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Kanchipuram Idli, Kancheepuram Idli, Kovil Idli

 

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kanchipuram idli recipe | kancheepuram idli | Tamil Kovil idli | easy South Indian breakfast | with 52 amazing images.

kanchipuram idli recipe | kancheepuram idli | Tamil Kovil idli | easy South Indian breakfast | is a special savoury idli which got its name from that small town in Tamil Nadu. Learn how to make easy South Indian breakfast.

To make kanchipuram idli, to the idli batter after fermentation, add the turmeric powder and dried ginger powder and mix well. Keep this batter aside. Combine the cumin seeds and peppercorns in a mortar pestle (khalbatta), crush to a coarse mixture and keep aside. Heat the sesame oil and ghee in a small non-stick pan, add the chana dal and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds-peppercorn mixture and green chillies and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute. Add the cashewnuts and curry leaves and sauté on a medium flame for another 30 seconds. Add this tempering to the kanchipuram idli batter, mix well and pour spoonfuls of the batter into each of the greased idli moulds. Steam in an idli steamer for 10 minutes or till they are cooked. Repeat with the remaining batter to make more kanchipuram idlis. Allow the kanchipuram idlis to cool slightly and demould them. Serve the kanchipuram idli hot with kolumbu and coconut chutney.

Kancheepuram idli is famous for more than silk sarees! In fact, it is offered at the Sri Varadharaja Swamy Temple, and food-lovers are generally prepared to even withstand the hardships of a long queue to buy the prasad of tasty Kanchipuram Idli from there. Indeed, with an elaborate tempering of assorted spices, these idlis are a mouth-watering treat.

Here is how you can prepare kanchipuram idli in your own kitchen. While we have shown how to make the basic idli batter, to save time you can also buy the readymade idli batter and then add ingredients to make this idli.

Also we have prepared Tamil Kovil idli using idli moulds for convenience, this batter is traditionally cooked in small greased katoris or in a large, round, flat cooker vessel and then sliced into squares or triangles.

Everyone in the family is sure to love easy South Indian breakfast and be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Besides this idli, you can also make other varieties from my collection of Idli recipes, such as the Palak Rava Idli which is enriched with iron, then there is the Stuffed Potato Idli which is more filling and a good option to serve for lunch or dinner, for a nutty and spicy flavour I make Vermicelli Nut Idli which is also good to serve while entertaining.

Tips for kanchipuram idli. 1. Mixing with hands helps in the fermentation process so don’t skip this step. 2. Depending on the weather, the batter may take about 8-12 hours to ferment. If the temperature is too low, it may take even 14 hours to ferment. 3. Though the list of spices and condiments may look vast, we recommend you add all of them in the said amounts to enjoy the authentic flavours of this idli. 4. Remember to grease the idli moulds with oil, before pouring the batter in it. This step of greasing makes the demoulding of idli very easy.

Enjoy kanchipuram idli recipe | kancheepuram idli | Tamil Kovil idli | easy South Indian breakfast | | with step by step photos.

Kanchipuram Idli, Kancheepuram Idli, Kovil Idli recipe - How to make Kanchipuram Idli, Kancheepuram Idli, Kovil Idli

Tags

South IndianJain NaashtaDifferent types of IdlisSouth Indian Evening SnacksSouth Indian BreakfastTamil Nadu FoodBreakfast Idlis / Dosas / Uttapam

Soaking time:  4 hours   Preparation Time:    Fermenting Time:  12 hours   Cooking Time:    Total Time:    Makes 25 idlis

Ingredients
Method
For basic idli batter
    For basic idli batter
  1. Combine the urad dal and fenugreek seeds and enough water in a deep bowl and mix well. Cover with a lid and keep aside to soak for 4 hours.
  2. Combine the par-boiled rice and thick beaten rice and enough water in a deep bowl and mix well. Cover with a lid and keep aside to soak for 4 hours.
  3. Wash and drain the urad dal and fenugreek seeds and blend in a mixer to a smooth paste using approx. 1/2 cup of water. Transfer the mixture into a deep bowl and keep aside.
  4. Wash and drain the par-boiled rice and thick rice flakes and blend in a mixer to a slightly coarse paste using approx. 3/4 cup of water. Add this mixture to the urad dal-fenugreek seeds mixture, add the salt and mix very well.
  5. Cover it with a lid and keep aside to ferment in a warm place for 12 hours.

How to make the kanchipuram idli
    How to make the kanchipuram idli
  1. To make {span class="bold1"}kanchipuram idli{/span}, after fermentation, add the turmeric powder and dried ginger powder and mix well. Keep this batter aside.
  2. Combine the cumin seeds and peppercorns in a mortal pestle (khalbatta), crush to a coarse mixture and keep aside.
  3. Heat the sesame oil and ghee in a small non-stick pan, add the chana dal and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute.
  4. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds-peppercorn mixture and green chillies and sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute.
  5. Add the cashewnuts and curry leaves and sauté on a medium flame for another 30 seconds.
  6. Add this tempering to the kanchipuram idli batter, mix well and pour spoonfuls of the batter into each of the greased idli moulds.
  7. Steam in an idli steamer for 10 minutes or till they are cooked.
  8. Repeat with the remaining batter to make more kanchipuram idlis.
  9. Allow the kanchipuram idlis to cool slightly and demould them.
  10. Serve the kanchipuram idli hot with kolumbu and coconut chutney.

Kanchipuram Idli Video by Tarla Dalal

Kanchipuram Idli, Kancheepuram Idli, Kovil Idli recipe with step by step photos

What are Idlis?
  1. What are Idlis? Idli is considered to be one of the healthiest breakfasts in Indian cuisine. Although it is traditionally a South Indian snack, it has now become extremely popular all over the country – and with good reason too. Idli is a steamed food, made with with a fermented batter of rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds. White and fluffy, it is a delight to bite into. It has a mellow flavour, which gives scope for the accompaniment to shine.  Idli is a standard South Indian breakfast item in the South, supplemented with a small quantity of some other dish. What varies is the accompaniment. Usually, Idli is served with Sambar and one or more chutneys such as Coconut Chutney, Coriander Chutney or Tomato Chutney. When in a hurry, the Idli is served with dry chutney powders like Idli Milagai Podi, Coconut Powder or Curry Leaves Powder.
  2. There are different variants of Idli, made using different combinations of grains and lentils. You can try the Rice and Moong Dal Idli, Barley Idli, Poha Idli, Cooked Rice Idli and Palak Moong Dal Idli. Likewise, you can also add spices, herbs and veggies to the idli batter to make variants such as the Kanchipuram Idli and Paneer Vegetable Idli. Not all idlis require you to soak, grind and ferment the batter. You can also make Instant Idli recipes like you make Instant Dosas and Instant Dhoklas. The most famous example of a quick and instant idli is the Rava Idli or Suji Idli. Vermicelli Nut Idli and Palak Rava Idli extend the idea of quick Suji Idli with exciting twists! Instant Bread Idli and Dal Vegetable Idli are other instant idlis worth a try.
  3. Like dosas and chapatis, idlis can also be stuffed with exciting fillings! Try the Stuffed Potato Idli and Double Decker Idlis Stuffed with Potato and Chutney. Such idlis make wonderful evening snacks. Treat your kids to the Stuffed Rava Idli Vegetable Sandwich when they come home from school and watch them finish it off without any fuss!
  4. If you have some idli batter on hand, it becomes very easy to quickly conjure up a meal for your family. Idli can be served not just for breakfast, but also as an evening snack or for dinner, depending on the form it is cooked in and what it is served with. Regular Idli stays soft and fluffy for a long time if made properly. It can be carried in the dabba, or even taken along while travelling. Just smear a little oil on the idlis and coat them with Idli Milagai Podi, and it becomes a one-dish meal that is handy to eat on-the-go!
  5. You can use your idli batter to make other snacks like Dosa and Appe. You can also turn your leftover idlis into exciting munchies like the Idli Upma or Spicy Tava Idli!    See, a jar of idli batter in the fridge makes life so easy!

If you like kanchipuram idli
  1. If you like kanchipuram idli, also try other unique recipes usinf idli like

How to ferment the batter of kanchipuram idli
  1. To ferment the batter of kanchipuram idli recipe | kancheepuram idli | Tamil Kovil idli | easy South Indian breakfast, put 1/4 cup urad dal (split black lentils) in a bowl. Fresh urad dal is best suitable to get soft idlis. 
  2. Add 1/2 tbsp fenugreek (methi) seeds. It helps in fermentation and make soft idlis in case you do not find current years harvested urad dal.
  3. Wash it well.
  4. Drain it.
  5. Pour enough water and mix well.
  6. Cover with a lid and keep aside to soak for 4 hours.
  7. Drain it once it is soaked.
  8. In another bowl, add 1 cup par-boiled rice (ukda chawal). For the homemade idli batter, we would highly recommend you make use of par-boiled rice which is a variety of short grained rice. Any variety of short or medium grained like sonna masoori, ponni rice works well. We wouldn’t suggest you to make use of long-grained rice like basmati.
  9. Pour enough water and mix well.
  10. Add 1 1/2 tbsp thick beaten rice (jada poha).
  11. Cover with a lid and keep aside to soak for 4 hours.
  12. After 4 hours, drain the soaked parboiled rice and beaten rice. It will look like this.
  13. Transfer the soaked and drained urad dal and fenugreek seeds to a mixer jar.
  14. Add approx. 1/2 cup of water. Do not add all water at once, start with lesser amount and add water as needed. Traditionally, a stone grinder is used to prepare idli/dosa batter. If you have one, make use of it or you can also make use of a wet grinder or mixer grinder like us. Ensure the batter does not warm up while grinding. If your mixer jar gets heated quickly, make use of cold water while grinding. This will prevent the idly from turning hard.
  15. Blend to a smooth paste, transfer the mixture into a deep bowl and keep aside. A light fluffy batter is a key to soft, pillowy idlis.
  16. Similarly, drain the par-boiled rice and thick rice flakes. Poha is optional but, it helps in giving a spongy texture to idli.
  17. Transfer to a mixer jar and add approx. 3/4 cup of water. Add enough water to grind the batter and don’t be scared of the amount because less water results in denser idli. Also, the quantity of water depends upon the quality of rice you use.
  18. Blend to a slightly coarse paste and add this mixture to the urad dal-fenugreek seeds mixture. Open the mixer jar once in between, push down the contents and blitz it. For the idli to have a fluffy texture, it is important to soak and blend the dal and rice separately.
  19. Add salt. There are conflicting thoughts about the addition of salt. Many people add before fermentation, many after. But, as per our observation the addition of salt helps in fermentation. 
  20. Mix very well with clean hands. Mixing with hands helps in the fermentation process so don’t skip this step.
  21. Cover it with a lid and keep aside to ferment in a warm place for 12 hours. Idli batter requires a warm place to ferment. If you live in a warm place, you can leave the batter outside on your kitchen counter and it will ferment. However, if you live in a cold place, place the batter in the oven with the lights on or in a preheated oven. Depending upon the weather, the batter will require somewhere between 8-12 hours to ferment.

For the batter Kanchipuram idli
  1. To make kanchipuram idli recipe | kancheepuram idli | Kovil idli | easy South Indian breakfast, after fermentation this is how the batter looks like. If you wish you can also buy ready idli batter. It is easily available in the market. 
  2. Add the turmeric powder. 
  3. Add dried ginger powder. This is also called as soonth in Hindi. 
  4. Mix the batter of kanchipuram idli recipe | kancheepuram idli | Kovil idli | easy South Indian breakfast very well. Keep this batter aside.
  5. Then add the cumin seeds into a mortar pestle (khalbatta). 
  6. Add 3 peppercorns to it. 
  7. Crush it to a coarse mixture. This mixture gives a very unique strong flavour to the idli. Keep aside.
  8. Next heat the sesame oil and ghee in a small non-stick pan for tempering. Using a combination of both lends a nice pleasing aroma to the kanchipuram idli recipe | kancheepuram idli | Kovil idli | easy South Indian breakfast. 
  9. Add chana dal to it. 
  10. Sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute.
  11. Then add the mustard seeds. 
  12. Also add urad dal, which is very important in most South Indain tempering. 
  13. Add the prepared cumin seeds-peppercorn mixture. 
  14. Add some finely chopped green chillies for spicy flavour. 
  15. Again sauté on a medium flame for 1 minute.
  16. To this add the cashewnuts. Addition of cashews is very unique to this idli. Chop them before adding. They add crunch in the idli.
  17. Add some curry leaves. 
  18. Sauté on a medium flame for another 30 seconds.
  19. Add this tempering to the kanchipuram idli batter.
  20. Mix well using a spoon. 
  21. This is how the batter looks after mixing. You will dwell into the aroma of the tempering being mixed with the batter. 

How to cook Kanchipuram idli
  1. To cook kanchipuram idli recipe | kancheepuram idli | Kovil idli | easy South Indian breakfast, first put some water to boil in a idli steamer. 
  2. Grease the idli mould with little oil. This step of greasing makes the demoulding of idli very easy. 
  3. Pour spoonfuls of the batter into each of the greased idli moulds.
  4. Place the in a steamer and steam in an idli steamer for 10 minutes or till they are cooked.
  5. Repeat with the remaining batter to make more easy South Indian kanchi idli.
  6. Allow the kanchipuram idli recipe | kancheepuram idli | Kovil idli | easy South Indian breakfast to cool slightly and demould them.
  7. Serve the kanchipuram idli recipe | kancheepuram idli | Kovil idli | easy South Indian breakfast hot with kolumbu and coconut chutney.

Tips for Kanchipuram idli
  1. You can buy readymade idli batter from the market to save time or make idli batter at home.
  2. Mixing with hands helps in the fermentation process so don’t skip this step.
  3. Depending on the weather, the batter may take about 8-12 hours to ferment. If the temperature is too low, it may take even 14 hours to ferment.
  4. Though the list of spices and condiments may look vast, we recommend you add all of them in the said amounts to enjoy the authentic flavours of this idli.
  5. Remember to grease the idli moulds with oil, before pouring the batter in it. This step of greasing makes the demoulding of idli very easy.
  6. For convenience, this batter is traditionally cooked in small greased katoris or in a large, round, flat cooker vessel and then sliced into squares or triangles.
Nutrient values per idli
Energy50 cal
Protein1.6 g
Carbohydrates8.2 g
Fiber0.7 g
Fat1.2 g
Cholesterol0 mg
Vitamin A10.5 mcg
Vitamin B10 mg
Vitamin B20 mg
Vitamin B30.3 mg
Vitamin C0 mg
Folic Acid7 mcg
Calcium7.6 mg
Iron0.3 mg
Magnesium12.2 mg
Phosphorus29.2 mg
Sodium2.3 mg
Potassium47.7 mg
Zinc0.2 mg
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Reviews

Kanchipuram Idli
 on 31 May 20 07:59 AM
5

I made kanchipuram idli first time. It turned out very well delicious and everyone liked it. Thank you for sharing
Tarla Dalal
02 Jun 20 02:40 PM
   Thanks for the feedback! Well cooked.
Kanchipuram Idli
 on 28 Feb 19 04:58 PM
5

Kanchipuram Idli
 on 01 Nov 18 03:45 AM
5

કાંચીપૂરમ ઇડલી
 on 15 Jul 17 01:07 AM
5

કાંચીપૂરમ ઇડલી
 on 10 Jul 17 04:11 PM
5

Kanchipuram Idli
 on 24 Aug 16 12:18 PM
5

I was always looking for an authentic kanchipuran idli recipe as everyone in my family including me just love it. This recipe is just perfect. Though the major difference is just the tempering, it completely changes the taste of the idli. I served it with kolumbu as mentioned in your recipe and it tastes great with it.
Kanchipuram Idli
 on 22 Apr 15 04:58 PM
5

Flavourful, crunchy and tasty idli. The tempering added to the batter is so aromatic, and the cashewnuts added gives a very rich taste. This is the perfect kanchipuram idli, which i had in kanchipuram.