MTR Idli in pressure cooker is the recipe something very close to my heart. Because i tried it during my earlier days of marriage life. I was surprised to see it was ready in no time. It is the most useful recipe of all the beginners as it is super quick and easy.
In my current blog, I would like to share my experience of cooking the simple recipe of MTR Idli in pressure cooker. I would also share my essentials tips i follow to have a hassle free cooking.
Idli is the comfort food in many Indian families. Because it is part of life right from the childhood days . It was served to us as breakfast or packed in lunch boxes and sometimes as evening snacks as well.
How to make MTR Idli in pressure cooker?
Did you ever get this question in your mind ? If so, then you are at the right place. i have always enjoyed making MTR idlis as this is the quickest breakfast one can make. Lets us get started to know how to make idli super fast.
Pre-Preparation Requirements of MTR Idli
When it comes to cooking, it is very important to know all the required utensils. Also the time required to prepare the dish. This way you can have proper planning to have a smooth preparation of the idlis.
| UTENSILS NEEDED
Idli Cooker 2 Bowls Spoons or Spatula for mixing the ingredients |
| TOTAL PREPARATION TIME
5 Minutes |
| BATTER RESTING TIME
20 Minutes |
| COOKING TIME
10 Minutes in a cooker |
Ingredients Required for Preparing MTR Idli
Its important to the know the ingredients required for Tempering and the idli. Reason being you can keep segregate the ingredients for tempering and the idli as the tempering is done first and then the idli.
| EXACT QUANTITY OF INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
MTR Idli Mix – 1 Cup Curd – ½ Cup Water – 1 Cup Salt – According to taste 1 Pinch of Asafoetida (Hing) ½ cup green peas 5-6 Curry Leaves Vegetable Oil – 2 Tablespoon Mustard Seeds – ½ teaspoon Ghee or Clarified Butter – 2 Tablespoons |
Complete Recipe of MTR Idli in pressure cooker
Making idlis in the cooker is traditional method of making in many of the South Indian households. Its a very simple and easy process to make the soft yummy idlis. As there is no fermentation , you can instantly use the MTR Mix after a quick resting period Please follow the entire step by step procedure of the easy MTR Idli recipe
Transfer MTR Idli Mix into a bowl
Take a big bowl and transfer one cup of the MTR Idli mix into the big bowl.
Make a batter with curd, water, and MTR Idli Mix
Into the bowl of one cup of MTR Idli mix, add half a cup of curd. Mix them together using a spoon.
Once it is mixed properly, add about one cup of water to the bowl and make it into a thick paste. Make sure that your batter is completely lump-free.
Set this aside and prepare tempering or tadka for the batter.
Add a little water to the existing batter
Add a little water to the existing MTR idli batter. You don’t have to mush it up. Just a little quantity will do. Once water is added, whisk it a little with a spoon or a whisker.
Heat Some Oil in a Pan for tempering or Tadka
In a small pan heat about one tablespoon of oil. Keep the flame on medium.
I used Light Oilve Oil. However, Coconut oil and groundnut oil are also some good options. In case you have none of these, use some refined oil or ghee (clarified butter).
Keeping the flame on medium heat, add mustard seeds once the oil is hot enough. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
Add rest of tempering ingredients to the pan
Once the seeds have crackled, quickly add 5-6 curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida into the oil. Remember, the flame is still on medium heat.
Increasing the flame can cause the tempering or tadka to burn.
After the above step, add half a cup of green peas into the pan. Also, add pinch of salt.
Cook the mixture in the pan for about 2 minutes while constantly stirring it.
Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool down for a minute or two.
Add the Tempering in the pan to the MTR idli batter
Add the tempering you have prepared in the steps above to the batter you had kept in the bowl. Mix the ingredients properly using a spoon.
Add water to the batter to adjust consistency
If the batter is too thick, add water to make the consistency right. The batter should neither be too thick nor too thin.
Start by adding 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
Add Salt to taste and let the MTR idli batter rest for some time
After mixing all the ingredients, cover the bowl with a lid. Let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes.
The MTR Idli mix tends to absorb water and therefore, resting is very important. It also helps the batter to ferment naturally.
After the batter is rested, check its consistency. The idli mix tends to absorb a lot of water and the batter tends to become thicker.
Add salt to taste and 1-2 tablespoons of water at a time to get to the right consistency. The consistency of the batter should be similar to a cake batter. It should neither be too flowy nor too chunky.
Grease Idli Moulds
While the batter is ready, prepare your idli moulds to stand. You can use the metal idli stands
Take some oil in your fingers and grease the insides of the idli moulds. The oil will prevent the batter from sticking to the mould.
While I used olive oil to grease the moulds, you can also use ghee to grease them.
Pour the batter into the moulds
Take the batter and pour them into the idli moulds. While filling the moulds, make sure you keep a little space for the idlis to rise.
Fill water into idli cooker
Fill the cooker or container with some water. The water in the pan/ container/ cooker is to be filled in a way that the water does not touch the moulds directly.
Place the idli stands in the cooker or container or pan
Carefully place the batter filled idli stands into the cooker/ container. If you are cooking it on the flame, you can use either use a cooker or a big pan to place the idli stands.
Turn on the stove with the Idli Cooker
Cover the container containing the filled idli stand with a lid. Covering the container is important as it helps prevent the steam from
escaping. Cook one batch for 10 minutes
Remove the container from Cooker
Once the time is up, remove the idli maker from the Cooker. Switch off the gas. Let the container cool for a minute or two before opening the lid.
Remove the idlis into a bowl
To Remove the idli stand from the container , You must scoop the idlis carefully using a knife. let the idlis cool down a little.
Now, carefully using your fingers, slide the idlis out of the moulds and transfer them into a bowl.
Plate and Serve the Idlis with hot Sambar
Remove the idlis onto a plate and serve these delicious idlis with hot sambar or chutney or both. MTR Sambhar has always been the best accompaniment for the MTR Rice idli . You can add is as a snack or for breakfast.
Important Tips to follow for a flawless MTR Idli
In the process of cooking, it also very important to remember all the essential tips for cooking. I am sharing the necessary tips which follow to make flawless MTR idllis.
1. Keep all the ingredients ready
Before you start cooking, keep all the ingredients in one place. This makes cooking more efficient and you won’t forget.
2. Remove all lumps from batter
If your batter has turned out to be lumpy, make sure you remove all the lumps using a whisk. If you do not have a whisk, use a spoon or fork to remove the lumps.
3. Do not overfill the idli moulds
Make sure that you do not fill the idli mould to the brim. After steaming, the idlis will rise, so, make sure you leave a little space for them to rise. Ideally, you should fill a little over three fourth of the idli mould.
4. Be watchful of the time
When using a cooker for making idlis, be very mindful of the time. Do not overcook the idlis or they will get hard.
5. Keep idli moulds greased before adding batter
Always grease up idli moulds before adding batter.
6. Do not overfill the idli moulds
Make sure that you do not fill the idli mould to the brim. After steaming, the idlis will rise, so, make sure you leave a little space for them to rise. Ideally, you should fill a little over three fourth of the idli mould.
7. Tempering the Rice idlis
Instead of plain rice idlis, You make sure to temper and add veggies to enhance the taste of idlis
8. Remove the idlis carefully
Once the idli is cooked, don’t remove it from the mould instantly. If you try that, the idlis may break. Leave it for a minute or two before removing them from the moulds. If you have difficulty removing the idlis, use a sharp object to loosen it from the edges of the idli mould.
9. Prepare tempering on medium flame
Always prepare the tempering for the idli on a medium flame. If you keep it at a high flame, the tempering will burn and give your idlis a bitter taste.
10. Green peas to be cooked well
Make sure the green peas are cooked well along with the tadka. This way you can ensure they are mixed well before mixing into the batter.
11. Adding amount of curd to the MTR Idli mix
You should make sure to add 1/2 the measure of curd to the MTR Idli mix. As its an important ingredient in making the batter rise. This will help us give us soft and spongy idlis.
12. Scooping the idlis easily off the idli mould
You must scoop the idlis carefully using a knife. Wet the knife if the idli is sticking to the knife.
13. Idlis can be refrigerated
If there are excess idlis made, You can always refrigerate them and reuse them whenever needed.
14. MTR idli better can be refrigerated
If you had mixed excess batter, you can always store the batter in the refrigerator and use it the next day. So it doesn’t have to be used all in one day
You must have had amazing experience learning the simplest recipe of idli. You can also enhance the taste further adding podi masala to make podi idli. Please leave your comments and questions in the below section. I will be happy to answer them.