Layered Quinoa Brown Rice Lentil Idlas

Layered idlas made with quinoa, brown rice, white rice and lentils with spinachy peanut chutney layer

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Servings: 3

Process dry quinoa, brown rice, white rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds and thick poha in a food processor or Vitamix (preferred) to form grainy flour (not too fine not too grainy).
If not using quinoa, use either white rice or brown rice instead. You can also use store bought idla/idli flour (DO NOT USE INSTANT IDLA MIX) and do the rest of the steps same way.
Take the flour out in a deep wide glass bowl, add salt, sugar, asafetida and yogurt to it. Start making batter by adding warm water. Make a pan cake batter like consistency. Use your hands to mix everything as the warmth of the hands helps with fermentation!
Cover it and put in the dark warm place for over night or cover it and put it in the sun for 8-10 hours. I like to put it in the over (turned off) with only lights on over night during winter time if I am making it for lunch. Or keep out in the sun during day time if I am making it for dinner during summer time.

Put all ingredients listed under "Spinachy peanut chutney ingredients" in a blender and blend it until it almost forms a paste, leaving it just a little grainy. Keep it aside or in the fridge if making it beforehand.

Stir fermented batter and add more warm water if needed. The batter consistency should be thinner than pancakes. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
Start boiling water in the idli/idla steamer. Place greased thali (steamer tray) in the steamer while the water is boiling to heat up the thali.
Take ½ cup batter out in a small bowl. Add ½ tsp of eno and mix it very well till you see it foaming.
Pour it into the hot thali right away. Cover it and cook it for 5 min.
While it is cooking for 5 min, take ⅓ cup batter out in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp spinachy peanut chutney to this batter and mix it well. Add ½ tsp of eno to it and mix it well until it becomes frothy. The first layer should be done cooking for 5 min by now.
Pour green batter on top of partially cooked white layer, into the same thali in the steamer and cover it. Steam for 15-20 minutes on medium to high heat.
Once it is steamed, take it out and let it cool down for at-least 20 minutes. Cut it into squares and keep them aside in a bowl, cover it while other idlas cook.
Repeat the process of making layered idlas.
Once all idlas are cooked, prepare tempering.

Heat ¼ cup of peanut oil in a pan.
Once hot, carefully add mustard seeds and sesame seeds.
Once they pop, add sliced serrano pepper and pinch of asafetida.
Pour on top of all idlas. Add some chopped cilantro to idlas and serve them with some masala chai and side of green chutney!