Frank's Recipes! Steamed Semolina Cakes with Spicy Lentils (Idli-Sambar)

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Steamed Semolina Cakes with Spicy Lentils (Idli-Sambar)

SERVES 4-5 (MAKES 18 IDLIS)

Hot, soft and fluffy steamed cakes (idlis) served with spiced lentils is the signature dish of Tamil Nadu in southern India. Steamed cakes can be made with a combination of rice and lentils, which are soaked and ground, then left to before steaming, but this recipe uses semollna, which is easier and quicker. Idli Sambar makes a balanced vegetarian meal.

Idlis
280g (l0 oz) semolina
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried chillies
15 g (1/2 oz) unroasted cashew nuts, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
225 g (8 oz) low-fat plain yogurt
450m1 (15 f1 oz) soda water

Sambar
225 g (8 oz) toor dhal
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 carrot, cut into bite-sized dice
125g (4 1/2 oz) green beans, fresh or frozen, cut into 2.5cm (1 in) pieces
1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-4 dried red chillies, broken up
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 tablespoons tamarind juice or 1/2 teaspoon tamarind concentrate 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and stalks

Prepare the mixture for the idlis. In a mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Beat the yogurt until smooth, then stir it into the semolina mixture.

Gradually add the soda water and mix until you have a thick paste, slightly softer than the consistency of a dropping cake mixture. If the mixture has lumps, whisk it with a wire whisk. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the dhal in a saucepan and add the turmeric. Pour in 1.2 litres (2 pints) water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium cook for 3-4 minutes or until all the foam subsides. Reduce the heat low, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes.

Add the carrot, green beans and salt to the dhal, re-cover and continue to cook for a further 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Lightly brush the cups from an egg poacher with oil and prepare a steamer over a saucepan of boiling water for cooking the idlis. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons idli mixture into each cup and steam them for 10 minutes. When cooked, remove and keep hot until all the mixture is cooked.

While the idlis are steaming, preheat a small pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds and cumin seeds, dried red chillies, peppercorns and mustard seeds, and reduce the heat to low. Stir and roast the spices for 30-60 seconds or until they begin to release their aroma. Transfer the spices to a plate and cool slightly, then grind to a fine powder in a coffee or spice mill.

Add the ground roasted spices to the lentils followed by the tamarind. If you are using tamarind concentrate, stir until it is dissolved completely. Add the fresh coriander leaves, remove from the heat and serve with the steamed cakes.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS:
Each idli provides 18 Kcals; 0.8 g fat (0.l4 g saturated fat). When served to 4, each portion of sambar provides 180 Kcals; 1.3g fat (O.16g saturated fat).

NOTE:
Traditionally, steel idli moulds are used to cook the cakes, and Indian housewives cook them in a pressure cooker. The cups from an egg poacher work just as well and a steamer will do the job instead of a pressure cooker. You can serve the idlis as a snack with a chutney, such as Almond Chutney (see page 183), instead of the sambar. The sambar can be served with boiled rice instead of the idlls.