Hyderabadi Spot Idli – Street Food

Step 1: Prepare Masala Podi

Heat a pan. Add 1.5 tsp each of chana dal and urad dal, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp cumin seeds, a pinch of fenugreek seeds, 0.25 tsp mustard seeds, 2-3 tamarind bits, 3 garlic cloves, and a few fresh curry leaves. Roast everything on medium flame until it turns a lovely golden brown and releases a beautiful aroma. Turn off the stove. Add 0.25 tsp asafoetida powder, 0.25 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder. Mix it all well and let it cool completely. Once cooled, grind it to a nice fine powder and store it in an airtight container.

Step 2: Prepare Onion Tomato Masala

In a wide pan, add 2 tbsp butter along with 1 tsp of oil. Make sure the butter used is unsalted. Once it melts, add 3 finely chopped large onions and sauté until they turn golden and aromatic. Now add 2 tbsp of chopped garlic and 2 slit green chilies. Adjust the spice level according to your liking. Sauté for a minute. Next, add 5 finely chopped ripe tomatoes. Cook them down until they turn soft and mushy. Season with 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp turmeric powder, and 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder. Mix well until everything blends beautifully. Add 4 tsp of the special homemade masala podi. Stir everything together so the flavor coats the onion-tomato mix perfectly. To finish, sprinkle in some fresh coriander leaves and a few curry leaves and mix gently. Turn off the stove.

Step 3: Cook Spot Idlis

Heat a small pancake pan (or any flat tawa/shallow kadai). Lightly grease each mold with a little butter or oil. Spoon a little bit of the onion-tomato masala into each mold and spread it gently like a base. Then pour a ladleful of idli batter right on top of the masala. Repeat the same for all the molds. On top of each idli, sprinkle a pinch of the ground masala podi, a bit of chopped coriander, and a small dollop of butter for that rich street-style touch. Cover the pan and cook the idlis on medium flame for about 3-4 minutes until cooked on one side and it's nice and crispy. Flip them gently and cook for another 2 minutes. When both sides are nicely golden and cooked through, remove them from the pan.

Step 4: Serve

Serve your super flavorful, soft yet crispy Hyderabadi-style Spot Idlis nice and hot with fresh coconut chutney on the side.

• Adjust the spice level by replacing Kashmiri chilli powder with regular chilli powder or adding dry red chilies to the masala podi.

• Ensure the butter used for the onion-tomato masala is unsalted.

• The homemade masala podi can be stored in an airtight container and used for other dishes like dosas or stir-fries.

• For extra heat, dry roast a few red chilies along with the lentils when preparing the masala podi.

• Experiment with different vegetable toppings for the idlis.