Idli Bites with Rasam Shots Recipe

Make a tantalizing snack with  Idli coated in spicy chutney powder with Saaru in shot glasses.

Best use of leftover idlis which everyone clamours to eat. You have one amazing appetizer/starter for your party. Simple elegant and very healthy. You guessed it we are getting ready for your holidays and celebrations? This year Diwali, Christmas and New Year will be a muted affair with hardly any visits to and from friends. All the more reason to have a good-looking snack isn't it? Curious? Read on and I will share with you and easy way to make Plain old Idlis more attractive and yummy. Your family will love them plus of course, it is a lot more healthy. Spread the love, like and share my post. Sign up for my newsletter! (link below).

Contents:

• The Event
• Components of Idli Bites with Rasam Shots
  • How to make Idli?
  • How to make Rasam?
• Prepping the Idli and the Veggies
• Assembling the Idli Bites
• Recipe Card
• Other Party Appetizers you may like

The Event:

Holidays are just an excuse Idli Bites with Rasam Shots was one of the 4 dishes that I demonstrated. On the 18th of October 2020 for Mani Gulati, my classmate from Nagpur wanted me to demonstrate some dishes to her forum. She did not listen to my excuses and waited patiently for me to set dates.

My daughters had by the time left for Bangalore so the recording we were to do just did not happen. I was too overwhelmed! Special thanks to Pradnya, my friend who suggested and walked me through the entire process as this was my first live cooking.

Posting this today as Mani's group wants the recipe and also for Foodie Monday Bloghop this week we are celebrating #272Diwali. This Diwali a no-onion no garlic Idli Recipe which can be made gluten-free if you avoid the Hing and vegan if you avoid Ghee.

Boring Idli?

For the mortals who do not know what idlis is or think that they are "boring" this is something that makes you wish you had not called them boring!

An Idli or idly are steamed rice cake generally savoury. Idli is famous as breakfast food and snack but there are some like my family members who will make a meal out of them. An idly is made from a fermented batter of rice and dehusked black lentils (urid dal).  Paired with chutneys, sambhar and a pat of homemade butter idli provides the necessary proteins, carbs and micronutrients.

Like all other food, idli has variations rava idli which is instant idli made with from semolina. Then there is a sweet variation of idlis called Sanna and popular in the Konkan area. Have you tried this yum butter idli my mother-in-law made beautifully?

What is rasam?

Rasam, an Indian soup also called saaru, chaaru. Slightly sour, spicy yet sweet soup/curry that is watery. A saar can be made without any lentils you can eat it with rice or drink it. Again a south Indian delicacy that is very soothing especially during winter or when you have a cold. The other day I collected 11 Rasam Varieties you can check it out here.

Components of Idli Bites with Rasam Shots:

So let us put together these stunningly simple but awesomely delicious Idli Tikki and Rasam Shots for the family and friends. Here are your components for the snack:

• Rasam, 
• Idli, 
• Tempering with podi
• Veggies for threading.

How to make Idli?

First thing you need to do is make idli for which you need a batter. If you can get readymade batter go for it. But do you know you can make the batter easily at home? Here is your how-to guide. 

• Use 1:2 ½  ratio of urid:  rice/ idli rava you can use 1:3 too.
• Soak the urid dal with methi seeds for a minimum of 4 hours.
• Use a big bowl to ferment the batter, measure out the idli rava in it. Add enough water so that the water is about one inch above the rava. Stir and let it stand for 15-20 minutes then drain. Repeat 2 more times. Drain all the water and keep ready for the urid dal batter.
• Grind the urid dal to a fine paste using little water if needed. You can grind in the blender or in grinding stone. Once done remove the urid dal and mix it well with the idli rava. Set aside.
• You may at this moment mix salt in the flour and set aside to ferment overnight but I do not so mine sits overnight.
• In the morning you will see that your batter has fermented well. Stir it. Add salt in case you have not before and mix well.
•  I generally use my idli mould but today I am using my rice vessel or a plate with edges. If you have a dhokla stand use that. If you have a mini idli stand use that too.
• You can use either the idli cooker or your pressure cooker without the vent or the weight.
• After 12-15 minutes remove the idli from the cooker and let them cool down a bit. 
• If you are using a plate then cool and cut them into small cubes. 
• If you have made the idli in the regular mould they will be circles. Cut off the edges and make cubes for making the tikka.  The edges you can use to make snacks like fried idli. How? deep fry them, shallow fry or use the air-fryer.

How to make Rasam?

• Soak the tamarind in ¼ cup of water and extract the juice.
• Pressure cook toor dal with the tomato and haldi. Let the pressure drop naturally. Then  Mash the tomato and dal these days I add my curry leaves as a powder as kids do not like the leaves in the mouth and it graces the edge of their plate.
•  Heat oil, add the mustard when it splutters add the red chillies, curry leaves, haldi, and asafoetida.
• Add the tamarind juice extract, jaggery, masala, salt and bring to boil.
• You can adjust to suit your taste. Add more or less tomato, add lemon juice, coriander leaves. 

Prepping the Idli and the Veggies:

• Heat ghee in a non-stick pan and once hot add the mustard seeds, curry leaves.
• Add the podi powder and the idli cubes.
• Mix gently till the idlis are coated with the podi. Remove to a plate.
• in the same pan add the oil and saute all these with a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Assembling the Idli Bites:

• On a toothpick/ skewer thread a piece of capsicum then onion the cubed idli, reverse back the capsicum onion order. (You can choose any order you prefer)!
• Pour rasam in small or shot glasses. Add coriander leaves, lemon as a garnish.
• Place the idli tikka on the glass and serve.
• Enjoy!

Recipe Card:

Idli Bites with Rasam Shots Recipe

A delicious appetizer, snack or clever use of leftover idlis! The end result is everyone want more of this tikka.

4.92 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Course: Appetizer, Appetizers-Starters, Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Idli Tikka

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 100kcal

Author: ArchanaPotdar

Equipment

• Non-stick pan
• Toothpicks/skewers
• Ladles and spoons

Ingredients

• 10 idli cubes medium-sized
• 5 rasam portions in small glasses

For the Tempering:

• 3 tablespoon ghee
• ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
• curry leaves optional
• 3-4 tablespoon chutney pudi/ garlic chutney

For the Veggies:

• ½ Red capsicum cubed
• ½ Onion cubed
• ½ Green capsicum cubed
• 1 teaspoon oil

Instructions

Tempering the Idli:

• Heat ghee in a non-stick pan and once hot add the mustard seeds, curry leaves.
• Add the powder and the idli cubes.
• Mix gently till the idlis are coated with the powder.
• Remove to a plate.

Sauteing the Veggies:

• Saute all these with a pinch of salt till they soften a little.
• Keep aside.

Assembling:

• On the toothpick/skewer thread a piece of capsicum then onion the cubed idli, reverse back the capsicum onion order. (You can choose any order you prefer)!
• Pour rasam in small or shot glasses. Add coriander leaves, lemon as a garnish.
• Place the idli tikka on the glass and serve.
• Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 2tikka | Calories: 100kcal

Tried this recipe?@apotdar

So these delicious idli tikka that I made were delicious and how I wish the girls were here. They would have loved them. these idli bites will be a great hit for kids party, a barbecue, Thanksgiving party, or Christmas Party. I am sure these Idly tikkas will taste great with cocktails too. Try them today!

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