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Showing posts with label Blogging Marathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogging Marathon. Show all posts

Thursday, July 6, 2023

Nan Khatai

Probably nan khatai are the first cookies I ever baked in my kitchen and so, they are special to me. Over the years I have tried various versions, liking them all even without realizing they had Parsi connection. This time around I tried this semolina-almond version which yield crispy, crumbly delicious nan khatai that are quite addictive. For the uninitiated, nan khatai are shortbread biscuits that have been popular in the Indian sub continent for centuries. They are believed to be originated in Surat, a city in western India during 16th century. The word nan khatai is said to have derived from a Persian word 'naan' meaning bread and an Afghani word 'khatai' meaning biscuit.
 
According to the ebook Eat, Pray and Live, some of the Parsi cooks who worked for the Dutch in Surat had learnt to bake soft bread by fermenting the dough with toddy, which is supposedly the beginning of the legacy of Parsi bakeries in Surat. Parsis were inspired by the eggless Scottish shortbread, to create nan khatai, one of Surat's famous confections.The Surat bakers realized that the recipe was suitable for Gujarati vegetarians who did not eat eggs and adapted to suit the local populace by adding nuts and cardamom. Here is another interesting read about how nan khatai came to existence.

Ingredients: (Yield 18 - 20 cookies)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina (I replaced half of it with ground almonds.)
2 tbsp. ground almonds (Optional)
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
A pinch of baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp. slivered almonds for garnish

Method:
* Sift together flour, semolina, cardamom and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add ground almonds to the same bowl if using and mix to combine,
* Cream butter and sugar in another bowl until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture in small increments and blend until a dough is formed. If for any reason, the dough turns out hard / dry, moisten it with little milk. (I didn't need any milk.)
* Preheat the oven to 350 deg F / 180 deg C. Grease or line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
* Divide the cookie dough into 18 - 20 portions and roll each portion into a smooth ball. Flatten them slightly with the palm of your hand and decorate with almond slivers. Gently press the almond pieces so that they stick to the cookie.
* Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them an inch apart since they expand while baking.
* Place them in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until they turn light golden in color. (I baked them for about 20 minutes, turned off the oven and left them in the oven for another 6 minutes or so.)
* Let them cool on a wire rack and store them in an airtight container.


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Friday, September 17, 2021

Bihari Ghugni / Bihari Aloo Chana

I had prepared this delicious and nutritious ghugni as part of the Bihari thaali I posted a while ago. Ghugni happens to be a popular dish in Bihar and as well as in some of the neighboring states such as Asaam, Bengal and Odisha where it is enjoyed as a snack. The preparation of course varies from region to region. This spicy ghugni when made into a gravy, can be served as a side dish to go with roti, poori or even rice whereas the street version usually happens to be a dry one. Ghugni can also be prepared using white chickpeas, dried yellow peas or split chickpeas.

The onion and tomato mixture can be cooked directly in a pressure cooker and soaked chickpeas and potatoes can then be added and pressure cooked. For a quicker version, I cooked chick peas and potatoes individually and added to the cooked onion - tomato mixture that got cooked in a pan at the end.
Ingredients:
1.5 soaked and cooked black chick peas / kala chana
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed (About a cup)
1 tbsp. mustard oil, preferably for authentic taste
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
2 green chili, sliced lengthwise
2 onions, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped / 1/4 tsp. garlic paste (I omitted it.)
1/2 inch ginger, finely grated / 1/4 tsp. ginger paste
1 big sized tomato, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. red chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. chole masala
1/2 tsp. garam masala

Directions:
* Soak chickpeas overnight or at least 8 hours with adequate water to soak. Let the container be big enough to hold the chickpeas which expand while soaking. Drain the water used to soak and pressure cook the chickpeas adding water as needed. 
* Cook the potatoes until tender and keep aside.
* Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and bay leaf.  Immediately add green chili, onion and grated ginger. Sauté until onions turn golden brown. 
* Next add the tomatoes and cook until they turn mush. Add turmeric, salt, red chili powder, cumin and coriander powder, garam masala and chole masala. Cook for a minute.
* Add cooked chickpeas and cooked potato cubes and simmer for about five minutes. Mash some of the potatoes if the gravy needs to be thicker.
* Serve it with Indian style breads / rice.

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon under the theme 'Regional Side dishes'. Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Maduros

Maduros are fried sweet plantains that are prepared throughout Latin America and Caribbean regions. Basically ripe plantains are sliced and fried in oil until golden and cooked through and are served as a side dish. These are made with very ripened plantains but not the firm green colored plantains and are very delicious to snack on. The unripe, green ones are more suited to make yummy chips or one more yummy snack, the twice fried tostones / patacones

In case ripened plantains are not readily available at your local stores, buy green plantains and leave them outside refrigerator a few days to ripen. Plantains soften and develop more sugar as they turn yellow and then black eventually. Plantain that has a dull yellow color with black patches / spots or almost black are used to make maduros. Very ripe plantains yield really sweet maduros but I used that have not yet turned dark which yield a little starchy and not too sweet maduros.

Ingredients: 
Ripened plantains 
Neutral oil to fry (I used canola oil.)
Salt (optional) 

Directions: 
* Chop the ends of the plantain and cut a slit along the length of plantain, avoiding cutting into the flesh. Remove the peel by pulling it sideways than lengthwise. Or use a peeler instead if not comfortable using a knife to peel. Chop plantains into one inch thick diagonal slices.

* Heat about 1/8 inch oil in a wide pan / skillet over medium heat. There is no need to bring the oil to a smoking point. Gently drop a plantain piece and see whether it bubbles vigorously. If it does then the oil is ready to fry. Otherwise, heat the oil some more. Once the oil is ready, add the plantain slices, as many as the pan can fit without overcrowding.

* Fry the plantain pieces until they start to lightly brown. Lower the heat and continue to cook, turning them occasionally, until they turn deep golden brown. (Lowering the heat is important since the plantains can burn / brown quickly without getting properly cooked.)

* Transfer them to a paper towel lined plate / tray. Sprinkle with salt / sugar if desired and serve them warm.

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon and check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Monday, July 19, 2021

Uthappam Waffles / Dosa Waffles

Dosa waffles or uthappam waffles are those made with leftover, savory dosa batter and these make a filling breakfast or dinner. Dosa batter is needed for this recipe to start with and here is the recipe for dosa batter. These waffles can be made in less than half an hour if you have the batter ready.

Waffles are a fun way to use any leftover dosa batter besides using them to make uthappam, ponganalu, onion dosa and such. Mixed veggies can be added to make the waffles more nutritious. Serve these gluten-free, vegan waffles with coconut or peanut chutney for a delicious breakfast or dinner.
Ingredients: (About 3)
2 cups dosa batter
Salt if needed
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped 
1 small carrot, peeled and grated 
1 or 2 green chilis, finely chopped
2 tbsp. cilantro, finely minced
Oil to grease the waffle pan
Directions:
1. Left over dosa / idli batter is needed for this recipe. Add salt only if it was not added earlier to the batter. Add few tbsp. of water if the batter appears too thick.
2 & 3. Add chopped vegetables, green chilis, and cilantro to the batter and mix well with a ladle.
4. Preheat the waffle maker and brush the grooves with oil. 
5. Pour the prepared batter into the waffle maker.
6. Cook the waffles according to the instructions in the manual of your waffle maker. 
* Once done, gently remove the cooked waffle from the waffle maker. Use the remaining batter and prepare waffles. 
* Serve them warm with chutney of your choice.
This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon. Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

Sunday, July 4, 2021

Rajgira Kadhi / Vrat Ki Kadhi / Farali Kadhi

A Indian kadhi generally is a spicy, yogurt based gravy which is thickened by the use of chickpea flour. Other flours are substituted for chickpea flour aka besan especially during the Navratri fasting season, a tidbit I have learnt from the blogging world over the years. I tried recently amaranth flour based kadhi aka rajgira kadhi and it turns out that even a basic version kadhi without all the frills can taste good too. No chickpea flour, onions, tomatoes, asafoetida, mustard seeds, turmeric or dried mango powder in this version but one wouldn't call this gluten free gravy a flavorless one. We at least didn't mind even a bit and I am sure that any kadhi lover would enjoy this amaranth flour kadhi as well. The lackluster color of the kadhi may be a giveaway that it may not be the regular version kadhi but one would probably just assume the lack of turmeric in it.

Whisk the yogurt well to a uniform consistency. I was lazy to do so when I made this and that's why the kadhi looks curdled but it is not so. If not using this as a fasting meal, feel free too use turmeric, mustard seeds, asafoetida, onion, salt and other stuff one would prefer in a kadhi. Even buckwheat flour or chestnut flours can be used in place of amaranth flour in the recipe.

Ingredients: (2 servings)
1 cup yogurt
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup amaranth flour
2 tsp. ghee / oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. ginger paste or grated ginger
2 finely minced green chillies or 1 tsp. green chili paste
Rock salt to taste
Minced cilantro to garnish

Directions:
* Whisk yogurt well in a bowl. Add amaranth flour to the yogurt and mix until there are no lumps. Yogurt and flour together can be whisked in a blender as well.
* Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to brown add ginger and chillies. Saute for few seconds and then add water.  Next add yogurt - amaranth flour mixture and rock salt to the pan. Continue to cook on low flame stirring intermittently until the mixture thickens. If the mixture appears to be thicker than the preferred consistency, add extra water and bring the mixture again to a boil and turn off the stove.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve warm. It can be served with any cooked grains allowed during fasting or rice / rotis.

Friday, June 25, 2021

'Foxtail Millet' Green Mango Rice / Korrala Mamidi Pulihora / Navane Mavinakayi Chitranna

Rice is a chief crop of south India both in terms of production and consumption. Obviously there are plenty of main dishes made with rice in the region. Mavinikayi chitranna, a rice dish made with grated raw mango and seasonings happens to be a summer comfort food of Karnataka, a south Indian state. I tried to make the dish healthier and nutritious by replacing the rice in the recipe with a millet. Here are some other millet based rice dishes that I have posted.
 
I used foxtail millet but it can be replaced by other millets like barnyard millet or kodo millet. Cooking the millet into a mush spoils the consistency of the dish (especially if one is particular about it). Cooking the millet such that each grain stands apart is recommended while making these kind of dishes. I have cooked a large portion of the millet than the quantity mentioned below in the recipe and so, I haven't mentioned the exact quantity of water I used to cook the millet. I usually pressure cook millet for 2 whistles and use less than 2 cups of water for each cup of millet used. I leave the cooked millet aside for at least 10 minutes and spread it in a wide plate if especially trying to substitute it for rice in a dish. 
Thanks to my husband, I had a bag of frozen, grated mango which I would have never even thought of buying, 😉. I used that in the recipe and so the gratings are more noticeable than the shredded fresh green mango. If the mango used is not sour enough, drizzle some lemon / lime juice over the rice and stir to combine. This millet dish is dry compared to the rice version and so, serve it along with some yogurt on the side. Some chips / papad  or fried vadis would be a nice accompaniment.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup foxtail millet / 2 cups cooked foxtail millet
2 tbsp. oil
A handful of peanuts
1 tsp. split chickpeas / chana dal
1 tsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
1 tsp. mustard seeds
2 dried red chillies, broken into bits
1 spicy green chili, sliced lengthwise / chopped fine
1 sprig of curry leaves
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
2 pinches of asafoetida powder
Salt to taste
1 cup peeled and grated green mango 
Lemon / lime juice to taste (optional)

Method:
* Check and remove if any tiny stone bits present in millet. Rinse and pressure cook the millet for 2 whistles adding water as needed. When the valve pressure is gone, remove and leave the millet container out on the counter for about 10 minutes. Then spread the cooked millet on a wide plate, breaking any lumps if present with a spatula. 
* Heat oil in a wide pan and add peanuts, split chick peas, black gram and mustard seeds in that order. When the peanuts turn golden brown, add green chillies, red chillies and curry leaves. Sauté for few seconds.
* Next add turmeric, asafoetida, grated mango and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes and then add the cooked millet and salt. Mix well, breaking any lumps if present. (Taste and add lemon / lime juice if the mango used was not sour enough.)
* Turn off the stove and serve the millet - green mango rice warm with fried papad or chips and some yogurt.
This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon and check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Sesame Seed - Peanut Laddu

(This was originally published on 12/25/2012.)

From an Indian perspective, the word 'sweets' stand for all culinary things that are obviously sweet and are from the subcontinent. In a traditional sense, none of the baked goods or the western desserts usually fall under the category and they are never a part of a religious feast. 

Laddus, kheer, halwa and burfis make up a significant portion of the myriad varieties of Indian sweets. They entice me the most and so I thought of posting a nutritious and super quick laddu today. These laddus are made with just four ingredients - peanuts, white sesame seeds, dried coconut and jaggery. This is again a 5 minutes recipe if you have toasted and skinned peanuts handy. One minute to toast sesame seeds, under two minutes to blend the mixture and about two minutes to shape the laddus. These are vegan, gluten-free, no bake and a quick fix treat that satiates the sweet tooth.
Peanuts obviously are a good source of protein while sesame seeds are a source of good fats and have a rich iron content. Jaggery is the sweetener used here which is more nutritious than sugar. Adjust the quantity as needed since the sweetness of jaggery varies each time one buys a batch. There is no need of any binding agent to make these laddus. Toasted peanuts and sesame seeds are used here which when ground release oil which help to bind the laddus. Made with healthy ingredients, these protein rich laddus provide a quick boost of energy besides being yummy and easy ones to prepare.

Ingredients: (Make 10 laddus)
1/2 cup roasted, skinned peanuts
1/4 cup white sesame seeds
1/4 cup grated dried coconut /copra
3/4 to 1 cup jaggery powder (depending upon the sweetness of jaggery)

Method:
* Toast sesame seeds on medium flame, continuously stirring until they start to slightly brown and start to sputter. It takes about a minute to toast them. Turn off the stove and transfer them onto a plate. Let them cool.
* Add all ingredients to a food processor / blender and coarsely grind them.

* Transfer the mixture onto a plate. Fist a portion of the mixture and shape it into a ball. Repeat the step of making balls with the remaining mixture. (It took me about 2 minutes for this quantity.)

* Store the laddus in an airtight container. The container can be left over the counter and needs to be refrigerated only if need to be stored longer. 

bmlogo

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon under the theme 'Protein rich dishes'. Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Kumror Chokka ~ Bengali Potato - Pumpkin Curry

Kumror chokka is a simple vegetarian side dish prepared braising chunks of sweet pumpkin and potatoes, with some black chickpeas thrown in. I had included this in my Bengali lunch thaali that I had posted a few months back. This 'no onion or garlic' dish is popular in Bengali households and used to be a fixture on wedding menus until a few decades ago. Panch phoran, the blend of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds and fennel seeds is used in tempering. The addition of bhaja masala, a local spice blend and ghee make the simply curry a flavorful one. This dish pairs well with luchi / rotis. 

Recipe source: Here
Ingredients:
A handful of black chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 big potato, peeled and cubed
1.5 to 2 cups cubed pumpkin
2 tsp. mustard oil or oil of your choice
1 tsp. panch phoran / Bengali five spices
1 red chili
1 bay leaf
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp. grated ginger / 1/2 tsp. ginger paste
Salt to taste
A pinch of turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder or to taste
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. bhaja masala
2 tsp. ghee
Directions:
* Soak black chickpeas / kala chana overnight and drain the water in the morning. Pressure cook adding water for 3 whistles and keep aside.
* Heat oil in a pan / kadai and temper with five spices, red chili, green chili and bay leaf.
* Next add asafoetida and ginger. Stir for few seconds and add potatoes. Cook them on low flame until they are more than half way done. Next add pumpkin, salt, turmeric, chili powder and the cooked black chickpeas to the pan. There is no need to add any water to the pan. 
* Cover and continue cooking until both the vegetables are done, still holding the shape. Stir in sugar.
* Finally stir in bhaja masala and ghee and turn off the stove.

* Serve it warm with luchi / roti or parathas.

bmlogo

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon with the theme 'Dry Side Dishes'. Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Monday, May 24, 2021

Vazhakkai Poriyal

Most of the traditional curries cooked on a daily basis in south Indian kitchens are simple and quick preparations. They are served as a side dish to rice and go by different regional names like koora, palya, poriyal, and thoran. An example is this plantain curry aka vazhakkai poriyal that was a part of Tamil Nadu lunch thaali, I posted a while ago. It is a tasty, every day kind of curry that can be prepared with the basic ingredients found in any Indian home. 

The preparation is so common place that one can replace plantain in the recipe with any other vegetable. However it is to be noted that some vegetables may need not need boiling at all and just sautéing is needed. This was the first time I had a plantain curry with such simple flavors, vazhakkai podimas being an exception. We usually add a souring agent like tamarind / lemon juice and jaggery as well in this preparation. It makes a good accompaniment to any south Indian meal.

Some other plantain preparations that I have posted here.
Aava pettina aratikaaya koora (Plantain cooked in mustard base)

Ingredients:
2 plantains (About 2 cups peeled and cubed)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 / 2 green chilies or 2 / 3 dried red chilies, broken into bits
A sprig of curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
1/4 cup shredded fresh / frozen coconut 

Directions:
* Peel and cube the plantains. Pressure cook plantain cubes along with enough water and turmeric without turning them into a mush.  
(One or two whistles depending upon the cooker.) Or the plantain cubes can be cooked with enough water on stove-top in a pan or in a microwave just until fork tender but not mushy. Drain all the water used to cook the plantains.
* Heat oil in a kadai / pan and add black gram and mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida. 
* Stir them and add the plantain cubes, salt and coconut and mix them well. (Thaw if using frozen coconut before adding to the curry.) Let them cook on low flame for a couple of minutes and turn off the stove.
* Serve the curry with rice, drizzling a little ghee over it.

bmlogo

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon with the theme 'Dry Side Dishes'. Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Wednesday, May 5, 2021

A - Z Idli Series ~ I for Idli (Idli Rice Version)

So far in the series,
Today is the turn for the basic version of idli which happens to be the standard for all the idli variations out there and cherished by South Indians. For the uninitiated, idli is an iconic South Indian breakfast dish which are soft and fluffy steamed cakes. They are prepared using a fermented batter of rice and skinned black gram. This traditional dish is considered to be one of the healthiest breakfasts from the region, easily digestible and fit enough to be prescribed for the ill and convalescing. The dish needs an advanced preparation as the ingredients need to be soaked, ground and then the batter needs to be fermented before steaming it in special moulds. Idlis taste bland on their own. However drizzle some melted ghee over them and dig in with delicious accompaniments like a chutney, usually a coconut based one, a lentil dish called sambhar and spicy lentil powders, thus making it a filling and enjoyable meal for any time of the day. They are obviously gluten free and vegan if you skip the ghee.

My idli turn out super fluffy and soft. To be honest, I grew up watching idli being made around me on a regular basis and I don't fret about the idli preparation. I know however it is a daunting task for those who are not well versed with the process. I tried to explain the process in as much detail as possible here for anyone who needs some tips and the post has turned out to be a lengthy one. Idli making involves four steps - soaking the ingredients, grinding, fermenting and steaming the idlis. Grinding the batter to the correct consistency and it's proper fermentation are the important factors which decides the fate of the idlis. Idli making is an easy task with the modern conveniences we have in the kitchen compared to the olden days when the women had to manually grind the batter in stone grinders and steam on wood / kerosene stoves.
Usually if one lives in a warmer climate like India, soaking the ingredients in the afternoon and grinding it in the evening works fine, if planning for next day's breakfast. My husband's hometown is like a hot oven during summers and so, my mother in law would grind the batter around 9 at night so that the fermented batter would not go sour by morning breakfast time. I live in a cold climate and so my routine in recent years has been to soak the ingredients as soon as I wake up. I grind the ingredients around 11 am and leave the batter in oven with the light on. There are instances where my batter took around 24 hours or more to ferment, during the peak winter time.

Ingredients used in idli preparation:
Idli preparation needs two basic ingredients, skinned black gram / urad dal and rice. Skinned black gram, either whole or split can be used. (My grand mother used to use the whole black gram to make dosas and idlis but it is a pain to sit and rinse off the skins off the soaked beans.) 

Idli rice that is used in the recipe is the short, fat parboiled rice that also goes by the name Salem rice. In lieu of idli rice, idli rava aka cream of rice can be used. In that case soak separately black gram and idli rava. Some use fenugreek seeds / methi and flattened rice / poha as well in the recipe.
 
The black gram and rice proportions used also vary from home to home. The rice used varies from 2 to 4 times the quantity of black gram used. I go with 1:2 ratio whereas my mother uses 1:3 ratio. In Andhra and Karnataka, dosa and idli batters are different but I have noticed that some use the same batter for the both the dishes. 
Step 1 - Soaking the ingredients:
Soaking period is about 4 hours but two minutes are needed to rinse and soak the ingredients. Some soak the ingredients individually but I don't see any merits and soak them together which works fine for me. Rinse them twice thoroughly with water and soak them in enough water so that the water level is higher through out the soaking period. (About 3 hours is enough if using idli rava instead of idli rice and the ingredients are soaked individually in that case.)

Step 2 - Grinding the ingredients:
The ingredients are ground to a smooth batter either in a wet grinder or an Indian style mixer / blender. I have a wet grinder but I prefer grinding in my Oster 14 speed blender which works good for me. (The grinder takes more time than the blender and I hate cleaning the grinder.) I haven't watched the time but the amount of ingredients I mentioned in the recipe can be ground in one batch, which takes around 10 minutes. Don't grind the batter too thick or runny. Too thick batter will not ferment and thin batter will yield flat and not well cooked idlis. Salt can be added while grinding if living in a cold climate and in warmer climates, add salt before steaming the idlis. If using idli rava, grind black gram first, squeeze out the water from the idli rava (that has been soaking in water) and add the rava to the batter and run the blender for a couple of minutes to blend.

Step 3 - Fermenting the batter:
This is the important part of the idli preparation. The ground batter needs to be covered and placed in a warm place to ferment. The time of fermentation depends upon the local weather. It may take around 8 to 10 hours to double that time. Place it in an oven with the light on (without turning the oven on) if living in a cold climate. The yogurt setting in an instant pot works too. The final fermented batter would increase in volume, be airy and have a slightly sour smell to it. If the batter turns out thin for some reason, use it to make dibba rotte instead of idlis. 

Step 4 - Steaming the idlis:
If living in a warm place, salt can be added to the batter at this point. Gently stir the fermented batter a couple of times to uniformly aerate the batter and ladle the batter into greased moulds. If you don't own a idli stand, they can be steamed in small steel cups / glasses. Or even in a steel plate with high edges in a similar fashion to dhokla and cut them into wedges. The idlis can be steamed in a idli cooker, pressure cooker or a steamer. Don't use the safety valve if using a pressure cooker. Steam the idlis on low medium setting and it takes around 20 - 25 minutes on my gas stove to steam them. Moisten your fingers with water and check the top of idli to check whether they are done. They will not stick if done. If the idli top sticks to your moist fingers, then it needs to be steamed further.
Storing the batter and idlis:
I never refrigerate the idli batter but my mother recommends the refrigerated batter to be used within three days. She adds salt only to the portion she is going to use to make idlis and refrigerates the rest of the batter. She leaves the batter on the counter for a while before using it the next time. The refrigerated batter can be used to make again idlis, dibba rotte or ponganalu.
 
I instead usually make a big batch of idlis and freeze as many idlis as I need. (This works if you don't have power cuts in your area.) I cool down the idli immediately after preparation and freeze them to use later. They need to be just warmed in a microwave, covered until hot to enjoy them when needed. 

Ingredients: (Yield - 20 - 22 idlis)
1/2 cup skinned black gram / urad dal
1 cup idli rice
1 & 3/4 tsp. salt or to taste
1 & 1/4 cup water
Ghee to grease the idli moulds and drizzle over idlis while serving

Directions:
* Rinse idli rice, and skinned black gram together and drain. Soak them together in water, in a wide bowl for about 4 - 5 hours and drain the water used to soak completely.
* Grind them together adding salt and water just enough to grind them into a smooth and thick batter. (The salt can be added just before making idlis if living in a warm climate. I add it while grinding since I live in a cold climate and the batter takes longer to ferment.)
* Transfer the batter to a container large enough to hold the fermented batter. (The batter raises while fermenting and so plan accordingly and use a big container.) Cover the container and allow it to ferment overnight (if the batter was ground in the evening) or for about 10 - 12 hours in a warm place. If living in a cold climate, leaving the batter in an oven with the lights on (without turning on the oven) helps. Or use yogurt setting in an instant pot.
* The fermented batter looks like below - thicker than when grounded, airy, and slightly sour smelling.
 
* Heat about 2 cups of water in a idli cooker base or a idli cooker or a steamer on medium heat. 
* Grease the idli moulds with ghee / oil. 
* Gently stir the batter a couple of times with a ladle. 
* Ladle the batter into the idli  moulds carefully without spilling.
* Place the idli stand in the prepared cooker / steamer and close the lid. Don't use the valve for the lid if using a pressure cooker.
* Steam the idlis on low heat setting for about 20 - 25 minutes or until done. (The idlis should not stick when touched with moist fingers.) Check the water level in the steamer base and add extra if needed.
* Wait for about 10 minutes and then remove the idlis by running a spoon around the edges.
* Drizzle melted ghee over the idlis and serve them with a chutney, sambhar and/or spicy podi. Mine were served with roasted gram chutney, sambhar and nalla karam podi.
* Refrigerate the left over idlis and use in a day or two. Or they can be cooled down immediately after preparation and frozen to use later. Nuke them in a microwave, covered and enjoy hot, piping idlis when needed.