Delicious soft idlis ground in mixie ( i prefer this method for small qty of batter )
with no dal quick sambar
some coconut mint ginger chutney

idli recipe ( batter ground in mixie

2 cups idli rice

1 cup whole udad dal , 1/4 cup poha or sago, soak 10 minutes before grinding,
if using sago soak for an hour at least ,
pinch of methi soaked with udad dal , ,
soak rice for 5 hours,

soak udad dal for 2 hours after washing well, and soak in enough water to cover, keep in fridge ,
grind udad dal with methi in mixie with chilled water of udad dal ( in which we soaked ) , grind to a smooth thick foamy batter .
grind in short intervals , so that mixie doesnt get heated, transfer batter to a container,
next grind rice, poha together, to a thick smooth batter. mix both batters well,
add l;ittle water to adjust batter consistency, shouldnt be too watery , or batter wont ferment ,
allow to ferment overnight or for 8 to 10 hours .

Recipe for no dal sambar

1. pressure cook with just enough water to cover 3 small chopped tomatoes with 2 small onions chopped, with 2 green chillies ., 1 tbsp home sambar powder
add in turmeric powder , allow three whistles ..keep aside

2. In a a pan add 1 tbsp coriander seeds, a pinch of methi seeds, pinch of asafoetida powder , 3-4 red chillies ( kashmiri chillies ) , 4-5 pepper corns , 1 tsp cumin seeds , roast all these till aromatic
allow to cool and powder it finely , keep aside . use this powder as needed for making the no dal sambar . Use 1-2 tbsp of this powder for making this sambar

3. Now take a pan, add 1 tbsp sesame oil allow to splutter , 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 3-4 methi seeds , 2 red chillies, add 10 shallots, some curry leaves ,
sautee till onions look glassy but not change colour or turn brownish , next puree the pressure cooked mixture of tomatoes and onions to a smooth paste
add this paste to the onions in the pan,, add little water to dilute a little, add salt, add the freshly made sambar powder , add chopped coriander leaves, allow this mixture to boil, and before removing , add a tbsp of gram flour mixed with water to this boiling sambar, cook till no raw smell, remove , add a tbsp of ghee.
serve this yummy no dal sambar with idlis.

note : you can also grind 2 tb sp of fried gram ( pottu kadalai ) with the roasted ingredients,so you can skip adding the besan flour water mixture at the end , as friewd gram acts as a thickening agent when added to liquid.

Note : the roasted powder can be used to flavor, several dry curries as well

Note : adding 1/4 cup coconut milk also makes this very delicious.
almost tastes like arachavitta sambar but much lighter.