A combination of simple Thai and Indian flavors turned this into a delectable bite sized snack. Served up in little chinese bamboo steamers, these definitely brightened up my party!
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Shrimp Red Curry Idlis
- Total Time: 1 day 30 mins
- Yield: 16 mini muffin sized Idlis
Description
A Thai-Indian Fusion Tapas
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) white rice, soaked overnight
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut milk
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) greek yogurt
- 6 tbsp cup (90 ml) fine semolina
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp split chickpea or yellow lentils
- 1/2 tsp garlic ginger paste
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Thai red curry paste
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) prawns, shelled & deveined
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
- A pinch of asafoetida
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Blend the soaked rice to a fine paste with 1/3 cup water, and mix with the coconut milk. Keep aside for 20 minutes.
- Roast the semolina in a non-stick pan till it begins to turn brown. Keep aside to cool.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and cook for a few minutes. Once they begin to splutter, add the garlic ginger paste, red curry paste, all the dry spices and the prawns, along with 1/3 cup of water. Cover and cook till the prawns are cooked. Remove the prawns from the curry and keep aside. Continue to cook the curry till any excess water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and cool.
- In a bowl, mix the rice paste, semolina, yogurt and red curry paste. Pour into mini idli pan and steam for 15 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Top with the cooked prawns and serve!
- Feeling unadventurous? Just substitue the rice, coconut milk, yogurt & semolina with a cup of instant idli mix (available at all indian grocery stores). Would work just as well.
The DIY steamer
- Don’t worry if you do not own an Idli maker – I don’t either! That’s the beauty of DIY remedies. You can:
- Bake them at 300 F for 10-15 minutes.
- Microwave them at high for 7-10 minutes. (not a big fan of this as it makes the idlis slightly harder than steaming or baking)
- Make your own steamer- this is what I did. Take any deep large pan and fill a little water in it. Put a smaller cake pan (or any pan that has a flat bottom) upside down inside this to make a little stand on the water. Bring the water to boiling point. Now put the idli batter in mini muffin/cupcake pans and put that on top of the ‘stand’. Cover and steam for 15-20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Cuisine: Indian
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is an idli, and why does the rice need to soak overnight?
Idlis are steamed Indian rice dumplings. Soaking 1 cup of white rice overnight softens it enough to blend into a fine paste, which is the base batter here — combined with 1/3 cup coconut milk, fine semolina, and Greek yogurt before steaming.
Do I need a special idli pan to make this?
No — I don’t even own an idli maker! There are three alternatives: bake at 300°F for 10–15 minutes, microwave on high for 7–10 minutes (though I find this makes them slightly harder), or build a DIY steamer using a large pan with water, an inverted cake pan as a stand, and mini muffin/cupcake pans for the batter.
Is there a shortcut if I don’t want to make the batter from scratch?
Yes — substituting 1 cup of instant idli mix (available at Indian grocery stores) for the rice, coconut milk, yogurt, and semolina works just as well.
