Monsoon Recipe- Idli Pakoda For Tea Time

Button or mini idlis dipped in lentil batter, cooked in an appam pan, giving an absolutely crunchy outside and cushiony soft inside, making it a snack perfect for guilt-free indulgences is idli pakoda. It is flavoured with fresh coriander seeds, fennel seeds etc. The best part about this recipe is that it can be customised as per liking. The cute idli pakodas are a delight for the kids. Just top these with a drop of ketchup and serve. Further, insert a toothpick and serve it as a party appetizer. Idli pakoda are perfect for breakfast or tea time too.

Ingredients

1.5 cup chawla dal/lobia dal/ black- eyed peas soaked in 3 cups
of water over night.
Salt to taste
1tsp red chilli powder
1.5 tsp coriander seeds
1.5 tsp fennel seeds
0.5 tsp turmeric powder
2-3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
4-5 tbsp water
Oil as much required

Method

* Take lobiya/black eyed peas in a bowl. Add 3 cups of water. Soak for 3-4 hours.

* I generally prepare this recipe for breakfast, so I leave it overnight. 3-4 hours is the minimum time. You can leave the lentil to soak overnight.

* While the idlis are cooking or cooling, as it suits you, you can prepare the lentil batter. For that, drain off the water in which we had soaked the lentils.

* Grind the lentil to a nice paste. It shouldn’t be coarse. Add 4-5 tbsp water to get a pasty consistency which coats easily on our idlis.

* After grinding, add salt to taste, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1.5 tsp coriander powder, 1.5 tsp fennel powder and 2-3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Mix everything well. Check the seasoning.

* Now coat the idlis in the lentil batter. Use spoons to coat the batter. In case the idlis refuse to get coated, add 1-2 tbsp gram flour.

* Heat the appam pan. Add 1-2 tsp oil. Once it heats, fry the pakoras. Keep turning them and fry till nice golden brown. You can even deep fry them.

* Serve them hot with green chutney or ketchup.