Tricolor Cocktail Idlis...Independence Day Special!!!

Happy Independence Day to all!!!

This year India will celebrate its 66th Independence Day.I was planning to post on this occasion featuring the colors of our Indian flag and settled on tricolor idlis finally.
It's a real fun to make these idlis as they look quite colorful and appealing.They would be definitely a hit in any party and can be served as an appetizer.One can eat these idlis without any accompaniment as they are already spiced up or if wish you can serve them with regular chutney/sambar or any side dish of your choice.I also make a masala version of these cocktail idlis which would be a nice finger food in any party;would share that version too very soon.
We have a flag hoisting celebration with few other cultural activities which starts in some time in our apartment complex.So I would like to leave you people to go through the remaining post so that I can go and attend the celebrations.
Tricolor Idlis | Colorful Cocktail Idlis Recipe:
(serves 2-3)

Ingredients:
3 cups Idli batter(recipe link follows)
2 tbsp Tomato chutney(recipe follows)
2 tbsp green Coconut chutney(recipe follows)
1/4 tsp Cooking soda*
oil,to grease the idli stand

Idli batter:
Idli batter recipe using Idli rice
Idli batter recipe using Idli rava

for Tomato chutney:
2 ripen Tomatoes
2 tbsp grated fresh Coconut
4-5 Byadige Red chillies**(or regular Red chillies)
2 tbsp Chana dal
1 tsp Tamarind pulp
1 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

for Green Coconut chutney:
1 small bunch Coriander leaves
1/2 small bunch Mint leaves
1/3 cup grated fresh Coconut
4-5 Green chillies
1 tsp Tamarind pulp
Salt to taste
Method:
Tomato Chutney:

• Heat oil in a kadai and add chana dal and roast until red and add red chillies and roast them until red and remove them and keep aside.Cool it.
• In the same pan add chopped tomatoes and fry until they become soft.Add tamarind pulp while it is still hot and switch off the flame.Cool it.
• Grind all the roasted ingredients with mushy tomatoes,coconut and salt to a fine paste.Add little water if needed while grinding,keep the chutney thick.

Green Coconut Chutney:

• Grind mint leaves,coriander leaves with grated coconut,green chillies,tamarind pulp and salt to a fine paste.Add little water while grinding,keep the chutney thick.

To make Tricolor Idlis:

• Divide the Idli batter into 3 equal portions(1 cup each) into 3 different vessels.
• Add 2 tbsp tomato chutney to one portion and 2 tbsp green coconut chutney to another portion and leave the 3rd portion as the plain idli batter.Do not add more chutney,but if you want slight more prominent color add little more but not much.
  
• Mix the tomato chutney and green chutney nicely into their respective batters until you get uniform orange and green color as shown in pictures.

• Before steaming add a pinch of cooking soda to each portion and mix nicely.This ensures that you get nice soft and fluffy idlis.
• Grease the impressions of button idli stand with oil slightly.
• Make your steamer/cooker(without whistle) ready and heat some water in it.

• Take a spoon and scoop out 1 tsp of batter into each impression of idli stand.Repeat the process for all the colors.Use different spoons for different colored batters.

• Place the stand in the steamer/cooker and steam for 10-12 mins.
• Cool it for 5 mins.Run a sharp knife round the edges of idlis and remove them slowly.
• Arrange them according to your wish or prick them to toothpicks as I did.

Serve them with the same tomato chutney/green coconut chutney or sambar.Check out various options for the side dishes of Idli here.

*Though the cooking soda is optional in the recipe.I recommend to add it to the batter.Sometimes Idlis turn flat and hard because of the addition of chutneys,hence to avoid that I prefer adding cooking soda to it.
**Byadige red chillies give nice bright red color chutney.Hence try using them,if you don't get them use regular red chillies.
Notes:

1. If you are not in a mood to do elaborate chutneys for these cocktail idlis.You can try pureeing carrots with some salt for orange color,blanched spinach with green chillies and salt for green color in the recipe.
2. The green color would be more prominent with spinach rather than the coriander-mint chutney.
3. You can even use Onion-Tomato chutney instead of tomato chutney for the orange color ones.Do not temper the chutney if using for idlis.
   
4. You can still make other colors like dark pink by using pureed beetroots.
5. You can add regular white coconut chutney to the white batter.I left it plain,if you want you can mix in coconut chutney for flavorful idlis.Do not temper the chutney if using for idlis.