Steamed Rice-Lentil Cakes with a Coconut-Pigeon Pea Sauce

Place the lentils in a medium-size bowl. Fill the bowl halfway with water and rinse the lentils by rubbing them between your fingertips. The water will become cloudy.

Drain this water. Repeat three or four times, until the water remains relatively clear; drain. Now fill the bowl halfway with warm water and let it sit at room temperature, covered, until the lentils have softened, at least 30 minutes (you can let them soak longer, but no longer than 4 hours).

Drain the lentils.

Pour cup water into a blender jar, add the lentils, and puree, scraping the inside of the jar as needed, until the mixture is smooth and paste-like.

Transfer the thick batter to the same medium-size bowl.

Pour about 1 cup water into the blender jar and run the blender to wash out any remnants of batter; add this to the batter in the bowl. Stir another 1 cup water into the batter, and add the rice, yogurt, and salt.

Whisk thoroughly to create a homogenous, if gritty, blend. Stir in the Eno, which will instantly aerate the batter, making it bubble and appear fermented.

If you dont have an idli pan, you will need to create one: Set a standard muffin tin (with cups 2 to 3 inches wide and 1 to 1 inches deep) in a larger flameproof baking pan. Lightly spray the muffin cups with cooking spray. Fill the cups three-quarters full with the idli batter.

Pour boiling water into the baking pan so it reaches halfway up the sides of the muffin tin. Cover the entire baking pan tightly with aluminum foil, and set it on a burner over medium heat. Steam for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife stuck in an idli comes clean.

Remove the muffin tin from the hot water bath and allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes. Then slide the idlis out, giving them a nudge with a butter knife. Repeat with the remaining batter.

If you do own an idli pan, spray the individual concave disks with cooking spray and fill them three-quarters full with batter. Stack them (there are usually 4 plates with 4 concave-shaped discs on each plate) around the idli stand, placing the small metal rods between the plates to separate them; set the device in a large stockpot filled with hot water to a depth of about inch. Cover, and steam over medium-high heat until a toothpick or knife stuck in an idli comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the idli stand from the stockpot and allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes. Then slide the idlis out, giving them a nudge with a butter knife. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve the idlis in individual serving bowls, with the pigeon pea stew ladled on top.

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