Mini Idli or Coin Idlis are miniature versions of idlis which makes them a perfect snack food. I use my regular idli batter recipe and mini idli stand to make these bite-sized soft idlis at home. I often make tempered idlis by stir-frying these mini idlis with a simple tempering of spices. Or if I am in a mood for something spicy then I make fried idli with podi masala.
These mini idlis are perfect as a healthy snack or for kid’s lunchboxes. Mini Idli and chutney made of coconut is my absolutely favorite breakfast meal. In this blog post, I will give you the idli-making recipe for the regions that have extremes of temperature, such as northern India. Here we have extremely hot summers which are quite good for fermentation, but the winters are an absolute challenge. Keep reading for my tips & tricks for the perfect idli recipe.
Tricks for idli batter preparation
- Optimum fermentation-friendly environment – Since I live in the northern parts of India, we have extremes of climate. Our summers are sweltering and most of the time, quite humid. Such conditions are perfect for fermentations. However, once the temperature takes a dive it becomes harder to get the idli batter right.
So, during winter find most warmest corner of your kitchen, or even around the house—a place where you get maximum sunlight. In case there is none, then you can utilize the space around your stovetop. Keep your pot of idli batter near it while you are cooking, the heat will help the process of fermentation. - Soaking the idli ingredients right – Rice and white lentils are the two main ingredients for the idli batter recipe. Both of them need overnight soaking before grinding into a smooth idli batter. Now, white lentils or urad dal soften upon soaking and hence, requires much less time to grind than the rice.
In order to get the perfectly smooth batter, I soak rice and lentils separately. Subsequently the next day after discarding the soaking water (you can repurpose this water for your garden plants) and washing them thoroughly, I grind the urad dal and rice separately and then mix them together. - Getting the proportion right – While many would swear by a certain ratio of lentils to rice for the perfect idli batter, I have seen that the ratio of 1: 2 works best for me. That is, for every 1 cup of white lentil or urad dal, I add 2 cups of idli rice. This will give you soft and spongy idli since the proportion of lentils is higher than the rice.
- Patience – I feel that making idlis is a matter of planning and requires a certain level of time management. So if you are planning to make some idlis for breakfast, then you will have to soak the dal and rice in the previous morning. By the time it’s evening and it has been soaking for 8 hours, these have to be ground into a smooth batter which has to be left for overnight fermentation in a warm place. This way you will have perfectly risen idli and dosa batter by the next morning.
How to make coin idli – Ingredients list
- Idli Rice – alternate would be any parboiled rice
- White Lentils or Urad Dal
- Fenugreek Seeds – optional for flavor
Step-by-step instructions for mini idli recipe
- Take two mixing bowls and soak the dal and rice separately. Add double the amount of water to each of the bowls as they will soak up some water during this time. If you are adding fenugreek seeds for extra flavor, you can drop them in the bowl of rice
- Cover the bowls with a lid each and allow them to soak overnight.
- Next morning, discard the soaking water and wash the soaked dal and rice thoroughly. Grind the dal and rice into a smooth paste separately before mixing them in a larger mixing bowl. The bowl should be big enough to allow the batter to double up in volume without spilling over.
- Cover the bowl with a lid and allow it to rest in a warm place for at least 4 hours or until it doubles up in volume.
- Once it’s done, give the batter a vigorous mix. Add salt and some water to adjust the consistency of the idli batter. It should be runny enough to be poured into the idli moulds
- Prepare the steamer and grease the mini idli mould. Pour the idli batter and steam until the idlis are cooked. Check by pricking a toothpick in the centre and it should come out clean.
- Take the mini idli stand out of the steamer and allow it to cool down a bit before scraping the idlis out with a spatula or a knife.
- Serve the mini idli and chutney made with coconut and spices for a quick and healthy meal
Different types of idli making recipes
- fried idli – here the steamed mini idlis are fried with a tempering of spices such as curry leaves, mustard seeds, and green chilies.
- suji idli – Instead of using rice, these idlis are made from wheat in the form of semolina or suji.
- vegetable idli – this is my favorite and I often make this for my toddler’s snack. I grate a bunch of vegetables like carrots, beetroot, ginger, onion, etc., and mix it with the idli batter. Then I steam it like regular idlis and serve it with coconut chutney.
- masala podi idli recipe – an immensely popular way of serving idlis where the steamed idlis are tossed into gunpowder masala or podi masala with some ghee. The masala coats the idlis and adds a delightful spicy flavor.
- instant idli recipe – If you aren’t in the mood for soaking and grinding then you can always go for the instant version of idli making. Here powdered rice and dal are mixed with yogurt and a leavening agent such as soda bicarb to give you perfectly fluffy idlis in just a matter of minutes
- oats idli – in order to cut down the carbohydrate content of this dish, I often replace a part of rice with oats in my idli batter recipe. As a result, it become much healthier.
Have you tried this recipe? I would love to hear about it.
Tag me on Instagram @priyankabhattacharya.sa or Facebook @hashdiaries and I will share it further.
Mini Idli or Coin Idlis are miniature version idlis which make the perfect snack food. I use my regular idli batter recipe and mini idli stand to make these bite-sized soft idlis at home.
- 1 cup Idli Rice – alternate would be any parboiled rice
- ½ cup White Lentils or Urad Dal
- ½ tsp Fenugreek Seeds – optional for flavour
-
Take two mixing bowls and soak the dal and rice seperately. Add double amount of water to each of the bowls as they will soak up some water during this time.
If you are adding fenugreek seeds for extra flavour, you can drop them in the bowl of rice
-
Cover the bowls with a lid each and allow them to soak overnight.
-
Next morning, discard the soaking water and wash the soaked dal and rice thoroughly.
Grind the dal and rice into smooth paste seperately before mixing them in a larger mixing bowl. The bowl should be big enough to allow the batter to double up in volume without spilling over.
-
Cover the bowl with a lid and allow it to rest in a warm place for at least 4 hours or untill it doubles up in volume.
-
Once its done, give the batter a vigorous mix. Add salt and some water to adjust the consistency of the idli batter. It should be runny enough to be poured in the idli moulds
-
Prepare the steamer and grease the mini idli mould. Pour the idli batter and steam untill the idlis are cooked. Check by pricking a toothpick in the centre and it should come out clean.
-
Take the mini idli stand out of the steamer and allow it to cool down a bit before scraping the idlis out with a spatula or a knife.
-
Serve the mini idli and chutney made with coconut and spices for a quick and healthy meal
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