Republic Day recipes for Tiranga Idli by Executive Chef Rohit Tokhi

Award-winning Executive Chef Rohit Tokhi brings a special magic to the hotel, with over 19 years of experience crafting mouthwatering food. Chef Rohit was voted the championship winner of a student chef’s competition conducted by the National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology (NCHMCT) in 1996. Ever since then he has continued to demonstrate and develop his culinary skill set. Recipient of the coveted Hotelier India's Chef of the Year award in 2011,

Chef Tokhi was also the winner of the Bacardi Cruise Industry Chef of The Year 2006. At The Leela Ambience Gurgaon Hotel & Residences (formerly The Leela Kempinski Gurgaon), his restaurants Spectra, Rubicon, Diya and Zanotta won the Times Food Guide Awards consecutively in 2010, 2011 and 2012. In 2007 and 2008, under his culinary guidance, restaurant 360 at The Oberoi New Delhi won the Times Food Award as well. In his former role, Chef Rohit served as the Executive Sous Chef at The Leela Kempinski Gurgaon for four years. Prior to that, he was the Senior Sous Chef at The Oberoi New  Delhi, and has delighted guests on board cruise liners such as Cunard Line's QE2, Caronia and P&O Cruises' Oriana.

In his earlier years, he worked with The Orchid Hotel and The Taj Mahal Hotel and Towers, both of which are in Mumbai. Originally from Lucknow, India, he holds a Diploma in Hotel Management from the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (IHMCT&AN) in Mumbai.

Being a frequent traveller, he enjoys photography, reading and experimenting with local cuisine to absorb and further refine his culinary senses.
The recipe for his Republic Day Special Tiranga Idli is as below. Hope you enjoy it!

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE BASIC IDLI BATTER

• Rice 2 CUP
• Washed split black lentil 1 CUP
• Salt To taste
• Water to mix

FOR THE GREEN CHUTNEY

• Oil 50 ml
• Split bengal gram 1 tbsp
• Washed split black lentil 1 tsp
• Ginger, chopped 1 tsp
• Green chilli, chopped 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves 250 gm
• Mint leaves 100 gm
• Curry leaves 50 gm
• Salt to taste

FOR THE KESARIYA CHUTNEY

• Oil 100 ml
• Washed split black lentil 1 tbsp
• Mustard seed 1 tsp
• Onion, sliced 100 gm
• Ginger, chopped 1 tsp
• Tomato, chopped 200 gm
• Carrot, chopped 50 gm
• Red chilli powder 1 tsp
• Turmeric ¼ tsp
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION:-

THE BASIC IDLI BATTER

• Soak rice and dal in a bowl over night or 6- 8 hours. 
• Grind rice and dal together in a blender and blend it coarsely. 
• Add little water to make a smooth paste and fluffy. And keep this batter aside for fermentation for 6-7 hours. 
• Now take three bowls and pour the batter equally into the bowls. Use the first bowl of basic batter as white batter.

THE GREEN BATTER:-

• Take a pan heat oil and add split Bengal gram and sauté add washed split black lentil and let it crackles. 
• Add chopped ginger, chopped green chillies, washed coriander, mint and curry leaves and sauté. 
• Add salt and make a fine paste and keep aside. 
• Now add the prepared green paste and the second bowl of white batter and mix thoroughly.

THE KESARIYA BATTER:-

• Take a pan heat oil and add split washed split black lentil and sauté add mustard seed and let it crackle. 
• Add chopped ginger and sliced onion and sauté. Add tomatoes chopped, carrot chopped and turmeric, cooked upto done. 
• Mix red chilli powder and salt. Make a fine paste and keep aside.
• Now add the prepared Kesariya paste and the third bowl of white batter and mix thoroughly.

COOKING:-

Grease the idli mould and pour half spoon of green batter then half spoon of white batter and half

spoon of red batter. Put these mould into the steamer and steam them for 10mins or till fluffy.


TO SERVE:-

De-mould the prepared idli and serve hot with chutney and sambhar.