Whenever you prepare batter for idli-dosa, you always make it more because you never know how much you will be needing. It is one of those dishes which you cannot have enough of. However, what do you do with extra batter? Can you eat idli-dosa consecutively for 2-3 days? You can but the batter can also be used to make a few delicious savouries that make for a wholesome meal for breakfast.
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Since the batter had fermented, and it had more time to settle, probably a whole day and night, it can be used to make the softest and fluffiest of dishes. It saves you cooking time and effort when you are running to get things in order before leaving for the office or wrapping up morning tasks. This multipurpose batter that can be used for making many more dishes in the kitchen than just idli and dosa. Here are a few delicacies that you can try out.
Chettinad Muttai Paniyaram
Popular in Tamil Nadu, adding eggs to leftover idli-dosa batter is the easiest way to make your breakfast protein-rich. Along with eggs, you can add vegetables like onions and green chillies. Temper the batter with mustard seeds, mint leaves, and curry leaves. Add a spoonful of this batter to a glazed paniyaram pan and cook it on both sides until the paniyaram turns brown and develops a crispy surface. It would be like eating stuffed mini idlis.
Spicy Masala Idli
If you have some leftover batter, why not make masala idli with it? Make more idlis while sauteing onion, tomato, and green chillies in a hot pan with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add a pinch of red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and salt to taste once the tomatoes are mushy. Chop the idlis into four parts and add to the vegetable mix. Stir fry them until the surface turns brown and crispy. Serve this dish hot with your favourite version of coconut chutney. You can also pack this for lunch.
Vegetable Uttapam
When you have a large amount of leftover idli-dosa batter, all you need are chopped vegetables to prepare vegetable uttapams. Take onions, carrots, french beans, bell peppers, and capsicums, and finely chop them. Keep green chillies and coriander leaves ready for garnishing. Spread the batter on a hot pan. Its consistency should be thicker than dosa. Before the surface gets cooked, add the vegetables, green chillies, and coriander leaves and press them lightly onto the surface. Flip the uttapam once the bottom is brown and crispy. It will allow the vegetables to cook while retaining their crunch. Serve it hot with coconut and tomato chutneys.
Oats And Coconut Dosa
To use the leftover idli-dosa batter more healthily, you can add some blended coconut and oats flour to it. Add some water to maintain the consistency and give a good mix to all the ingredients to ensure there are no lumps. Keep it aside for some time and make delicious and crispy dosas with it. You can add the potato filling, grated paneer, or a good mix of chopped vegetables to amplify its taste. Eat it with leftover coconut chutney and sambhar.
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Idli Upma
Make some extra idlis with the leftover batter. To a heated pan, add oil and mustard seeds. Once you see mustard seeds crackling, add split urad dal and chopped green chillies. Add grated ginger and curry leaves and saute them. Drop in your sliced onions and a pinch of turmeric powder. Once the onions are translucent, add crumbled idlis, sprinkle some water, and put the lid on. It will ensure that your upma is soft instead of turning dry and chewy. After 4-5 minutes, garnish the dish with fresh coriander leaves and enjoy your breakfast.