Tri Color Idlis

Ingredients
(makes 20-24)

• Semolina 1½ cup
• Yogurt (dahi) 3/4 cup
• carrots 4 medium, to make puree
• spinach about 150 gms
• Oil 3 tsp + to grease the idli stand
• Salt  3/4 tsp
• Eno (fruit salt) 1½ tsp

To serve

• Sambar
• Coconut Chutney
• Tomato Chutney

Idli Stand

• In this stand 16 idlies can be made at a time.
• This stand fits in pressure cooker and can also be used in any big 5 lt sauce pan.
• Microwav safe Idli stands can be easily found in India as well as online.

1. Remove the thick stems of spinach leaves and wash the leaves thoroughly.
2. Boil 1 cup water in a pan with ¼ tea spoon salt and ¼ tea spoon sugar (to maintain the green color).
3. Blanch the spinach leaves in the hot water for 2 minutes, and then take them out. Let the boiled leaves cool down.
4. In a blender paste of blanched spinach leaves.
5. Peel wash and cut carrots into an inch pieces. Boil carrot in hot water for about 3 minutes or until tender. Remove from water. Let it cool. In a blender puree the carrots.

6. Take three bowls. In the 1st bowl take half cup semolina add a little bit of salt, 4 tbsp yogurt and carrot puree. Mix well all the ingredients. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
7. In the 2nd bowl take half cup semolina add a little bit of salt, 4 tbsp yogurt and spinach puree as required. Mix well all the ingredients. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
8. In the 3rd bowl take half cup semolina add a little bit of salt, about 1/2 cup yogurt. Mix well all the ingredients. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
9. Semolina will absorb the liquid so check the consistency of the batter - it should be easy to pour.

10. Boil one cup water in the pressure cooker or in big enough sauce pan so idli stand fits in.
11. Grease the idli trays.
12. Add 1 tsp oil in all the batters. Mix well.
13. Now add 1/2 tsp fruit salt and pour a few drops of water on top of fruit salt (Eno/ Alka-Seltzer). Mix well for a minute. Now pour about one tbsp batter in each section of the idly stand. Take care to fill about ¾ of the space on the stand.
14. You can use all three batters in three different trays.
15. Set the stand in the pressure cooker, close the lid. Remove the whistle of the lid as we want to steam-cook the idlis. Steam for about 12-14 minutes.
16. After cooking leave the stand for about 2 minutes.
17. Now take out the idlis from the stand with the help of a knife.
18. Arrange the idlies in three colors and serve with chutneys and sambhar.

Idlis are ready to serve. Serve with Sambhar, tomato onion chutney, and coconut chutney.

For this recipe you can also use rice and lentil batter.

I haven't used color to give kesariya/saffron and green color to make tri color idlies. But you can choose coloring as per your taste.

Instead of spinach you can use cilantro/ coriander chutney to make green flavorful idlies.

Fried idlies are ideal lunch for kid's lunch box. For that, cut each steam cooked idli into four pieces. In a nonstick pan heat oil, add mustard seeds when seeds stop crackling add curry leaves. Add idlies and little bit of red chili powder . Mix well and fry on medium heat for couple of minutes. Idlies are ready to go !

Some other Tri Color Recipes