Recipe- Perfect Mumbai Style Fried Idli

Got some leftover Idli at home? Don’t want to just reheat them and eat with the usual chutney and sambar? Well, I’ve just got the recipe for you to turn those into a crunchy, munchy, yummy dish – the Fried Idli, a specialty from the food culture of Mumbai in Maharashtra. Besides being a quick snack made with leftover idlis, this Fried Idli recipe is also a famous breakfast dish in many South Indian restaurants across Mumbai. With just 4 ingredients, this is a vegan recipe as well.

Ingredients

4 to 5 Idli or as required, one day old refrigerated idli
chaat masala or pav bhaji masala or red chilli powder or idli podi as required
salt as required
oil as required to deep fry or shallow fry

Method

- Cut the refrigerated or day old idlis into wedges, as shown in the photo above in the step-by-step guide.

- Heat oil in a kadai or pan till medium hot. Add the idli fingers and deep fry till light golden or slightly more.

- Ideally, the fried idli pieces should be crisp from outside and soft from inside. You can also pan fry or shallow fry them.

- Do not make them too brown or golden.

- Remove the smaller pieces first as they will get fried quickly. Drain the fried idli on paper towels to remove excess oil.

- Sprinkle either red chilli powder or pav bhaji masala or chaat masala or idli podi on top and some salt. Simply mix well so that masala is coated evenly.

- Serve the Fried Idli with sambar or coconut chutney or tomato ketchup.