Kanchipuram Idli Recipe, Kovil Idli Recipe

The Kanchipuram Idli or the Kovil Idli is the traditional prasadam offered in the Varadharaja Perumal Temple at Kancheepuram. The idlis are cooked in bamboo casings lined with dried “mandharai” leaves. The mandharai leaves add to the flavour of the idlis. The batter for the idlis is mixed with spices and steamed. I adapted the recipe from here .

Wash and soak the raw rice, parboiled rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds in water over night. They all can be soaked together. Drain the water and grind the mixture to a slightly coarse paste. Run the batter in your fingers and you should feel the texture similar to that of very fine rava. Stop grinding when you reach that texture. The batter should not be very smooth. Add up to a cup of water for grinding and grind the batter in batches in the mixie. Do not add too much water while grinding.

Soak the avalakki / aval / poha for 10 minutes in half a cup of water. Grind it to a smooth paste and add it to the batter. This is not a very traditional ingredient but I like to add it as it makes for a very soft textured idli at the end. I really like adding a little bit of aval as it tremendously improves the texture of the idli.

Next comes the star ingredients. Its the spices that makes the kanchipuram style idli so tasty. The main spice in the idli is the dry ginger, cumin seeds and black pepper. The aroma of dry ginger in the batter is so heavenly!

Note: Dry ginger is called as Sukku in tamil.

Pulse the pepper and cumin in a mixie jar for a couple of times to slightly crush the spices. The cumin and pepper can also be crushed in a mortar and pestle.

Heat ghee in a pan and add in the ground cumin pepper mixture and curry leaves. Once the curry leaves are crisp, switch off the flame. Add in the dry ginger powder and asafoetida. Toss well and add it to the batter.

Add in the salt to the batter and mix everything well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and allow it to ferment in a draft free place for 8-10 hours.

The batter is now ready for steaming. You can steam the idlis in the regular idli plates but Kanchipuram idlis are steamed like cakes and cut afterwards. We will be using a 2 inch deep bowl to steam the idlis today. Grease the bowl with some oil and fill the bowl half way through.

Steam the bowl for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, insert a toothpick and the idlis are cooked if it comes clean. Cook for some more minutes if need be.

Remove from heat and let the bowl rest for five minutes. Insert a knife on the edges to release the sides of the idlies. Cut the idlies and serve.

Serve with chutney and sambar .

• Measurements used – 1 cup = 250 ml (approx)

For the batter

• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 cup parboiled rice
• 1/2 cup raw rice
• 1/2 cup whole white urad dal
• 1/2 cup poha / aval
• 1 teaspoon salt

Spices

• 2 teaspoon ghee
• 2 sprigs curry leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida / hing
• 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Wash and soak the raw rice, parboiled rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds in water over night. Drain the water and grind the mixture to a slightly coarse paste. Add up to a cup of water for grinding and grind the batter in batches in the mixie. Do not add too much water while grinding.
2. Soak the poha for 10 minutes in half a cup of water. Grind it to a smooth paste and add it to the batter.
3. Heat ghee in a pan and add in the crushed cumin pepper mixture and curry leaves. Once the curry leaves are crisp, switch off the flame. Add in the dry ginger powder and asafoetida. Toss well and add it to the batter.
4. Add in the salt to the batter and mix everything well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and allow it to ferment in a draft free place for 8-10 hours.
5. Steam the idli for 20 minutes. Serve with chutney and sambar.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 8 hours
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Idli
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

• Measurements used – 1 cup = 250 ml (approx)

For the batter

• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 cup parboiled rice
• 1/2 cup raw rice
• 1/2 cup whole white urad dal
• 1/2 cup poha / aval
• 1 teaspoon salt

Spices

• 2 teaspoon ghee
• 2 sprigs curry leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida / hing
• 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Wash and soak the raw rice, parboiled rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds in water over night. Drain the water and grind the mixture to a slightly coarse paste. Add up to a cup of water for grinding and grind the batter in batches in the mixie. Do not add too much water while grinding.
2. Soak the poha for 10 minutes in half a cup of water. Grind it to a smooth paste and add it to the batter.
3. Heat ghee in a pan and add in the crushed cumin pepper mixture and curry leaves. Once the curry leaves are crisp, switch off the flame. Add in the dry ginger powder and asafoetida. Toss well and add it to the batter.
4. Add in the salt to the batter and mix everything well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and allow it to ferment in a draft free place for 8-10 hours.
5. Steam the idli for 20 minutes. Serve with chutney and sambar.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 8 hours
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Idli
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/kanchipuram-idli-kovil-idli/

Its festival time again and its time for sweets and celebration. This Malai Ladoo is a very easy beginners recipe. There are just two main ingredients in this recipe. You will need a can of condensed milk (milk maid-400 gms) and 250 grams of paneer. Here is how to do it. Shred the paneer and set aside. Heat a pan (preferably non-stick) and add in the condensed milk and shredded paneer. Keep the flame at medium at all times so the bottom doesn’t scorch. Keep sauteing.

Add in the cardamom powder. Keep sauteing for about 12-15 minutes. It will start to thicken gradually.

The mixture will become thicker and thicker. Remove from heat when the mixture comes as one mass of dough. It wont be solid at this stage. The mixture will thicken as it cools. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes.

Apply ghee to the hands and make the mixture into ladoos while slightly warm. The ladoos are sticky. So place the ladoos on a wax paper lined plate. Garnish with shredded cashew. Cool the ladoos and store the ladoos in the refrigerator. Shelf life: 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

• 250 grams paneer
• 400 grams condensed milk
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 3 - 4 cashews for garnish
• 1 teaspoon ghee for greasing hands

1. Heat a pan (preferably non-stick) and add in the condensed milk and shredded paneer. Keep the flame at medium at all times so the bottom doesnt scorch. Keep sauteing.
2. Add in the cardamom powder. Keep sauteing for about 15 minutes. It will start to thicken gradually.
3. The mixture will become thicker and thicker. Remove from heat when the mixture comes as one mass of dough. It wont be solid at this stage. The mixture will thicken as it cools. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes.
4. Apply ghee to the hands and make the mixture into ladoos while slightly warm. The ladoos are sticky. So place the ladoos on a wax paper lined plate. Garnish with shredded cashew. Cool the ladoos and store the ladoos in the refrigerator.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Indian