Mini Idli Sambar is an unbeatable combo especially when it is served piping hot. Mini Idlis dunked in Sambar is light and at the same time filling too. Mini Idli Sambar Recipe is explained in this post with step by step pictures.
Mini idli sambar is my favorite. I have tasted sambar idli quite a few times and I love it a lot in certain hotels esp Annapoorna and Anandas are my favorites, especially with ghee drizzled its yummm.
Mini Idli Sambar
Mini idli along with sambar and ghee tastes divine. The tip to get perfect sambar idli is to make the idli texture porous so that it absorbs the sambar well and for sambar, though tiffin sambar suits well for mini idli I would recommend using arachuvitta sambar which is thick and flavourful and gives the hotel taste.
Mini Idli cooker / Idli stand
I was also waiting to get a new idli cooker as my old one got spoilt as its been many yrs. I already have a separate mini idli pot which you can see in my pepper idli and podi idli post….but that pot is so tiny it can steam only 8 mini idlis at a time.
Last time when we went to Chennai, I bought this idli pot the brand name is Amarjothi(I am telling this detail for few readers who asked me the brand of idli pot I use), this mini idli mould didn’t come as a set I got it separately such that it fixes in my idli stand.
Tips for Mini Idli Sambar
- You can check out detailed post of idli batter recipe here.
- Make sambar piping hot for the idlis to absorb the sambar well.
- Also make sure while grinding to make rice slightly coarse so that the idlis are poros in texture to absorb sambar well.
- Make the mini idli sambar only while serving time else it will become soggy. Just assemble and serve it immediately.
If you have any more questions about this mini idli sambar do mail me at [email protected]. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .
Tried this mini idli sambar? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
📖 Recipe Card
Mini Idli Sambar | Ghee Mini Idli Sambar
Ingredients
- 1 cup idli batter
- 1 big onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon ghee
For tiffin sambar
- 1/2 cup toor dal
- 2 small tomatoes roughly chopped
- 2 small carrot roughly chopped
- 1 heaped teaspoon sambar powder
- 2 pinches turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon thin tamarind pulp
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- salt to taste
- water as required
To temper:
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon split urad dal
- 10 nos small onion
- 1/4 teaspoon hing
- a sprig curry leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
Instructions
For tiffin sambar
- Rinse dal and set aside. In a pressure cooker heat oil add tomato and carrot saute till tomatoes becomes mushy then add dal along with turmeric powder and salt.
- Add water and pressure cook for 4 whistles in low medium flame.
- Allow pressure to release by itself. Mash the dal well and heat it up.
- Make a paste with sambar powder and little water and add it to the boiling sambar.
- Let it boil, add water to adjust the consistency if it becomes too thick. Let it boil for a good 5mins.
- Then add tamarind water.
- In a kadai – add the items listed under ‘to temper’ saute it for a minute.
- Add it to sambar and let it boil for 5 more minutes.
- Then garnish with coriander leaves , add a teaspoon of ghee and switch off.
For making mini idli sambar:
- Keep the idli batter ready. Take the idli batter in a small spoon, pour the batter into mini idli moulds.
- Now carefully place it in your idli stand stacked along with the normal idli mould and place it inside the idli cooker having water till 1/4 th of the cooker.
- Steam it for 8-10mins.Switch off , sprinkle a teaspoon of water on the idlis and set aside for 5mins.
- Use a spoon to run around the idlis in the mould, flip them out and keep aside.
- In a plate add a ladle full of sambar first.
- Arrange the mini idlis then add more sambar on top. Drizzle ghee.
- Garnish with chopped onion and coriander leaves. Serve Mini Idli Sambar hot!
Notes
- Make sure you grind the idli batter to the correct consistency sot hat your idlis are porous. If the idlis are porous it will absorb sambar well.
- While grinding grind rice little coarse to get the perfect texture.
- Sambar should be neither thick nor runny, it should be in between.
- Once you make the plate ready, serve it immediately.
- You can use tiffin sambar or any lunch sambar for this. But my recommendation is for Arachuvitta Sambar.
- Add veggies or a combination of veggies so that sambar is flavourful. I used carrots and shallots(small onion) for making this sambar.
How to make Mini Idli Sambar
- To make sambar : Rinse dal and set aside.In a pressure cooker heat oil add tomato and carrot saute till tomatoes becomes mushy then add dal along with turmeric powder and salt.Add water and pressure cook for 4 whistles in low medium flame.
- Allow pressure to release by itself.Mash the dal well and heat it up.Make a paste with sambar powder and little water and add it to the boiling sambar.
- Let it boil, add water to adjust the consistency if it becomes too thick.Let it boil for a good 5mins.
- Then add tamarind water.In a kadai – add the items listed under ‘to temper’ saute it for a minute.
- Add it to sambar and let it boil for 5more minutes.Then garnish with coriander leaves , add a teaspoon of ghee and switch off.
- Keep the idli batter ready.Take the idli batter in a small spoon, pour the batter into mini idli moulds.
7.Now carefully place it in your idli stand stacked along with the normal idli mould and place it inside the idli cooker having water till 1/4 th of the cooker.
8.Steam it for 8-10mins.Switch off , sprinkle a teaspoon of water on the idlis and set aside for 5mins.Use a spoon to run around the idlis in the mould, flip them out and keep aside.In a plate add a laddle full of sambar first.
9.Arrange the mini idlis then add more sambar on top.Drizzle ghee.Garnish with chopped onion and coriander leaves.
Serve hot!
Expert Tips
- Make sure you grind the idli batter to the correct consitency sot hat your idlis are porous.If the idlis are poros it will absorb sambar well.
- While grinding grind rice little coarse to get the perfect texture.
- Sambar should be neither thick nor runny, it should be inbetween.
- Once you make the plate ready, serve it immediately.
- You can use tiffin sambar or any lunch sambar for this. But my recommendation is for Arachuvitta Sambar.
- Add veggies or a combination of veggies so that sambar is flavourful.I used carrots and shallots(small onion) for making this sambar.
sankar saranya
My Kids favourite, colourful they like 🙂 daily I am waiting for ur post. Thanks sharmi all for ur ideas, I will try it
traditionallymodernfood
Fav breakfast.. Ur pics r tempting
Ms.Chitchat
Yum yum idlis soaked in sambar.
Sindhujabalaji
Evergreeen pair….ur last pic is awesome
Anu s kitchendelights
Looks yummmm….my lil one's staple order at restaurants.
Sona S
Looks delicious and very tempting.. Nice clicks as always…
Triveni Srinu
my avourite breakfast…
Hooked on Heat
My toddler LOVES idlis and these mini ones would be fun to make to him!
– Meena (www.hookedonheat.com)
Mahi
Neat pictures of idly making Sharmi!
Durga Karthik.
Made this yesterday.Very tasty.Thanks.
Cinzy Johnson
Hi Sharmi…..we love mini idlis esp the one we get at ID……so coz of our love, I bought a mini idli cooker almost similar like the one u posted in the post except mine just makes only mini idlis….the prob is the lowest rack gets soggy and have to literally throw off the idlis in spite of adding very lil water….the next time I tried I added again very less water and without the weights and left the lowest one free!!!still I cud see water in the lowest rack….could u pls help me with this!!!I might be going wrong somewhere!!!I do have a idli cooker for the normal idlis and the same prob there tooo….so don't use it!!!plss help…appreciate if u do a post it!!
SHARMILEE J
The lower ones are usual idlis and the mini idli mould I got separately to fix it in the rack,I havent faced such issues…not sure why you face the issue
Creativity Never Ends . . .
Hello Sharmi, Normally we are grinding cooked rice along with the dal / raw rice to make idly / dosa. But in ur recipe, u r not using cooked rice. So do we get spongy soft idly without using cooked rice?
SHARMILEE J
Each recipe is different and my recipe doesn't use cooked rice but still the idlis come out super soft.Try this and see.
Kannan
Could you mention where you got the mini idli mould from? I live in the USA.