Sweetened Idlis

There are so many different versions of Idli, but this version is my favorite. It brings back fond memories of Mangalore, my grandmother’s home and those long childhood summer vacations. It’s a sweet twist that jazzes up the regular idli with jaggery and a dash of fresh ground cardamom. Raisins and cashew nuts further augment the flavor of this “fruit and nut” idli. Though there are many recipes available, I follow my grandmother’s adaptation of the authentic recipe.

Ingredients

1 ½ cup idli rawa, washed, cleaned and soaked for 1 hour

½ cup grated coconut

½ cup jaggery

1 cup beaten rice, washed and cleaned

2 teaspoons fresh ground cardamom

8-10 cashew nuts, blanched

¼ cup raisins, soaked for 30 mins

1 ½ cup buttermilk

¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

Salt to taste

Method

Soak beaten rice for 10 -15 mins in cold water. Squeeze out water and set aside.

Grind together beaten rice, jaggery, buttermilk, fenugreek seeds into a thick batter.

To the above mixture add idli rawa, grind for 5-9 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Mix in blanched cashew nuts, raisins and fresh ground cardamom. Mix well. Set aside for 2-3 hours.

Pour batter into idli moulds and steam like regular idlis till done.

Serve warm with ghee (clarified butter) (optional).