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–+ servings

Pumpkin Idli | Instant Pumpkin Masala Idli | Sihi Kumbalakayi Kadubu

Praneetha A Goutham
Pumpkin Idli is an extremely delicious traditional Karnataka dish. This can be made quickly without fermentation and is very healthy, vegan and gluten-free.
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Prep Time 1 hr
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Course Breakfast, Dinner
Cuisine Indian, Karnataka
Servings 8 idlis

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup idli rava / rice rava
  • 2 cups grated pumpkin - , peel the skin and grate
  • 2 tablespoons chana dal (split bengal gram)
  • 1.5 teaspoons black pepper - , crushed
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds - , whole
  • 2-3 nos. green chillies - , finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh grated coconut
  • 4-5 sprigs coriander leaves - , finely chopped
  • 4-5 nos. curry leaves - , finely chopped
  • salt - to taste
  • cooking oil - , to grease the idli plates

Instructions
 

Preparation Steps

  • Wash the idli rava/rice rava. Drain the water completely. Set aside.
  • Wash and soak chana dal in warm/hot water until it turns soft. You can skip using chana dal, but I would recommend using it. It gives a lovely taste and texture.
  • Next, in a wide bowl, add washed idli rava, grated pumpkin, cumin seeds, crushed pepper, finely chopped chillies, finely chopped coriander leaves, and curry leaves. Mix everything well. Do NOT add salt or water here. Let this rest for about an hour, so that the idli rava softens a bit and the flavours get incorporated well.

Cooking Procedure

  • After an hour, drain the water and add soaked chana dal, salt and mix everything well. Take a handful of the mixture, squeeze to check the water level. Only a few drops of water should come out. At the same time, make sure it is not too dry. Sprinkle water if it is dry.
  • Boil water in an idli maker/pressure cooker. Grease the idli plates. Take a handful of the prepared idli mixture in your hand and put it on the greased cavity of the idli plate. Press it gently with your palm so that it gets a good shape. Repeat the same for all the idli plates.
  • Place the idli plates in the idli maker/pressure cooker. Close the lid and steam cook this for 15-20 minutes on medium-high heat. Remember to not use the whistle if you are using a pressure cooker.
  • Once done, remove the idli plates and let them cool for about 2-3 minutes. Then, carefully unmold the cooked idlis from the idli plates and serve hot with ghee and coconut chutney.

Notes

  1. Make sure the pumpkin you are using is firm and not soggy or over ripened.
  2. The flavour of pumpkin will be very mild after cooking the idli. So, do not overdo the spices, as we do not want to lose the flavour of pumpkin completely.
  3. You can make this just plain pumpkin idli and skip all the spices or reduce the quantity.
  4. This pumpkin idli will be soft but crumbly in texture. A little more crumbly than the regular rava idli. So, be gentle while unmolding the idlis or serving them.
  5. If your rice rava is too coarse, you can just pulse once to make it a little fine. But, do not make it too fine.
 
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