Khara Eerulli Idli | Masala Onion Idli | Spicy Idli..with left over Idli Batter

This recipe comes to rescue when your idli batter turns sour and not good to make regular idlis.The spiciness,sweetness from onions and carrots and the crunch of onions in each and every bite helps in compensating the sourness of the batter and makes the idlis delicious.It is ideal to use 4-5 days old idli batter for this recipe and if you want to try this one immediately just keep your idli batter at room temperature overnight which makes the batter bit sour.If you are bored of eating regular plain idlis,this spiced up masala idli would definitely be a treat for you and is a must try for all idli lovers.This was my today's breakfast which I would like to share with you all.

Ingredients:
3 cups idli batter(recipe follows)
2 medium Onions,finely chopped
1/4 cup Chana dal,soaked for 1 hr
2-3 tbsp chopped Coriander
1 medium Carrot,grated
a sprig of Curry leaves,chopped
1 tsp Green chilli paste
1/4 tsp cooking soda
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 cup grated carrot,for lining the idlis
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Oil

for Idli batter:
4 cups Idli rice
1 cup Urad dal
1 cup levelled Poha
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
Salt to taste
Method:
for making Idli batter:

• Soak idli rice overnight or at least for 5-6 hrs.Soak urad dal in a vessel and poha and fenugreek seeds in a separate vessel next morning and let them soak for at least 2 hrs.
• Grind urad dal in the wet grinder until it is smooth,soft and frothy.Remove it from the grinder and put it in a big vessel.
• Grind idli rice with poha and fenugreek seeds in the wet grinder to a slight coarse paste.Mix the mixture with the ground urad dal and add enough salt to it and mix well with your hand and let it ferment for 8-9 hrs.Some times fermentation depends on the weather,so if the weather is cold it might need another an hour or two extra for fermentation.You will get to see the rise in the level of idli batter once it is fermented and it is the indication.
• This batter can also be used to make dosas.
  

for Khara Idli:

• For Khara Idli it is ideal to use 4-5 days old batter which is bit sour.If you are planning to use fresh batter keep it aside overnight which helps the batter to become sour.
• Soak chana dal in water for an hour.
• Heat oil in a kadai and crackle mustard seeds and add finely chopped onions and saute until it is slight pink in color.Add green chilli paste to it and fry well.Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool a bit.
• Add soaked chana dal,fried onion mixture to the batter.Add grated carrot,chopped coriander and chopped curry leaves to it and add extra salt(remember that we already added salt to the idli batter) and mix well.
• Add soda to a ladle and mix it with a tsp of water and add this to the batter and mix it well,the batter becomes bit light.
• Grease the idli plates with oil and place a tsp of grated carrot in and spread it a bit with hands and pour a ladle of idli batter until each impression is filled 3/4th.
• Steam it in idli steamer or pressure cooker(with out whistle) for 10-12 mins.Let it rest for another 5 mins.
• With a idli spoon cleanly remove the idlis.Dip the idli spoon in water in between which helps to remove the idlis easily from the plate.

Serve it hot with coconut chutney/Tomato chutney/Tomato-Onion Chutney.

Notes:

• Khara Idlis taste best when the batter is sour and hence use 4-5 days old idli batter or if you want to use the fresh batter keep the batter outside overnight.You can even add a tsp of sour curds to the batter which also gives the sour taste.
• You can use the same batter to make khara dosa.Make the dosas bit thick like uthappam and roast until crisp on one side.
• Adding cooking soda is a must because when the batter turns sour,the idlis come out hard.So in order to get soft and fluffy idlis we should add cooking soda to the batter.
  

Variations:

1. You can even add frozen green peas along with carrot in the recipe.
2. You can even add finely chopped beans and capsicum in the recipe,you need to saute them along with onions for 2-3 mins.
3. You can even add freshly grated coconut to the batter.
4. You can place ghee roasted cashew nuts in the idli mold and then pour the batter over it which gives a nice look for the idly.