Podi Idli Recipe (With Mini Idli or Small Idli)

roasting lentils and spices

1. Keep all the lentils and spices ready before you begin. Take a heavy kadai or a pan and heat it. Keep the flame to a low. Add ¼ cup urad dal to the pan.
2. Keep on stirring often while roasting urad dal.
3. Roast till the urad dal becomes golden and you get a nice aroma of the roasted urad dal.
4. Remove and keep the roasted urad dal in a separate plate or tray.
5. Next add ¼ cup chana dal to the same pan.
6. Keep on stirring often, while roasting chana dal till the lentils get browned or golden. 
7. Now take 2 tablespoons sesame seeds in the same pan.
8. Stirring often roast the sesame seeds till they change color and start crackling and popping. Keep them aside.
9. In the same pan add ½ teaspoon oil. You can use sesame oil (gingelly oil which is made from raw sesame seeds). Add 4 to 5 dry red chilies. 
10. Roast the red chilies, stirring them till they change color and you can get their pungent smoky aroma.
11. Add 22 to 24 curry leaves (2 sprigs of curry leaves) in the pan.
12. Stirring non-stop, fry for a few seconds till the curry leaves become crisp.
13. Switch off flame and add ½ teaspoon hing (asafoetida). mix well.
14. Then add 1 teaspoon salt and mix again.
15. Take this spice mixture in the same plate. Let all the roasted spices cool down and come at room temperature.

making idli podi

1. In a grinder jar, add the entire roasted spice and lentils mixture.
2. Grind in intervals of some seconds to a coarse or fine powder. Do not grind at a stretch as then the sesame seeds will release oil. Check the taste and add some more salt if required.
3. Then spoon idli podi in a jar. Close tightly with a lid and keep idly podi at room temperature. You can even keep in the fridge.

making podi idli

1. Using idli batter steam mini idlis or regular sized idlis in an idli steamer. Remove the mini idlis and keep them in a casserole or a pan. Cover the pan with a lid. You will need about 35 to 40 mini idlis. if using large idlis, then take about 8 to 10 idlis and then chop them.
2. Make sure that the idlis are completely cooled at room temperature before you begin making the podi idli recipe. You can even use leftover idlis.
3. Heat ½ tablespoon sesame oil (gingelly oil – made from raw sesame seeds) in a small pan. Keep flame to a low.
4. Add ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds. let the mustard seeds crackle.
5. Then add 4 to 5 curry leaves.
6. Stir and fry for a couple of seconds till the curry leaves become crisp. Then add the idlis. Mix well.
7. Add about 2 tablespoons idli podi. You can add less or more of the podi as per your requirements.
8. Mix the podi with the idlis.
9. Stirring often sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, till the idli podi coats the mini idlis evenly. The podi already has salt in it. In case you want, you can add some more salt on the idlis.
10. Serve podi idli hot or warm with a coconut chutney. You can garnish with some chopped coriander leaves if you want.