STUFFED VEGETABLE IDLIS

Making Idlis for breakfast is a breezy task. Its really a hassle free cooking and a great time saver . All that you need to do is pour the batter,steam, lay the table and wait to get your hands on the soft and fluffy Idlis :). I love them specially when they are soaked in Sambar. Yummmm!!. On the contrary my husband does not like Idlis and always prefers Dosas  to Idlis. My brother who also despises Idlis  always fought with my Mother if she announced Idlis for breakfast.... Idli memories!!! :)Having said this, I must say I don t get to make it very often here as MAJORITY WINS, despite the fact that me and hubby are the only two for recipe voting. :)

I prepared these Stuffed Idlis for ""Take Away Breakfast", two weeks back for a Friend's Family who have moved to Australia. They loved it a lot and I loved them too. The Idlis were soft, spongy, porous and filling too. And here is the recipe........

Preparation Time : 30 min                                               Cooking Time : 8- 10 mins

INGREDIENTS

Idli /Dosa Batter ............ As required

Sesame Oil ................... For greasing the Idli Moulds

VEGETABLE STUFF

Onion ......................... 2 Big

Carrot  ........................ 2

Green Peas .................. 2 Fistful ( I used the frozen peas)

Potatoes ...................... 2 Small

Capsicum .................... 1 Big

Ginger ........................ 1 tbsp grated

Turmeric Powder.......... 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds.............. 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves ................ 2 sprig

Chilli Powder ............... As required

Garam Masala Powder .. 1 tsp

Salt ............................. To taste

Sugar .......................... 1/2 tsp

Oil/ Ghee ..................... 3 tsp ( I mixed both)

Cashew nuts ................. 7 to 8 ( broken to bits)

Cilantro ....................... To garnish

METHOD

• Wash all the vegetables and chop them. Peel the onions and chop them. Shell the peas if you are using fresh ones.
• Heat Oil/ Ghee mixture in a Kadai. Add the mustard seeds and when it crackles, add the cashew nuts. When they turn brown, drain and keep it aside. Now add the Onions, curry leaves and grated ginger and saute well. 

• Then add the carrots and potatoes and sprinkle little water. Add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and saute. Next add the chopped capsicum and green peas and saute again. 

•  Add the garam masala powder and sugar and mix well.

• Close the Kadai with a lid and cook on simmered flame till the vegetables are done. 
• Finally add the cashew nuts back to the mixture. Mix well once again. Switch off and garnish with lot of cilantro leaves.

STUFFED IDLIS

• Grease the Idli moulds with sesame oil. Spoon a little batter first on all the moulds.

•  Now gently add tbsp of the Vegetable mixture on top of the batter. 
• You can refer to my Mini Idly Sambar recipe for Idly/ Dosa Batter preparation.

• Fill little more batter on top so as to cover the stuff.  Repeat till you have filled all the required moulds.

• Steam them in an Idli steamer/ Pressure pan for 7 to 8 minutes and switch off. Let the Idlis sit for two to three minutes before you open the steamer. 
• Sprinkle very little water on top of all the Idlis and leave for another two minutes. Gently scoop out the Idlis with a spatula and collect all of them in a bowl or a hotbox.
• Serve hot with Sambar or Chutney or as it is.
• These Idlis are nutritious and supplies you with the energy  from itself and goodness from the vegetables. Ideal for lunch box besides breakfast and am sure Kids will love this....

NOTES

• If you want more colour in the Idlis you can add two pinches of turmeric powder to the batter to make it colorful. But don t mix it too much else the air bubbles may break.
• Ensure to pour a little less batter than you intend to because you will need space for the Idlis to cook. Pouring more batter results in Idlis sticking to the moulds above them. 
• Sprinkling water on hot Idlis prevents surface drying. The drying is caused due to sudden exposure of Idlis to a cooler atmosphere. 
• Innovate the vegetable stuff by adding other vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage. I chose the vegetables based on what stock I had. Please leave your suggestions and feedback.

I am packing this off to Nivedhanams announcement for Priya's Healthy Diet Page - Healthy Lunch Box Event.