We all love a spicy plate of chilli chicken, chilli potatoes and even chilli mushrooms! So why should the humble idli be left out of the mix? If you love your street style Chinese and wouldn't blink twice before giving a fusion recipe an honest shot, these chilli idlis are calling your name!
Chilli Idli
Ingredients: Oil - 1tbsp, garlic cloves - 3 to 4, chopped green chillies - 2 to 3, chopped ginger - half, capsicum - 1, red bell pepper - 1 , yellow bell pepper - 1, onions - 1, chopped spring onions - a handful; For the sauce — soy sauce - 2tbsps, chilli sauce - 1tbsp, ketchup - 1tbsp, vinegar - 1tbsp, cornflour slurry (cornflour and water) - 1tbsp
Method: In a pan, add the oil, garlic, chillies and ginger. Let it simmer until golden brown and till the fragrance of the ginger starts wafting through. Add the veggies in, and make sure that the onions aren't finely chopped but separated by the layers, Chinese style. While the vegetables crisp up, for the sauce mix the soy sauce, chilli sauce, ketchup and vinegar. Add this to the pan and give it a good toss before adding in the cornflour slurry. Once the sauce thickens and starts slightly bubbling, turn the heat off and add the idlis in — preferably cut into bite sized pieces, and give it a good mix. Garnish with some chopped spring onions before serving for some spicy crunch. Make sure to eat these chilli idlis right away so that they don't start disintegrating in the thick sauce. On the flip side, the idlis can be fried as well so as to let them hold their form better.
{{/usCountry}}Method: In a pan, add the oil, garlic, chillies and ginger. Let it simmer until golden brown and till the fragrance of the ginger starts wafting through. Add the veggies in, and make sure that the onions aren't finely chopped but separated by the layers, Chinese style. While the vegetables crisp up, for the sauce mix the soy sauce, chilli sauce, ketchup and vinegar. Add this to the pan and give it a good toss before adding in the cornflour slurry. Once the sauce thickens and starts slightly bubbling, turn the heat off and add the idlis in — preferably cut into bite sized pieces, and give it a good mix. Garnish with some chopped spring onions before serving for some spicy crunch. Make sure to eat these chilli idlis right away so that they don't start disintegrating in the thick sauce. On the flip side, the idlis can be fried as well so as to let them hold their form better.
{{/usCountry}}Store-bought idlis or a batch made from a ready-to-make mix works perfectly fine for this recipe, lest you don't want to go through the whole process of making idlis from scratch.
(recipe from Dining with Dhoot)
Spicy, saucy and packed with flavours in every bite, this recipe needs no accompaniment and is complete in itself.
So is your evening snack for the day sorted?