Serves: 16
Total Calories: 51

1 recipe batter for Traditional Steamed Fermented Rice Cakes or Instant Steamed Semolina Cakes with Yogurt (see Starters and Snacks)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger
1 to 3 fresh green chili pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground asafoetida
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 to 4 dried red chili peppers, such as chile de arbol, whole or broken
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh curry leaves

1. Prepare either of the iddli batters. When the fermented batter is ready (through step 2 in either recipe), mix in the onion, ginger, green chili peppers, cilantro, and half (1/4 teaspoon) the asafoetida. Then continue with Step 3 of the recipe.

2. When the iddlis are steamed, transfer them to a serving plate. Heat the oil in a small nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the red chili peppers and mustard seeds. They should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the remaining asafoetida and curry leaves, and stir about 30 seconds. Add to the iddlis and toss lightly to mix. Serve.

VARIATION: In Step 1, mix in 1 to 2 cups finely chopped steamed vegetables and 1/4 teaspoon salt, or 1 tablespoon masala from any mango pickle, or be creative and mix in some sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil.

From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 16
Total Calories: 51
Calories from Fat: 16

More Recipes from the 1000 Indian Recipes Cookbook:
* Starters and Snacks
Baby Spinach Pakora Fritters
Basic Batter for Pakora Fritters
Basic Chicken Tikka Kabaabs
Basic Fish Tikka Kabaabs
Basic Grilled Lamb Tikka Kabaabs
Basic Mashed Potato Patties
Basic Stuffed Potato Patties
Bell Pepper Pakora Fritters with Ajwain Seeds
Black Chickpea Kabaabs
Bread Pakora Fritters Stuffed with Coconut Chutney
Cauliflower Pakora Fritters with Cilantro
Chile Chicken Tikka Marinade
Chopped Onion Pakora Fritters
Chutney-Marinated Broiled Paneer Cheese Kabaabs
Citrus Chicken Tikka Marinade
Coconut-Red Chili Croquettes with Mixed Beans
Cottage Cheese Pakora Fritters with Red Bell Peppers
Creamy Chicken Tikka Marinade
Crispy Flour Chips with Vegetables and Spicy Chutneys
Crispy Puffs with Potatoes and Spicy Yogurt
Crispy Puffs with Spicy Tamarind Water
Crispy Taro Chips with Asafoetida
Crumbled Paneer Cheese Pakora Fritters with Green Chutney
Curried Chicken or Lamb Turnovers
Deep-Fried Lamb Kabaab Patties
Falguni's Steamed Chickpea Flour Cakes
Filling for Potato Patties
Fish Pakora Fritters
Flattened Lamb Kabaab Skewers with Cardamom Seeds
Flattened Lamb Kabaab Skews with Nuts and Poppy Seeds
Flour Chips with Yogurt and Mango Powder Chutney
Fresh Fenugreek Pakora Fritters with Pomegranate Seeds
Fresh Green Bean Pakora Fritters with Ginger
Fresh Green Chutney Lamb Tikka Marinade
Garlic Chicken Tikka Marinade
Garlickly Eggplant Pakora Fritters
Green Split Pea Samosa Filling
Grilled Chicken Drumstick Kabaabs
Grilled Fish Tikka Marinade
Ground Meat Pakora Fritters
Gujarati Chickpea Flour Rolls
Gujarati Stuffed Chickpea Flour Rolls
Indian French Fries with Tomatoes
Instant Steamed Semolina Cakes with Yogurt
Kabaab and Tikka Finishing Glaze
Mama's Paneer Cheese Pakora Fritters
Marinated Chicken Pakora Fritters
Marinated Lamb Kabaabs
Mashed Batter-Fried Potato Balls
Meat Samosa Filling
Mint Chicken Tikka Marinade
Mixed Vegetable Pakora Fritters
Mung Bean Croquettes
Mung Bean Croquettes with Spinach
Mung Bean Puffed Pastries
Mushroom Turnovers with Curry Powder
Pan Fried Lamb Kabaabs
Pan-Cooked Chicken Liver Kabaabs
Pan-Roasted Egg-Stuffed Chicken Drumstick Kabaabs
Paneer Cheese Kabaabs with Pomegranate Seeds
Pastry Crackers with Black Pepper and Ajwain Seeds
Pastry Swirls with Roasted Red Bell Peppers and Potatoes
Pinched Lamb Kabaab with Fenugreek Leaves
Pinched Rice Flour Pakora Fritters with Papaya
Potato Filling
Potato Fritters with Chives
Potato and Cashew Patties
Potato and Tapioca Patties
Puff Pastry Rolls with Asparagus and Scallions
Puff Pastry Twists with Cumin and Ajwain Seeds
Puffed Rice with Onion, Potatoes, and Spicy Chutneys
Pumpkin Pakora Fritters with Bengali 5- Spices
Punjabi-Style Fermented Urad Bean Croquettes
Rice Croquettes with Cashews
Rice Flour and Cashew Pakora Fritters
Rosemary Lamb Tikka Marinade
Royal Lamb Tikka Marinade
Salt and Pepper Cashews
Savory Cereal Mixture with Nuts
Savory Pastry Diamonds
Sesame Fish Tikka Marinade
Shredded Cabbage Pakora Fritters with Yogurt
Shrimp Pakora Fritter
Silky Chicken Tikka Marinade
Silky Skewered Minced Chicken
Sindhi-Style Stuffed Triangular Pastries
Skewered Minced Lamb Kabaabs with Saffron
Skewered Minced Paneer Cheese Kabaabs
Skewered Paneer and Vegetable Kabaabs
Skewered Vegetable Kabaabs with Fresh Fenugreek Leaves
Sourdough Bread and Potato Ovals
South Indian Croquettes with Curry Leaves
Spicy 7-Layered Baked Pastries
Spicy Batter-Coated Fish Kabaabs
Spicy Batter-Fried Peanuts
Spicy Green Split Pea Pakora Fritters
Spicy Lentil Wafers
Spicy Mixed Nuts and Seeds
Spicy Mixed Vegetable Samosa Filling
Spicy Pressed Rice Flakes Mixture
Spicy Steamed Chickpea Zucchini Cake
Spicy Stuffed Croquettes
Sprouted Green Mung Bean Samosa Filling
Steamed Mung Bean Bites
Steamed Spicy Fermented Rice Cakes
Stuffed Lentil Wafer Rolls
Stuffed Napa Cabbage Roll Pakora Fritters
Stuffed Phyllo Baked Pastry Pouches
Stuffed Phyllo Triangles
Stuffed Potatoes with Spicy Shredded Chicken
Stuffed Tortilla Triangles
Thrice-Baked Potato Skins with Petite Peas
Tofu and Potato Patties
Traditional Chicken Pakora Fritters
Traditional Steamed Fermented Rice Cakes
Traditional Steamed Split Chickpea Cakes
Traditional Stuffed Triangular Pastries
Turmeric Lamb Tikka Marinade
Yellow Mung Bean and Spinach Samosa Filling