Santhagai/ Idiyappam

Santhagai is a famous recipe in kongunadu areas. It will be cooked often when a guest arrives at home. It can be tasted as sweet and as well as karam. In kongu nadu region, people will use a special aid for this santhagai. It will be used only for santhagai preparation. See how it looks like:

Here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

Idly rice - 2 cups


Method:

1. Wash, drain and soak rice in water for about 1 - 2 hrs.

2. Drain water and grind rice in a mier grinder pouring little water into a nice thick and not too loose batter.

3. Steam them in idli plates. Check whether idli's are cooked by inserting a skewer into the idli's and check if it comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile, brush with oil to the "santhagai maram" and keep it ready by placing a bowl under it.

5. Add steam cooked Idli's to the container in the centre and gently roll it. You will get a soft spongy sandhagai coming down the press. See picture.

Rolling by my DH:

Santhagai coming down after it was rolled on the top:

6. Likewise, Press all the steam cooked idli's and make it as sandhagai. Collect it all in one bowl.


For the sweet version:

Santhagai - required amount

Sugar - as per taste

Ripe Banana - 1

Mi all these and have it.

For the karam version:

Sandhagai - required amount

Onion - 2 - chop fine

Green Chillies - 2

Curry leaves - few

Tomatoes - 3 - chop fine

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt

Lemon juice - 1/2 of lime

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

To temper:

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Gram dhal - 1/2 tsp


Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a kadai and temper with the given ingredients.

2. Add onions, green chillies and curry leaves and cook till onion turns pinkish.

3. Add tomatoes and cook till mashy.

4. Add salt and mix well.

5. Add sandhagai and simmer the flame.

6. Mix well till it well blends.

7. Add lemon juice and mix well till well blended.

8. Serve hot.

Variations for the karam version:

1. Can add lemon juice and can prepare lemon sevai.

2. Can add tamarind juice and can prepare tamarind sevai.

Variations for the sweet version:

1. Can extract coconut milk from 1 cup coconut. Get first, second and third milk. Mix required sugar and a pinch of cardamom powder and boil in a high flame. Stir it continuously  till it get foams in the top. If you let it to boil, it will curdles. So be aware.