Restaurant Style Tiffin Sambar with Mini Idlis | Hotel Sambar and 14 Idlis Recipe

Classic South Indian Mini Idlis and Sambar combo is the staple food n never get bored from this healthy steamed idlis accompanied with protein rich dal sambar. I purchased this mini idli pan set recently, before that I used the regular idli pan for making mini idlis by dropping a very little batter in each dint. Once in a week I pack this 14 idlis or Ragi Mini Podi Idli in my H and daughter lunch boxes. The taste mainly comes from shallot, ground masala and ghee so don’t skip any, also 1 cup of dal yields sambar for 4-5 adults family, you can half or reduce the quantity if you wish…

Ingredients

Toor Dhar – 1 Cup
Sambar Onion – 150gms
Tomato – 1 Large
Tamarind Juice  – 1/4 Cup or More
Slit Green chili – 1 Number
Turmeric powder – 1/4tsp
Sambar/Red Chili Powder – 1tsp  (Optional)
Assorted Vegetables – 1 n 1/2 Cup (Brinjal/Drumstick/Beans + Carrot/Radish)
Oil/Ghee n salt – As Needed
Hing/Asafoetida – 1/4tsp
Curry Leaves – Few
Chopped Coriander leaves – Few

To Dry Roast and Grind

Chana dal – 1 Tbsp
Red chilis – 8-10 Numbers
Coriander seeds – 2 Tbsp
Shredded Coconut – 1/4 Cup
Pepper Corns – 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Methi seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Salt – 1 tsp

For Garnishing

Chopped Onion – As Needed
Chopped Coriander Leaves – As needed
Ghee – As Needed

Method

• Soak dal for at least 30 minutes by the way the dal cooks quickly (Optional).
• Pressure cook the dal with tomato, turmeric, few drops of oil n water for 3-4 hisses.
• Allow to cool meanwhile get ready with other ingredients.
• Now dry roast the ingredients given under “to dry roast n grind” n grind to fine powder.
• If using drumstick cook with tamarind juice and Sambar/Red Chili powder for 2 hisses.
• Other vegetables like Brinjal can cook easily in pan itself.
• Heat oil/ghee in a wide pan, add the peeled whole shallot/small onion, curry leaves, hing and salt till onion changes brown.
• If using Brinjal add now and cook completely with enough tamarind juice and water.
• Now add mashed dal and pressure cooked vegetables.
• Add the powdered masala as well, mix all together and check salt.
• Allow to cook well for 15 minutes in medium flame, so that vegetables and dal combine well.
• Finally add chopped coriander leaves and make sure the sambar is bit watery for the mini idlis to absorb well.
• Prepare the Mini idlis (Pic 3 &4 below) when sambar is cooking in medium flame.

• If looking for Mixie Version of Idli/Dosa batter click here.
• Once done with making idlis, arrange it in a plate/round bowl, add the sambar 1″ above the idlis, idlis should immerse well in sambar.
• Now garnish with onion, coriander leaves and ghee.
• Serve/Enjoy Hot 🙂