Savory steamed cake; sambar filled Lava Idli is super delicious for breakfast or dinner.
Super easy to make, this lava idli recipe will be a great variation from regular idli sambar!
South Indian food in any form is a favorite in our house. There are so many options to make; no wonder it pops up on our lunch, dinner or breakfast menu. From rava idli and lemon rice to pesarettu and upma; the list of dishes is endless.
Idli is definitely a shining start from the cuisine. We enjoy it with chutney or sambar, fry the pieces of idli and serve with yogurt and convert them to upma or kaima idli.
If you are a fan of idli like me, there is no limit for how much we can innovate it. From filling it, stir frying it with different ingredients to making various recipes using it.
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What is Lava Idli
The BEST accompaniment for piping hot steamed idlis is sambar. When you can combine the two to make idlis that are stuffed with sambar; it definitely is a winner!
Lava Idli; as the name suggests is idli, filled with hot piping lava in the form of sambar. The idli is conical and looks soft and fluffy. But when you cut through it, the hot sambar oozes out. Together, it does look like lava.
The combination is perfect and the method to make it is simple; thanks to an easy technique. This recipe is popular in India for weddings and events. And so it is really fun to make it at home too.
Why this recipe works
- It is a quick and easy recipe to make a snack or appetizer.
- A combination that is perfect, the recipe combines sambar and idli.
- It is an innovative take on traditional idli and sambar.
- The recipe is naturally Vegan.
- Both idli and sambar are both gluten-free. However, the puri is not gluten free. So the recipe is not suitable for gluten intolerant.
- This makes a great breakfast, snack or appetizer recipe.
- It is also a perfect way to use any leftover batter or sambar.
- It can easily be made into a complete meal; by simply making more of them.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Idli Batter: The first ingredient for any idli is the batter. Store bought and homemade batter will work here. This idli batter recipe using the instant pot will be handy to make your batter.
- Sambar: The next element is sambar. Here is the sambar recipe I use. However, you should skip adding large size vegetables in this as they will not fit in the idli. Moreover, I kept the sambar simple by adding minimum vegetables. All the ones I added were chopped small and the sambar needs to be thick. This is for two reasons; one that it should not spill out of the idli while steaming and thick sambar is more flavorful and a small amount is perfect to get the taste you are looking for.
- Pani Puri: The ingredient that keeps the sambar from making the idli mushy and mixing in is pani puri. It is easy to create a thin membrane between the two without interfering with the taste of either. Made from flour and semolina, it barely has any taste. However it is a perfect carrier for wet ingredients like the ones included in pani puri. An the size is such that it will fit into most molds very easily. And it is easy to find too. Make your own puri or buy it from the Indian store, both work equally fine here.
- Apart from these, we use some non-stick spray to grease the molds, and some ghee and dry chutney to serve the idli with. We can also serve it with coconut or tomato chutney.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.
How to make this recipe
1- Prepare the idli batter a day ahead. This instant pot idli batter recipe is my favorite.
2- Plus, make the sambar and cool it down.
3- Place a big pan on the stove and place a trivet in it. Add 1 cup water and set a steamer plate on the trivet. Cover and let the water come to a boil. Place silicone cups in a steel strainer.
4- Grease silicone cups with non-stick spray or oil. Then add a tablespoon of idli batter to each of the cups.Â
5- Make tiny holes in the puris but do not break them trough. Place a puri lightly on each of the batter filled cups.
6- Then carefully fill the puris with a tablespoon of sambar.Â
7- Add another tablespoon of idli batter on it. Then cover immediately.
8- Let the idlis steam for 15-17 minutes. Once the top looks cooked, turn off the heat and let the idlis cool for a minute or two.Â
9- Remove the idlis on a plate and let them cool for a minute.
10- Top them with ½ tablespoon ghee and ½ teaspoon dry chutney. Cut the idli and enjoy with some coconut or tomato chutney on the side.Â
Expert Tips and Notes
- Make sure the batter is well risen when you start. That is th only way we get fluffy idlis without adding any fruit salt.
- The sambar should be thick so that it does not oozes out from the idlis.
- Do not let the idlis stand very long after steaming. Slowly, the sambar will start to get absorbed into the steamed idlis.
- The same recipe can be made with tomato chutney, coconut chutney or even potato masala for stuffed idlis.
- Use deep silicone molds to keep the sambar in there as making these in the idli stand will not work too well.
- However, the same recipe is easy to make with any other idli batter too.
Recipe FAQs
Lava idli is a combination of idli and sambar. The sambar is filled in the idli and it oozes out when the idli is cut.
The easy way to keep all the sambar in the idli is to fill it in a pani puri and use it. That way there is minimum taste change and yet it stays well.
As the idli has sambar inside it already; we serve it with some coconut chutney, tomato chutney and dry chutney.
Idli is a delicious recipe from India. It has only a handful of ingredients, is gluten-free and is fermented. This makes it rich in probiotics and pretty healthy with just a few calories.
More Idli Recipes to try
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments whilst you are there, thanks!
Lava Idli (Sambar filled idlis)
Ingredients
- 2 cups idli batter
- 1 cup sambar
- 8 pani puri puris
- 3 tablespoon ghee
- 3 teaspoon dry chutney
Instructions
- Prepare the idli batter a day ahead. This instant pot idli batter recipe is my favorite.2 cups idli batter
- Plus, make the sambar and cool it down.1 cup sambar
- Place a big pan on the stove and place a trivet in it. Add 1 cup water and set a steamer plate on the trivet. Cover and let the water come to a boil. Place silicone cups in a steel strainer.
- Grease silicone cups with non-stick spray or oil. Then add a tablespoon of idli batter to each of the cups.
- Make tiny holes in the puris but do not break them trough. Place a puri lightly on each of the batter filled cups.8 pani puri puris
- Then carefully fill the puris with a tablespoon of sambar.
- Add another tablespoon of idli batter on it. Then cover immediately.
- Let the idlis steam for 15-17 minutes. Once the top looks cooked, turn off the heat and let the idlis cool for a minute or two.
- Remove the idlis on a plate and let them cool for a minute.
- Top them with ½ tablespoon ghee and ½ teaspoon dry chutney. Cut the idli and enjoy with some coconut or tomato chutney on the side.3 tablespoon ghee
Video
Notes
- Make sure the batter is well risen when you start. That is the only way we get fluffy idlis without adding any fruit salt.
- The sambar should be thick so that it does not oozes out from the idlis.
- Do not let the idlis stand very long after steaming. Slowly, the sambar will start to get absorbed into the steamed idlis.
- The same recipe can be made with tomato chutney, coconut chutney or even potato masala for stuffed idlis.
- Use deep silicone molds to keep the sambar in there as making these in the idli stand will not work too well.
- However, the same recipe is easy to make with any other idli batter too.
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