Ghee Podi Idli Recipe To Spice Up Your Meals: 10 Best Places To Try In Bengaluru

In India, idlis are among the most beloved breakfast foods. They are prepared by steaming a batter consisting of rice and fermented urad dal, or black lentils. Because it is high in protein and fibre and keeps you feeling full for longer, an idli plate makes a substantial dinner on its own. They are fluffy, incredibly light, and quite adaptable. This explains why so many people love it for breakfast. Considering how much we like idlis, one particularly well-liked dish in South India is ghee podi idli. Podi, often known as gunpowder or chutney powder, is a blend of powdered dry spices.

Read more: What To Do With Leftover Idli Batter? 7 Interesting Ideas You’ll Love

Ingredients:

For Idli Batter:

• 2 cups of parboiled rice
• 1 cup whole urad dal
• Water for soaking and grinding
• Salt to taste

For Podi:

• 1/4 cup chana dal
• 1/4 cup urad dal
• 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
• 4-5 dried red chillies
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
• 10–12 curry leaves
• Salt to taste

For Ghee Podi Idli:

• Idli batter
• Ghee
• Podi
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Separately, wash the urad dal and parboiled rice.
• Soak them for four to six hours, or overnight, in water.
• After draining the water, pulse the rice and urad dal separately, adding a little water as needed, until a smooth paste is achieved.
• In a big bowl, combine the batter for the urad dal and pounded rice. To taste, add salt and thoroughly blend.
• Let the batter ferment for eight to ten hours, or overnight if possible, until it doubles in volume and starts to get somewhat fluffy.
• Heat a pan over medium heat and dry roast chana dal, urad dal, sesame seeds, dried red chillies, asafoetida, and curry leaves separately until they turn golden brown and aromatic.
• Let the roasted ingredients cool down completely.
• Grind the roasted ingredients, along with salt, to a coarse powder. This is your podi.
• Grease the idli moulds with a little ghee.
• Pour the fermented idli batter into the moulds and steam until the idlis are cooked and firm. This usually takes about 10–15 minutes.
• Once the idlis are cooked, remove them from the moulds and place them in a serving dish.
• Drizzle melted ghee generously over the idlis.
• Sprinkle the prepared podi evenly over the ghee-coated idlis, covering them completely with the flavourful spice powder.
• Your homemade ghee podi idlis are ready to be served.
• Enjoy them hot with coconut chutney, sambar, or any other accompaniment of your choice.

Top 10 Ghee Podi Idli Places To Try In Bengaluru

However, if you want to enjoy the regional flavours prepared by the locals, then these 10 places are where you should go. They are known for their high-quality and flavourful ghee podi idlis.

The Rameshwaram Cafe, Indiranagar

It is a popular breakfast place that is known for its ghee podi idli in Bengaluru. Situated in the Indiranagar locality, the Rameshwaram Cafe is known for its fairly priced meals that boast flavours you will keep coming back to. The menu is extensive, with other commonly enjoyed items such as filter coffee, dosa, and more.

USP Dishes: Ghee Podi Idli, Filter Coffee, Dosa

Address: 2984, 12th Main Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Timings: 6:30am–1am

Cost for two: Rs. 200

Umesh Dosa Point, Seshadripuram

Superb ghee podi idlis are made here. They work well when you're craving something decadent. After preparing the idlis, they cover them with a thick layer of ghee and garnish with chutney podi. They also sell packages of their chutney podi since their flavour is so well-known.

USP Dishes: Ghee Podi Idli, Masala Dosa, Vada

Address: 21, Nehru Nagar Main Road, Seshadripuram, Bangalore

Timings: 8am–10pm

Cost for two: Rs. 250

IDC Kitchen, Multiple Outlets

IDC Kitchen has a wide range of idlis. Their ghee thatte idli is excellent. The fluffy idli serves as the ideal vehicle for the flavour of ghee, and it becomes much more delicious when dipped into their strong chutney. Not only that but try the podi variation, which is essentially crunchy, spicy gunpowder on top.

USP Dishes: Ghee Podi Idli, Thatte Idli

Address: 134, Media Domain, Double Road, 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore.

Timings: 7am–10:30pm

Cost for two: Rs. 200

Podi Idly, Koramangala

This restaurant, which is situated in Koramangala in the centre of Bangalore, is mostly known for its South Indian breakfast. Here, you can have both regular and podi idli.  They give three different varieties of chutney and sambhar with their delicious podi idli. For those who enjoy idlis, Podi Idly Veg Restaurant is a must-visit location.

USP Dishes: Ghee Podi Idli, Upma, Appam

Address: 503, 6th Cross Road, Koramangala, 6th Block, Bangalore

Timings: 7:30am–11:30pm

Cost for two: Rs. 250

Brahmins' Thatte Idli, Multiple Outlets

With multiple outlets across various locations, this restaurant has become a fan favourite when it comes to podi idli. The prices are reasonable, the quality of the food is unmatched and you can have all three meals of the day here. Apart from podi idli and thatte idli, you can try their puliogare, filter coffee, and masala dosa.

USP Dishes: Puliogare, Thatte Idli, Filter Coffee

Address: House 113/2-1, Ground Floor, 8th Main Road, 17th Cross, Malleshwaram, Bangalore

Timings: 7am–8:30pm

Cost for two: Rs. 100

Madurai Idly Shop, Indiranagar

Located in Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Madurai Idly Shop is arguably the best place to eat some podi idli if you want an early morning breakfast since the restaurant opens at 6:30 AM. It is known for its authentic South Indian cuisine, boasting a wide range of dishes for its customers. The staff is friendly and hygiene is maintained.

USP Dishes: Podi Idli, Masala Dosa, Filter Coffee

Address: 3048, 80 Feet Road, CV Raman Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Tippasandra, Indiranagar, Bangalore

Timings: 6:30am–12:45am

Cost for two: Rs. 300

Theertham Cafe, Koramangala

This is the place to visit in Koramangala if you are someone who wants to indulge in some authentic South Indian cuisine at a reasonable price. The place isn't very fancy, but you will find all your South Indian breakfast and lunch essentials, such as podi idli, rava idli, chow chow bath, kesari bath, and more.

USP Dishes: Podi Idli, Medu Vada, Masala Dosa

Address: 131, Ward 147, 1st Main Road, Koramangala, 7th Block, Bangalore.

Timings: 7:30am–10:30pm

Cost for two: Rs. 250

Chalukya Samrat Cafe Since 1977, St. Marks Road

This restaurant is an absolute icon of the food industry, as it was established back in 1977 and is still going strong. The place boasts a loyal customer base that often visits for its podi idli. Although it is comparatively on the expensive side compared to other restaurants on the list, the cafe makes up for it with its elaborate menu, fresh food, family-friendly environment and food quality.

USP Dishes: Podi Idli, Uttapam, Idli

Address: 1, Ground Floor, 1 Sobha Mall, Shanthala Nagar, St. Marks Road, Bangalore

Timings: 7am–11pm

Cost for two: Rs. 1000

Prasidhi Food Corner, JP Nagar

A pocket-friendly place known for its generous portion size for every dish. Prasidhi Food Corner is a great restaurant to visit if you want value for your money, great food quality, staff service, and ambience. You can try its podi idli along with curd rice, ragi roti, curd vada, and more.

USP Dishes: Ghee Podi Idli, Ragi Roti, Curd Rice

Address: 25, 9th Cross, ITI Layout, 34th Main, JP Nagar, Bangalore

Timings: 6:30am–11:30pm

Cost for two: Rs. 250

Chikkanna Tiffin Room, Seshadripuram

This place is a proper crowd-pleaser, as you will always see this restaurant rushed with many customers. Chikkanna Tiffin Room sells some of the podi idlis along with kali dosa, filter coffee, masala dosa, and bath masala dosa. But the menu doesn't end here, as they have many other dishes that you can try.

USP Dishes: Ghee Podi Idli, Masala Dosa, Filter Coffee

Address: 9/01 & 2, Ground Floor, 4th Main Road, Subramanyaswamy Temple Street, Kumar Park West, Seshadripuram, Bangalore

Timings: 7:30am–12noon; 4:30pm–10pm

Cost for two: Rs. 200