📝 About This Recipe
Idli is a soft, fluffy steamed cake made from a fermented batter of rice and black lentils. This popular South Indian breakfast dish is light, healthy, and incredibly versatile, often served with sambar and chutneys.
🥗 Ingredients
For the Idli Batter
- 3 cups Idli Rice
- 1 cup Urad Dal (Black Lentils) (whole or split)
- 1 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds (Methi)
- as needed Water (for soaking and grinding)
- to taste Salt
For Steaming
- as needed Water (for steamer)
- as needed Oil or Ghee (for greasing idli moulds)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Wash the idli rice thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear. Soak the washed rice in ample water for at least 4-6 hours.
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2
Wash the urad dal and fenugreek seeds together thoroughly. Soak them in a separate bowl with ample water for at least 4-6 hours.
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3
Drain the soaked urad dal and fenugreek seeds and grind them into a very smooth and fluffy batter using a wet grinder or a high-powered blender. Add cold water in small amounts as needed to achieve a smooth consistency. The batter should be thick but pourable.
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4
Drain the soaked rice and grind it into a smooth batter. The rice batter can be slightly coarser than the urad dal batter, but should still be fine enough for idlis. Add cold water in small amounts as needed.
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5
Combine the ground urad dal and rice batters in a large bowl. Add salt to taste and mix well with your hand or a spatula. Mixing by hand helps with the fermentation process.
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6
Cover the bowl and let the batter ferment in a warm place for 8-12 hours, or until it has doubled in volume and becomes airy and bubbly. The fermentation time may vary depending on the ambient temperature.
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7
Once the batter is fermented, gently stir it without disturbing the air bubbles too much.
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8
Grease the idli moulds with a little oil or ghee.
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9
Pour the fermented batter into the greased idli moulds, filling them about three-quarters full.
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10
Heat water in an idli steamer or a large pot with a stand. Once the water is boiling, place the filled idli moulds inside the steamer.
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11
Steam the idlis for 10-15 minutes on medium-high heat, or until a toothpick inserted into an idli comes out clean.
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12
Turn off the heat and let the idlis rest in the steamer for a minute or two before carefully removing the moulds.
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13
Using a spoon dipped in water, carefully remove the idlis from the moulds.
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14
Serve hot idlis with sambar and your favourite chutneys.
💡 Chef's Tips
Use good quality idli rice and urad dal for best results. Grind the batter in a wet grinder for the softest idlis. Ensure the batter is well fermented for fluffy idlis. In cold climates, you can place the batter in a warm oven (turned off) or near a heater. Do not over-mix the batter after fermentation. Do not overfill the idli moulds as the idlis will rise while steaming.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
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