Wash off the rice and white gram separately.
Take the washed rice, and soak it for 2 hours; and the white gram for 1h15m.
You can add fenugreek seeds to the white gram for soaking them.
Drain the water, and grind the gram and fenugreek seeds until you get a fine paste (add as much water as needed).
Place the paste into a bowl.
Grind the rice a bit coarsely (add water accordingly). Make sure the batter is a little thicker.
Take a large vessel, and pour both the batter and the salt.
Use your hands to mix the batter with the salt, so that it can ferment quickly with a fluffy texture.
Set that aside for 5-6 hours.
Once it is well-fermented, whisk it nicely.
Take the idly cooker, and place it on the stove.
Preheat the cooker for 2-3 minutes, with 2 cups of water.
Grease the idly mold with oil, and pour the batter into each mold. Don’t fill the mold fully. Leave a little space for the idlies to rise.
Cover the cooker with a lid. Put the weight or whistle only when the steam comes out.
Cook for 15 minutes, and turn off the stove.
Take out the stand using gloves or any other clothes. Then, with the aid of a butter knife or spoon, scoop the idlies out of the mold.
Prepare the delicious chutney while the idlies are getting ready.
Take a mixer and put (grated) coconut, shallots, green chilies, salt, tamarind, ginger, and some water.
Grind them well (no need for it to be a fine paste).
Transfer that into a bowl.
Heat a pan, pour oil as mentioned, and add mustard seeds when the oil becomes hot.
Once the mustard seeds started spluttering, add white gram, and fry until it turns golden brown.
Put the curry leaves, and fry them until they become crispy.
You will get an awesome and tempting aroma.
Switch off the stove, and immediately pour the tempering on the chutney.
Serve the hot idlies with spicy chutney.