kanchipuram idli | idli variety | south indian breakfast recipes | good food everyday |
Jump to RecipeKanchipuram idli is yet another kind of idli. It is spicy, tasty and ideal to serve as a finger food for small children. It needs no accompaniment.
With the summer showing it’s true colours, I am on an Idli spree,I think nothing is more comforting in the blazing heat. After the semolina idli, we come to the kanchipuram idli.
This recipe is ideal to make when you have leftover idli batter in the refrigerator. It is often regarded as a boredom to eat anything more than once a week. This is easy to make and tasty,, needs no accompaniment and ideal for breakfast or serve it at tea time.
I often keep a little batter aside to make kanchipuram idli. It is usually made during dinner at home. The variations you can make here are ample. Use coarsely ground pepper powder in the idli batter and it is known as pepper idli. Another variety is to add cumin, curry leaves and some chopped coriander in the batter. Steam the idli and later sprinkle a little chilli powder over it.

kanchipuram idli
The Story Behind Kancheepuram Idli
I recently came to know from my aunt about it and I thought I must share it here. It is a traditional prasadam offered in the Varadharaja Perumal Temple of Kancheepuram. Thus it is popular by the name. The idlis are cooked in the bamboo casings lined with the dried mandhara leaves. The leaves lend a good aroma to the idlis.
The batter is specifically ground for the purpose and the spices used in the temple preparation are black pepper, cumin, cashew, asafoetida and dried ginger. There is a long queue in the temple for the tasty prasadam.
My way of making the idli
The recipe is adopted from my mother who was making it quite often when we were young. I realised that making simple changes in the breakfast menu was ideal for all of us and soon it was the kanchipuram idli with leftover idli batter. Instead of making the regular idli, it was a spicy idli which needed no accompaniments. A simple mango tasted best along with some butter.
It is ideal to serve for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can even serve it in the lunch box. The only thing you should not forget while making these spicy idlis is to grease the container with a little oil. The idlis will not stick to the bottom and come out perfectly.
I would like to remind that if you are like me, making with the leftover batter, be careful with the addition of salt. The batter has salt initially added in it. The quantity of chillies given below is just an indicator and the level of spiciness is not much. You may add a little more if you wish.
Why should you make kanchipuram idli ?
- it needs no accompaniment
- a good way to use the leftover batter
- steamed food is ideal during summer
- it is healthy breakfast option
- another variation for the morning breakfast
Print Recipe

Kanchipuram Idli
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Soak bengal gram in water for an hour.
- Wash coriander leaves and grind it along with green chilli and ginger.
- In a small pan, make the seasoning,add the mustard seeds, as they crackle add cumin and curry leaves. Add it to the batter.
- Drain water from the soaked bengal gram, and put it along with a pinch of salt.
- Take a seperator and smear some oil in it. Pour the batter, to half the quantity.
- Heat water in a pressure cooker and let cook without whistle until done.
- Remove and cut it diagonally into pieces.
- Tasty kanchipuram idlis are ready to serve.
Notes
- Adjust spiciness as per your taste.
- Grease the tin before pouring the batter into it.
If you ever make this Kanchipuram Idli , do take a picture and tag @foodiejayashree on Instagram or @evergreendishes on Facebook or Twitter. I will be glad to see your creation and share it further. Let’s be connected, do follow on social media platforms. Until next time, let’s stay connected. Subscribe to get all updates and an e-book for free. Check out my e-books on Amazon. Happy Cooking !
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Kanchipuram Idli

ah! yum!! seasoned idli, flavorsome idli. love it 🙂
Wonderful super delicious idlis☺
Thankyou so much dear Vani
Thankyou so much dear Anu
deliciously healthy..superb!!
Thankyou dear Shubha
I never tried Kanchipuram idli before! Thanks for sharing recipe, Jayashree!
My pleasure Savita and glad to have you here
Like kanchipuram idli. The one I’ve had is with cashew nuts and steamed in banana leaves. Good idea to keep idli batter on the side to make this idli.
Wow! I did not know kanchipuram idlis are so easy to make. I kept thinking of a very complicated way in which it is made. This is definitely doable.
Using left over idli batter by seasoning it with spices is a good hack .I normally make Kancheepuram idlis the authentic way by grinding a separate batter the way it is made in the temple .
YOu saved me a lot of time. usually I grind separately for Kanchipuram idlies, now I know the easy hack, thankyou.
This is a good variant on the kancheepuram idli. I Usually make it without coriander leaves or green chilli as it’s traditionally not added in the temple style recipe . Must have tasted good especially when cut into those dhokla kind of bites !