In India, idlis are among the most beloved breakfast foods. They are prepared by steaming a batter consisting of rice and fermented urad dal, or black lentils. Because it is high in protein and fibre and keeps you feeling full for longer, an idli plate makes a substantial dinner on its own. They are fluffy, incredibly light, and quite adaptable. This explains why so many people love it for breakfast. Considering how much we like idlis, one particularly well-liked dish in South India is ghee
Ghee Podi Idli Recipe:
Here's how you can prepare ghee podi idli at home:
Ingredients:
For Idli Batter:
- 2 cups of parboiled rice
- 1 cup whole urad dal
- Water for soaking and grinding
- Salt to taste
For Podi:
- 1/4 cup chana dal
- 1/4 cup urad dal
- 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
- 4-5 dried red chillies
- 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
- 10–12 curry leaves
- Salt to taste
For Ghee Podi Idli:
- Idli batter
- Ghee
- Podi
- Salt to taste
Method:
- Separately, wash the urad dal and parboiled rice.
- Soak them for four to six hours, or overnight, in water.
- After draining the water, pulse the rice and urad dal separately, adding a little water as needed, until a smooth paste is achieved.
- In a big bowl, combine the batter for the urad dal and pounded rice. To taste, add salt and thoroughly blend.
- Let the batter ferment for eight to ten hours, or overnight if possible, until it doubles in volume and starts to get somewhat fluffy.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and dry roast chana dal, urad dal, sesame seeds, dried red chillies, asafoetida, and curry leaves separately until they turn golden brown and aromatic.
- Let the roasted ingredients cool down completely.
- Grind the roasted ingredients, along with salt, to a coarse powder. This is your podi.
- Grease the idli moulds with a little ghee
. - Pour the fermented idli batter into the moulds and steam until the idlis are cooked and firm. This usually takes about 10–15 minutes.
- Once the idlis are cooked, remove them from the moulds and place them in a serving dish.
- Drizzle melted ghee generously over the idlis.
- Sprinkle the prepared podi evenly over the ghee-coated idlis, covering them completely with the flavourful spice powder.
- Your homemade ghee podi idlis are ready to be served.
- Enjoy them hot with coconut chutney, sambar, or any other accompaniment of your choice.
Top 10 Ghee Podi Idli Places To Try In Bengaluru
However, if you want to enjoy the regional flavours prepared by the locals, then these 10 places are where you should go. They are known for their high-quality and flavourful ghee podi idlis.
The Rameshwaram Cafe, Indiranagar
It is a popular breakfast place that is known for its ghee podi idli in Bengaluru. Situated in the Indiranagar locality, the Rameshwaram Cafe is known for its fairly priced meals that boast flavours you will keep coming back to. The menu is extensive, with other commonly enjoyed items such as filter coffee, dosa, and more.
USP Dishes: Ghee Podi Idli, Filter Coffee, Dosa
Address: 2984, 12th Main Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore
Timings: 6:30am–1am
Cost for two: Rs. 200
Umesh Dosa Point, Seshadripuram
Superb ghee podi idlis are made here. They work well when you're craving something decadent. After preparing the idlis, they cover them with a thick layer of ghee and garnish with chutney podi. They also sell packages of their chutney podi since their flavour is so well-known.
USP Dishes: Ghee Podi Idli, Masala Dosa, Vada
Address: 21, Nehru Nagar Main Road, Seshadripuram, Bangalore
Timings: 8am–10pm
Cost for two: Rs. 250
IDC Kitchen, Multiple Outlets
IDC Kitchen has a wide range of idlis. Their ghee thatte idli is excellent. The fluffy idli serves as the ideal vehicle for the flavour of ghee, and it becomes much more delicious when dipped into their strong chutney. Not only that but try the podi variation, which is essentially crunchy, spicy gunpowder on top.
USP Dishes: Ghee Podi Idli, Thatte Idli
Address: 134, Media Domain, Double Road, 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore.
Timings: 7am–10:30pm
Cost for two: Rs. 200
Podi Idly, Koramangala
This restaurant, which is situated in Koramangala in the centre of Bangalore, is mostly known for its South Indian breakfast. Here, you can have both regular and podi idli. They give three different varieties of chutney and sambhar with their delicious podi idli. For those who enjoy idlis, Podi Idly Veg Restaurant is a must-visit location.
USP Dishes: Ghee Podi Idli, Upma, Appam
Address: 503, 6th Cross Road, Koramangala, 6th Block, Bangalore
Timings: 7:30am–11:30pm
Cost for two: Rs. 250
Brahmins' Thatte Idli, Multiple Outlets
With multiple outlets across various locations, this restaurant has become a fan favourite when it comes to ghee
USP Dishes: Puliogare, Thatte Idli, Filter Coffee
Address: House 113/2-1, Ground Floor, 8th Main Road, 17th Cross, Malleshwaram, Bangalore
Timings: 7am–8:30pm
Cost for two: Rs. 100
Madurai Idly Shop, Indiranagar
Located in Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Madurai Idly Shop is arguably the best place to eat some podi idli if you want an early morning breakfast since the restaurant opens at 6:30 AM. It is known for its authentic South Indian cuisine, boasting a wide range of dishes for its customers. The staff is friendly and hygiene is maintained.
USP Dishes: Podi Idli, Masala Dosa, Filter Coffee
Address: 3048, 80 Feet Road, CV Raman Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Tippasandra, Indiranagar, Bangalore
Timings: 6:30am–12:45am
Cost for two: Rs. 300
Theertham Cafe, Koramangala
This is the place to visit in Koramangala if you are someone who wants to indulge in some authentic South Indian cuisine at a reasonable price. The place isn't very fancy, but you will find all your South Indian breakfast and lunch essentials, such as podi idli, rava idli, chow chow bath, kesari bath, and more.
USP Dishes: Podi Idli, Medu Vada, Masala Dosa
Address: 131, Ward 147, 1st Main Road, Koramangala, 7th Block, Bangalore.
Timings: 7:30am–10:30pm
Cost for two: Rs. 250
Chalukya Samrat Cafe Since 1977, St. Marks Road
This restaurant is an absolute icon of the food industry, as it was established back in 1977 and is still going strong. The place boasts a loyal customer base that often visits for its podi idli. Although it is comparatively on the expensive side compared to other restaurants on the list, the cafe makes up for it with its elaborate menu, fresh food, family-friendly environment and food quality.
USP Dishes: Podi Idli, Uttapam, Idli
Address: 1, Ground Floor, 1 Sobha Mall, Shanthala Nagar, St. Marks Road, Bangalore
Timings: 7am–11pm
Cost for two: Rs. 1000
Prasidhi Food Corner, JP Nagar
A pocket-friendly place known for its generous portion size for every dish. Prasidhi Food Corner is a great restaurant to visit if you want value for your money, great food quality, staff service, and ambience. You can try its podi idli along with curd rice, ragi roti, curd vada, and more.
USP Dishes: Ghee Podi Idli, Ragi Roti, Curd Rice
Address: 25, 9th Cross, ITI Layout, 34th Main, JP Nagar, Bangalore
Timings: 6:30am–11:30pm
Cost for two: Rs. 250
Chikkanna Tiffin Room, Seshadripuram
This place is a proper crowd-pleaser, as you will always see this restaurant rushed with many customers. Chikkanna Tiffin Room sells some of the podi idlis along with kali dosa, filter coffee, masala dosa, and bath masala dosa. But the menu doesn't end here, as they have many other dishes that you can try.
USP Dishes: Ghee Podi Idli, Masala Dosa, Filter Coffee
Address: 9/01 & 2, Ground Floor, 4th Main Road, Subramanyaswamy Temple Street, Kumar Park West, Seshadripuram, Bangalore
Timings: 7:30am–12noon; 4:30pm–10pm
Cost for two: Rs. 200