Day 35 - Idli fry (breakfast)

The best way to describe an Idli fry would be to liken it to a Panzanella (except that Panzanella is categorized as a salad). Day old idlies lose quite a bit of their moisture and tend to retain their shape when tossed around in a hot wok along with spices. The recipe for idli was last months post on this theme. Here's another recipe for making today's dish. (there is an alternate version that I posted over a year ago)

Idli fry:

4 day old stale idlies
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon Harissa spice blend
chopped cilantro for garnish
A generous pinch of sugar (optional)

Dice the idlies into 1 cm cubes. Heat oil in a skillet and add the cumin seeds when the oil is really hot. Once the Cumin seeds split, lower the heat and add the salt and Harissa spice blend and allow it to bloom. Add the cubed idlies and toss to coat evenly. Saute the idlie cubes until the sides begin to turn golden brown. Add the optional sugar and the cilantro. Transfer to a dish & serve hot.