Chilli Idli Fry Recipe

Chilli Idli Fry is a delicious Indian Chinese fusion snack. The idlis are fried and stir-fried in a delicious sauce. Idli Manchurian is one of the best ways to use leftover idli. Be sure to watch the video!

What is Idli Manchurian?

Chilli Idli, or idli manchurian is an Indian Chinese fusion snack. It is made with idlis coated in cornstarch, fried till crisp, and tossed in sauces and vegetables.

The dish got its name from the famous Indian Chinese fusion main course Manchurian – which has a similar cooking process. A Manchurian can be made with – cauliflower, vegetarian meatballs, mushroom, soya chunks, or paneer.

In this idli manchurian recipe, we have used steamed idli as the main ingredient.

Feel free to add desired vegetables of your choice to the Manchurian, such as – capsicum, red bell pepper, baby corn, beans, or mushroom.

What kind of idli is BEST for making chilli idli?

Any idli variety is suitable for making manchurian. There is no hard and fast rule. You can use plain rice idli, masala idli, or Kanchipuram idli for making chilli idli fry. On many occasions, I have used the instant rava idli for this Manchurian recipe, and the result was gratifying.

That said, in true clean-out-the-fridge fashion, I want to point out that this chilli idli recipe is an extremely good leftover recycle exercise.

Watch Chilli Idli Video

Serving Suggestion

These idli fry bites make an excellent starter for an Indo-Chinese party, potluck, or kid’s birthday party. You can enjoy them as a teatime snack also.

I should confess that this chilli idli fry recipe is a regular teatime snack in our family because I always end up with an extra batch of idli from breakfast or lunch. And what could be a better way to use them than making Indian Chinese style idli Manchurian.

You can pack them for the school lunchbox also.

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Chilli Idli Fry Recipe

Chilli Idli Fry is the best way to make a delicious snack with leftover idlis. It is a flavoursome South Indian style teatime or party snack. Learn how to make idli manchurian in few simple steps. 

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Course: Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 150kcal

Author: Hina Gujral

• Chinese Wok
• Frying Pan

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Ingredients

• ▢ 5 – 6 rava (sooji) idli see recipe here

Ingredients To Fry Idli:

• ▢ ¼ Cup corn flour (corn starch)
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 Cup cooking oil

Ingredients For Sauce:

• ▢ ½ Cup bell pepper, diced
• ▢ ½ Cup onion, diced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic, fine chopped
• ▢ 2 green chillies sliced
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon spring onion greens chopped
• ▢ ¼ Cup water

Instructions

• Cut each idli into bite size small pieces. Set aside
• In a bowl combine sliced idli, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Mix nicely to coat idli with flour.
• Heat oil to shall fry the idli in a frying pan. Shallow fry the idli pieces in small batches till they turn brown and crisp from all sides.
• Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and set aside.
• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add chopped ginger, garlic and green chilli. Fry for 1 – 2 minutes.
• Now add the diced onion and fry till the onion turn translucent or soft. Add the bell pepper and cook for a minute.
• Pour the sauce along with ¼ cup water and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
• Next, add the fried idli into the sauce mixture and combine nicely. Turn off the heat. Garnish with spring onion greens.
• Serve Chilli Idli warm with your favorite chutney or sauce.

Recipe Notes:

• I have used rava (sooji) idli for the recipe. The regular rice idli can also be used in this recipe. 
• After adding fried idli in the sauce mix do not cook them for too long. Else, they will turn soggy. Just mix nicely, garnish and serve. 
• Always taste and then add salt to the sauce mixture because it is added earlier also while coating idlis with cornstarch. 

Nutrition

Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.4g | Protein: 3.1g | Fat: 5.9g | Fiber: 1.9g

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach more food lovers like you.