Cornmeal idli | Steamed Savory Cornmeal Cakes : Gluten free and vegan recipe

I am experimenting a lot with the corn meal these days. I tried adding them to rice flour roti, rava idli, muthiya and many more. Couple of months back, I thought of making idlis with the corn meal. I replaced the idli rava with the corn meal & got great results!

Here is my version of the corn meal idli.

Preparation Time: 30 mins (Excludes fermentation & soaking time)
Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients: (For about 40 idlis)

• Skinned black gram/Urad dal: 1 cup
• Corn meal: 2.5 cups
• Rice flakes/Poha/Avalakki: 1/2 cup
• Salt: As needed

Other ingredients:
Oil: To grease the idli moulds.

Special utensils needed:
Idli plates with the stand
Steamer

Method:
Wash the urad dal throughly. Soak it for 3-4 hours.
Mix together the corn meal & the rice flakes. Wash it & drain the water. Soak the corn meal & rice flakes mixture for an hour.
Drain the water from the soaked lentils & add them to the food processor jar.

Add 2-3 tbsp of ice cold water to the lentils & pulse for few seconds. Add few tablespoons of ice cold water to the very coarsely done lentils & pulse again. Repeat the whole process of adding ice cold water & pulsing for at-least 5-6 times. 
The lentils paste must be very smooth & frothy. Refer the notes here to know more about how to grind the urad dal.

Scoop out the paste to a broad vessel. 

Add the corn meal + rice flakes mixture to the food processor & grind them to a coarse paste. Do not add more water while grinding.

Pour this coarse paste over the scooped lentils mixture.

Mix well & adjust the consistency of the batter.

Allow the batter to ferment for 8-10 hours or overnight.

Add salt to the fermented batter & gently mix the batter.

Grease the idli plates & pour a ladle full of batter onto each mould.

Steam the idlis for 10-15 mins.

Allow it to cool for another 5 mins.

Remove the idlis with a spoon and serve them hot with chutney/sambar/dip or chutney powder.