Got Leftover Idli At Home? Give It A Yummy Twist With This Schezwan Honey Chilli Recipe

It was just yesterday that my mother made loads of rava idli for lunch. For the unversed, idlis are steamed rice cakes which are usually served with a side of coconut chutney and tangy sambhar. This is a classic South Indian dish that has gradually become a popular breakfast staple across the country. The soft and mushy idlis literally melt in the mouth once they are dipped in a bowl full of sambhar. It has happened plenty of times that my mother ends up making a lot of idli that we find hard to finish and has to go back into fridge. Now, a problem that we commonly face at home is that there’s a lot of leftover idli but hardly any sambhar or chutney to go with it. 

Due to this, we either eat it with some tomato ketchup or simply, gobble down plain idlis without any condiment. In such a scenario, we always look for ways to make our meals more interesting and tasty. Recently, I realized that leftovers can be a boon rather than a bane. Carefully sliced idlis can be tossed in a hot sauce and there you have an entirely new dish to savour the next day. This idea emerged from home chef Sonia Sarpal’s unique Schezwan Honey Chilli Idli. 

We never thought idli could taste this way but this Chinese twist to the dish has blown our minds away. Would you like to try it? Here’s the detailed recipe. 

Source: SlurrpApp And Sonia Sarpal/Instagram

Schezwan Honey Chilli Idli 

Ingredients

For Batter

• 1/2 cup Cornflour
• 1/4 cup Maida
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
• 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
• Water as required to make a semi thick batter.

For shallow frying

• 1 Diced onion
• 1 Diced capsicum
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/2 cup broccoli
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 2tbsp garlic
• 2 tbsp Dark soya sauce
• 1 tbsp green chilly sauce
• 2 tbsp stir fry Schezwan sauce
• 1 .5 tbsp vinegar
• 3-4 tbsp Hot water
• 1/4 cup spring onion bulbs
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2.5 tbsp honey
• Salt to taste

For the semi thick curry

• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 50 ml water

Method

1. Cut the idlis and keep them aside. 
2. Meanwhile prepare a mixture of corn flour, maida, salt, black pepper and ginger-garlic paste. Add water to make a thick batter. 
3. Coat the sliced idlis in this batter and deep-fry them in hot oil. 
4. Take them out on a plate covered with kitchen napkins and let the extra oil be absorbed by them. 
5. In a separate pan, prepare the curry by adding oil, ginger-garlic, roughly chopped onions and bell peppers along with slit green chillies. Throw in some corn and broccoli. 
6. Now, move to sauces like soy sauce, green chilli sauce, schezwan sauce and mix well. 
7. Add a tinge of sugar and a drizzle of honey to this. 
8. Pour some water to make it semi-thick. 
9. Let it cook for a few minutes and then switch off the flame. 
10. Add your fried idlis to this and coat them well. 
11. Serve hot.