESOME....super drooling post :))

      Reply
    7. Nandita SS

      January 24, 2013 at 6:07 am

      Gosh!!! The idlies look so tempting!! You are making me drool πŸ™‚

      Reply
    8. Navya

      January 24, 2013 at 6:13 am

      Awesome!! I have always wanted to recreate this after trying in Saravana Bhavan. You have made it seem so simple πŸ™‚ Thanks!!!

      Reply
    9. prathibha Garre

      January 24, 2013 at 6:15 am

      It looks really delicious and yummy..perfect for evening snack..

      Reply
    10. Ruchi Indu

      January 24, 2013 at 6:48 am

      Hearing for the first time... Kaima idlis look tempting...

      Reply
    11. APARNARAJESHKUMAR

      January 24, 2013 at 7:03 am

      pictures are great ! cannt we do the frying part in Kuzhipaniyaram pan?

      Reply
    12. Vimitha Anand

      January 24, 2013 at 7:07 am

      I tried this in Sarvana bhavan once and loved it totally... Thanks for sharing this recipe

      Reply
    13. RAKS KITCHEN

      January 24, 2013 at 7:08 am

      Yes you can try that, even u can try over any nonstick pan/ dosa pan.

      Reply
    14. Premalatha Aravindhan

      January 24, 2013 at 7:17 am

      Very tempting Recipe,had many times but never tot to post:)It came out very well for you...

      Reply
    15. Hema

      January 24, 2013 at 7:20 am

      Looks very tempting, perfectly done..

      Reply
    16. Reshmi Mahesh

      January 24, 2013 at 7:23 am

      Looks very inviting and delicious...Love to try this..

      Reply
    17. lata raja

      January 24, 2013 at 7:41 am

      I have only made fried idli and sautΓ©ed with veggies to make it interesting. The khaima sounds fab idea. Next time I will make extra idlis for this!

      Reply
    18. Veena Theagarajan

      January 24, 2013 at 9:26 am

      This is my husband's favourite.. but not done for a while.. So tempting.. Yummy looking Idli
      http://great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com

      Reply
    19. sowmya(creative saga)

      January 24, 2013 at 9:40 am

      Looks yumm..I have tasted the idli chaat in komalas..this one reminds me of that...

      Reply
    20. ShravsCookBookBlog

      January 24, 2013 at 10:23 am

      never heard about kaima idli before...looks so tempting....

      Reply
    21. Laavanya

      January 24, 2013 at 11:22 am

      I always order this at Saravana bhavan too.... Love this dish.... but when i make this at home i bake the idlis in an oven after tossing with some oil and chilli powder.... it gets nice and crisp without the hassle of deep frying. The photo is so tempting Raks and it looks exactly like the one in the restaurant πŸ™‚

      Reply
    22. Priya

      January 24, 2013 at 11:29 am

      Lovely recipe. Will baking work after adding a tablespoon of oil to the cut idli pieces work instead of deep frying?

      Reply
    23. Pusshkaran Thirumudhukundram Venkatesan

      January 24, 2013 at 11:30 am

      Photographs are excellent like the dish..well organised.

      Reply
    24. Leena

      January 24, 2013 at 12:00 pm

      My mouth watering right now..looks very delicious...

      Reply
    25. Nivedhanams Sowmya

      January 24, 2013 at 12:08 pm

      We love the kaima idli from Saravana Bhavan... Thanks for idea on chilling the idli before frying - great help!!!
      Sowmya
      Ongoing Event - Breakfast
      Ongoing Event - Tried and Tasted - Raks Kitchen

      Reply
    26. Srimathi

      January 24, 2013 at 12:32 pm

      Looks very appetizing. I have only had fried idli's but not the rest on it in the combo. Never heard of this dish, but would love the bowl, Please.

      Reply
    27. APARNARAJESHKUMAR

      January 24, 2013 at 1:24 pm

      intially i planned not to fry πŸ™‚ just because of ur picture i changed my plan to fry but in kuzhipaniyaram !

      Reply
    28. Anu

      January 24, 2013 at 2:38 pm

      Looks tempting... raji, you have got nice color too

      Reply
    29. Shama Nagarajan

      January 24, 2013 at 3:16 pm

      tempting and super inviting .. .

      Ongoing event:
      Know your dairy - Milk Events
      in my blog.

      Reply
    30. divya

      January 24, 2013 at 3:16 pm

      so tempting.. so yummy

      Reply
    31. Vini

      January 24, 2013 at 6:32 pm

      drool drool πŸ˜› πŸ˜› looks just like a platter from saravana bhavan! Wish winter gets over soon so that I can ferment some idli batter and make this right away πŸ™‚

      Reply
    32. Jayanthi Karthikeyan

      January 24, 2013 at 8:00 pm

      Looks yummy...

      Reply
    33. Priya

      January 24, 2013 at 8:54 pm

      Love to finish that whole plate,irresistible kaima idli.

      Reply
    34. ramya anand

      January 24, 2013 at 10:05 pm

      Mouthwatering!

      Reply
    35. Sangeetha

      January 24, 2013 at 10:24 pm

      wow...kaima idli looks so tempting...loved its color, texture everything perfect and inviting...great pics as always!
      i too never tried deep frying idlis...thanks for the tip, will try this for my kids

      Reply
    36. RAKS KITCHEN

      January 25, 2013 at 12:52 am

      Please refer the above comment. It will help i think...

      Reply
    37. RAKS KITCHEN

      January 25, 2013 at 12:53 am

      See laavanya's comment below, sounds interesting πŸ™‚

      Reply
    38. Lavi Raj

      January 25, 2013 at 8:59 am

      Like your recipe raks, will try it soon! Thanks for the Link Love!!
      Pics really make me hungry!

      Reply
    39. Sanoli Ghosh

      January 25, 2013 at 9:42 am

      Absolutely delcious preparation.

      today's recipe:
      http://sanolisrecipies.blogspot.in/2013/01/maan-kochu-bata-spicy-paste-of-malanga.html

      Reply
    40. Sharmilee! :)

      January 25, 2013 at 4:10 pm

      This is my fav anytime...looks delicious, lovely clicks too!

      Reply
    41. Janani

      January 25, 2013 at 7:45 pm

      I call this chilly idly manchurian and I love them. Its true when u fry it ,it does taste better.Nice click.

      Reply
    42. Meena Selvakumaran

      January 27, 2013 at 5:17 pm

      Love kaima idly, would love to have this..u r s perfect.

      Reply
    43. MALINI

      January 28, 2013 at 8:15 am

      LOOKS YUMMY...........

      Reply
    44. WeR SAHM

      January 28, 2013 at 8:18 am

      totally mindblowing recipe... mouth watering to taste immediately...superb clicks raks

      Reply
    45. Unknown

      January 28, 2013 at 9:59 pm

      HI raji

      can u pls tell how to treat a kal tawa before we start using it to make dosa

      Reply
    46. Unknown

      February 05, 2013 at 11:02 am

      I always order this when I eat out and the if the hotel as it....I am planning to y this soon....thanks for posting it.

      Reply
    47. Pavithra

      March 04, 2013 at 7:16 am

      I made kaima idli using this recipe and it was v good...thank you!
      just one ques though; the idlis were crisp after deep frying but became soft on mixing with the veggies. do the idlies need to be fried with cornflour? have you ever had them soften a bit before serving?

      please keep posting more such recipes!

      Reply
    48. Karan Fagne

      May 10, 2013 at 3:47 am

      Your recipe is looks awsme, you give the easiest way to prepare this recipe, from your recipe tips many people gets advantage. Regards,
      Idli

      Reply
    49. bharu

      May 20, 2013 at 12:33 pm

      Hi raks.. I just love kaima idlis.. And im planning to try it out today at home. But we dont include onion garlic. So can i make it without onion garlic will it taste good?

      Reply
    50. Raks anand

      May 20, 2013 at 12:38 pm

      Yes you can sure try it.

      Reply
    51. Sanjay Vaidya

      June 05, 2014 at 12:53 pm

      Brilliant recipe.Had left over baby corn,carrots,mushroom and the veggies listed above.BOOM.Super hit.Thxs.

      Reply
    52. Meeeeee

      October 21, 2018 at 7:12 am

      Tried this recipe yesterday.. We all loved it...

      Reply
    53. Raks Kitchen

      October 21, 2018 at 7:17 am

      thank you so much:)

      Reply

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    Raks anand

    Hi, I'm Rajeswari Vijayanand! I am the person behind Rakskitchen, sharing recipes with pictures & videos.

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    Raks anand

    Hi, I'm Rajeswari Vijayanand! I am the person behind Rakskitchen, sharing recipes with pictures & videos.

    More about me β†’

    Popular

    • Medhu vadai, Ulundu vadai recipe - With video
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    • Rose milk recipe - With homemade rose syrup

    Summer recipes

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