Mini Idli sambar | Ghee idli sambar | 14 Idli sambar, tiny idlis dunked in hot restaurant style sambar. Hotel-style mini idli sambar recipe with full video and step-by-step instructions.
Whenever we visit a South Indian restaurant, we order poori or parotta or any special variety of dosa. Since Idlis we make at home on a regular basis, we don’t order this in the restaurant. But when the mini 14 idli sambar was introduced in Hotel Saravana Bhavan many years back, it is a must in our order.
Even at home, we used to cut the regular idlis into small bite-size pieces and dunk them in hot sambar and enjoy it. Later we amma got mini idli pan from the shop. We used to recreate the restaurant-style mini idli at home. I have been thinking to post the Hotel saravana bhavan style mini Idli sambar in Jeyashris kitchen. Finally today I could manage to take the video.
I have posted many varieties of sambar recipes in Jeyashri’s Kitchen. This sambar is a bit unique and without the addition of coconut. We are adding a freshly ground podi to this sambar and that makes it more flavourful.
Also, check out my
Mini Idli sambar recipe
Mini Idli sambar recipe
Ingredients
For sambar
- ¼ cup moong dal
- ¼ cup toor dal
- 1 cup small onion | sambar onion
- 1 tomato finely chopped
- Gooseberry sized tamarind
- Water as needed
- 1 tsp sambar powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- Few coriander leaves
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- Salt as needed
- 1 tsp ghee
For making the dry podi
- 1 tbsp dhaniya | coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 5- 6 red chilis
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
Other ingredients
- Idli Mini idli
- Ghee to smear on the top
- Few finely chopped onions
- Few coriander leaves
Instructions
- In a vessel add moong dal and toor dal.
- Wash it twice and add sufficient water.
- Add ½ tsp turmeric powder, one hand full of pealed small onions and 2 pinches of asafoetida to this.
- Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.
- Keep it aside.
- In a pan dry roast the coriander seeds, chana dal, red chili, pepper and cumin seeds.
- Just roast for 1-2 minutes, till it gets nice heat. No need to roast till golden brown.
- Turn off the stove and grind this into a fine powder, when it is still warm.
- Keep this aside.
Let’s make sambar now.
- Soak tamarind in hot water and take 1 and ¼ cup tamarind extract.
- In a pan add oil and add the mustard seeds and 2 pinches of asafoetida.
- When the mustard splutters add the remaining small onions.
- Saute till it becomes pink.
- Now add the finely chopped tomatoes.
- Saute till the tomatoes become mushy.
- Add the tamarind water to this and add ½ tsp turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt.
- Let this boil for 7-8 minutes.
- Now add the cooked dal mixture to this and add water (1 cup approximately) to adjust the consistency of the sambar.
- Now add the freshly ground masala. We are adding 2-2.5 tbsp of the fresh masala.
- Mix it well without any lumps.
- Let this boil for 2-3 minutes.
- Switch off the stove and add finely chopped coriander leaves and1 tsp of ghee.
- Adding ghee in the last gives a nice aroma to the sambar.
- Restaurant sambar is ready.
- Make mini idlis and keep it ready.
- Arrange few mini idlis in a plate, add hot sambar on the top.
- Garnish with finely chopped onions and coriander leaves.
- Drizzle ½ tsp of ghee on the top.
- Restaurant style mini idli sambar is ready. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
2. Always ensure the sambar is very hot while serving the mini idli sambar.
- In a vessel add moong dal and toor dal.
- Wash it twice and add sufficient water.
- Add ½ tsp turmeric powder, one hand full of pealed small onions and 2 pinches of asafoetida to this.
- Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.
- Keep this aside.
- In a pan dry roast the coriander seeds, chana dal, red chili, pepper and cumin seeds.
- Just roast for 1-2 minutes, till it gets nice heat. No need to roast till golden brown.
- Turn off the stove and grind this into a fine powder, when it is still warm.
- Keep this aside.
- Let’s make sambar now.
- Soak tamarind in hot water and take 1 and ¼ cup tamarind extract.
- In a pan add oil and add the mustard seeds and 2 pinches of asafoetida.
- When the mustard splutters add the remaining small onions.
- Saute till it becomes pink.
- Now add the finely chopped tomatoes.
- Saute till the tomatoes become mushy.
- Add the tamarind water to this and add ½ tsp turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt.
- Let this boil for 7-8 minutes.
- Now add the cooked dal mixture to this and add water to adjust the consistency of the sambar.
- Now add the freshly ground masala. We are adding 2-2.5 tbsp of the fresh masala.
- Mix it well without any lumps.
- Let this boil for 2-3 minutes.
- Switch off the stove and add finely chopped coriander leaves and1 tsp of ghee.
- Adding ghee in the last gives a nice aroma to the sambar.
- Restaurant sambar is ready.
- Make mini idlis and keep it ready.
- Arrange few mini idlis in a plate, add hot sambar on the top.
- Garnish with finely chopped onions and coriander leaves.
- Drizzle ½ tsp of ghee on the top.
- Restaurant style mini idli sambar is ready. Serve hot.
