Mini Idli Sambar | Ghee Mini Idli Sambar

Mini Idli Sambar is an unbeatable combo especially when it is served piping hot with ghee. Mini Idlis dunked in flavorful and aromatic sambar is light and at the same time filling too. Learn to make Mini Idli Sambar with step by step pictures.

Mini Idli sambar is my favorite. I have tasted sambar idli quite a few times and I love it a lot in certain hotels especially Annapoorna and Anandas are my favorites, especially with ghee drizzled its yum.

About Mini Idli Sambar

Mini idli along with sambar and ghee tastes divine. The tip to get perfect sambar idli is to make the idli texture porous so that it absorbs the sambar well and for sambar, though tiffin sambar suits well for mini idli I would recommend arachuvitta sambar which is thick, flavorful and gives the hotel taste.

I was also waiting to get a new idli cooker as my old one got spoilt as its been many years. I already have a separate mini idli pot which you can see in my pepper idli and podi idli post, but that pot is so tiny it can steam only 8 mini idlis at a time.

Last time when we went to Chennai, I bought this idli pot and this mini idli mold didn’t come as a set I got it separately so that it fixes in my idli stand.

Mini Idli Sambar Ingredients

• Idli batter – Use fresh idli batter for best taste.
• Toor dal – Toor dal is most commonly used dal for sambar.
• Onion, Tomato – Small onion adds taste to sambar so I always use that. Tomato is roughly chopped and sauteed well until raw smell leaves.
• Vegetables – You can use any vegetable of your choice. I have used carrot.
• Tamarind – Extract tamarind water / pulp by soaking dry tamarind in hot water.
• Tempering – A tempering is made with oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and hing. I have used regular cooking oil, you can use coconut oil or ghee too.
• Turmeric powder – Turmeric powder is added while cooking dal and vegetables.
• Sambar powder – This is the star ingredient which makes any sambar tasty.
• Coriander leaves – Coriander leaves is added for garnish, adds great flavor so sambar so don’t miss it.

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How to make Mini Idli Sambar Step by Step

1.To make sambar : Rinse dal and set aside. In a pressure cooker heat oil add tomato and carrot saute till tomatoes becomes mushy then add dal along with turmeric powder and salt. Add water and pressure cook for 4 whistles in low medium flame.

2.Allow pressure to release by itself. Mash the dal well and heat it up. Make a paste with sambar powder and little water and add it to the boiling sambar.

3.Let it boil, add water to adjust the consistency if it becomes too thick. Let it boil for a good 5 minutes.

4.Then add tamarind water. In a kadai – add the items listed under ‘to temper’ sauté it for a minute.

5.Add it to sambar and let it boil for 5 more minutes. Then garnish with coriander leaves , add a teaspoon of ghee and switch off.

6.To make mini idli: Keep the idli batter ready. Take the idli batter in a small spoon, pour the batter into mini idli molds.

7.Now carefully place it in your idli stand stacked along with the normal idli mold and place it inside the idli cooker having water till ¼th of the cooker.

8.Steam it for 8-10 minutes. Switch off , sprinkle a teaspoon of water on the idlis and set aside for 5 minutes. Use a spoon to run around the idli in the mold, flip them out and keep aside. In a plate add a ladle full of sambar first.

9.Arrange the mini idlis then add more sambar on top. Drizzle ghee. Garnish with chopped onion and coriander leaves.

Serve hot!

Expert Tips

• Make sure you grind the idli batter to the correct consistency so that your idlis are porous. If the idlis are porous it will absorb sambar well.
• While grinding grind rice little coarse to get the perfect texture.
• Sambar should be neither thick nor runny, it should be inbetween.
• Once you make the plate ready, serve it immediately.
• You can use tiffin sambar or any lunch sambar for this. But my recommendation is arachuvitta sambar.
• Add veggies or a combination of veggies so that sambar is flavorful. I used carrots and shallots(small onion) for making this sambar.
• Make sambar piping hot for the idlis to absorb the sambar well.
• Make the mini idli sambar only while serving time else it will become soggy. Just assemble and serve it immediately.

Serving and Storage

Sambar can be served with rice, idli, dosa etc. This sambar keeps well in fridge for 2 days, reheat and serve it. When kept in fridge sambar tends to thicken so add water, reheat to make it to desired consistency while serving.

If you have any more questions about this Mini Idli Sambar do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .

Tried this Mini Idli Sambar? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.

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