Aval Idli

Ingredients:
Raw rice – 2 cups
Rice flakes – aval – 1 cup
Thick curd (sour) – 1 cup
Green chillies- 10 -12
Grated coconut – ¾ cup
Bengal gram dhal – 1 tblsp
Cumin seeds – 2 tsps
Ginger -1 or 2 flakes –finely chopped
Rock salt – 2 1 ½ tsps
Oil – 5 tblsp
Black pepper – 2 tsp

Makes about 25 idlis.

Preparation:
Soak rice in enough water for 2 to 3 hours. Soak rice flakes separately in curd for about 1 ½ hours. Grind these mixtures after soaking along with grated coconut and chillies coarsely. Before removing from the mixer add salt to the required amount. Add pepper, cumin seeds and Bengal gram dhal on top of the batter. Allow the batter to ferment for 15 – 20 hours.

Make sure the batter is closed with a lid. The next day or after it is fermented, add ginger, asafetida, cooking soda and a tblsp of hot oil over the batter. Mix the batter well and steam in a pressure cooker until it is cooked. Serve hot with coconut chutney.