Idli recipe, Learn to make soft idli batter with rice or rava. Soft idli can be made in 2 ways, one is using rice and the other using idli rava. I am sharing both the methods in this post. Making idli using rava is a breeze, we don’t need to grind the rice to make the batter. The texture of the idly made using rava also turn out very soft and nice. Idly rava is also called as rice rava in some parts of India.
Table of contents
What is idli?
Idli is a soft & fluffy steamed cake made of fermented rice & lentil batter. These are one of the healthiest protein packed Breakfasts from South Indian cuisine. Idli are easily digestible as the rice & lentils known as DAL are soaked, ground, fermented & then prepared by steaming the batter. These are served with a chutney and or with a tiffin sambar.
Is idli healthy? Idli is considered to be the healthiest food due to the unique method of preparation which enhances the bioavailability of the nutrients in urad dal and rice.
Soaking the lentils, blending to batter and fermenting enhances the nutrients and they are still preserved as idli are steam cooked for a short time.
This is what makes idly suitable to all including babies to people on diet and even to the aged, who generally have poor digestion.
If you are wondering what is idli made of ? Idli is made with urad dal ( skinned black gram) and rice. Urad dal is high in protein and calcium. It is absorbed by the body better in the form of idly as it is made from soaked & fermented batter.
How to make healthy idli? Restaurants or Hotels use a ratio of almost 1:4 (dal : rava or rice, as rice is cheaper for them). So I suppose we must favor more dal as it is high in protein and less rice or rava specially for home cooking. Since the cost doesn’t matter for home cooked foods as long as they are healthy and nutritious.
About this recipe
This idli recipe does not need too much of rice or rava, yet you can make super white, soft, light and fluffy idlis every time.
When it comes to fermenting, dal contributes more towards the fermentation rather than the rice. So using lesser rava or rice too you can make super soft idly. To make them healthier use lesser rice and more dal.
My idli recipe doesn’t call for using cooked rice. So it is the same traditional recipe which has been followed for generations in South India – to soak the grains, blend, and then ferment the batter. Lastly steam cook for health benefits.
Process of making idli batter
There are 2 ways idli batter can be made
1. The first method uses idli rava which is made of a special kind of parboiled rice. This method is very popular in the south Indian states where the idli rava is available. Making idlis using this method is super quick as the rice need not be ground.
2. The second method is a traditional one which uses idli rice or parboiled rice. However they can be made with most kinds of rice including sona masuri, ponni or parmal rice.
How is idli batter ground?
Traditionally idli batter was ground in a stone mortar pestle to make the urad dal batter very light and fluffy. This light fluffy batter is the key to soft, fluffy and pillowy idlis.
In the current days, it is made either in a wet grinder or blender. Wet grinder works as good as a stone mortar in grinding the urad dal to a smooth and fluffy texture. If it is made in wet grinder then ingredients like poha or methi seeds can be skipped.
Most people prefer making batter in a blender as it is easy to handle. If the batter is made in blender then poha or methi seeds will be helpful to make fluffy idlis.
Blender vs wet ginder for batter
As per my experience both yield the same results if good quality dal is used & blended following the correct method. I do have a wet grinder & blender.
I use the wet grinder only when I have guests home from India. During other times I use the regular blender. Making idli batter in wet grinder is good for larger families – like 5 or more. Otherwise it is quite easy to manage with a blender.
4 Important factors to make soft idli batter
(Based on my experience), no matter whether you use a wet grinder or a blender.
1. Age of the dal: Urad dal from the current year’s harvest is best suitable to make soft idli. But how do we identify? The current year’s yield will be white in color with no pale yellow shades on it.
While the yield from the previous years, will be pale yellow in color. Or sometimes pale yellow spots on the dal. Using the new dal will surely result in good fermentation.
This gives you super soft idly provided you take care of the other 3 factors. For those who are not accessible to fresh stock, other ingredients like fenugreek seeds or poha are used to aid the fermentation.
2. Non-iodized salt: always use enough non iodized salt, avoid iodized salts since it do not favor the fermentation process.
3. Temperature to ferment batter: Cold climates do not favor fermentation process. So keep your batter in a warm place. If you live in cold countries, use a preheated oven for fermenting it. Or turn on the light in the oven.
You can also use the fermentation or yogurt making option in your oven, electric cooker or Instant pot.
4. Lastly consistency of idli batter (the amount of water to use): For good fermentation, the batter must be of the right consistency. If you make it runny or thin, it will not rise. But the fermentation will be ok, though not perfect. The result will be wet and flat idly.
But again, if your batter is too thick batter, it will not ferment. I understand this as “the organisms need enough moisture for a healthy cultivation”. So blending it to a right consistency is important. So the soft idli batter must be of a thick but pouring consistency.
Tips to ferment batter
Temperature: Warm temperatures between 25 to 32 C (80 to 90F) are ideal for fermentation & it takes about 8 to 12 hours. A higher temperature is just fine and will ferment the idli batter much faster. So you need to watch and move it to the refrigerator once it doubles & before it turns too sour.
Soaking time: Batter won’t ferment quickly at lower temperatures. So basically you need to play with the soaking and fermentation times to check what works during winter and summers. Longer soaking time helps in activation of wild yeast. So soak the rice and dal for longer during cold days.
Dechlorinated water: Avoid chlorinated water to soak and even to blend. Chlorinated water kills the yeast and hinders fermentation process. So use dechlorinated water. Use google search to find ways to dechlorinate water easily.
Fermentation during winters
Avoid over rinsing soaked rice and dal as it removes the wild yeast completely. We need this wild yeast to assist fermentation.
For better fermentation use the same water in which you soaked your urad dal. But avoid during summer as it leaves a wired & sour smell in the batter.
Speaking of the idli dosa batter, when to add salt – before fermentation or after fermentation is one of the most debated topic. So try and check out what works for you. I add salt before fermentation throughout the year. My mom always adds powdered rock salt after fermentation during summers and before fermentation during winters.
What kind of salt to use? Avoid using table salt or any salt that has added iodine and anticaking agents as they both hinder the fermentation. You can use sea salt, rock salt or pink Himalayan salt that do not have any anticaking agents added to them.
Create a warm atmosphere for the batter
If using microwave convection oven, use your yogurt settings. You can also use Instant pot with the yogurt settings ON (low). I have more details below.
For OTG, Preheat the oven to lowest such as 60 to 80 C or 140 to 175F for 10 mins. Wait for 5 to 7 mins so the temperature comes down a bit. Then place the idli batter inside.
Avoid keeping batter in a very hot oven, this will kill the existing yeast in the batter and won’t ferment. For regular traditional/gas oven, turn on the light.
You may like other South Indian recipes,
Dosa
Masala dosa
Upma
Uttapam
Paniyaram
How to make soft idli
1. Wash and soak dal for about 6 hours. If using fenugreek seeds, soak them with dal. Wash rice or rava and soak it separately. If using rava, nicely squeeze the rava and wash to get rid of the unwanted stuff. If using poha soak it for 30 mins before blending.
Making batter
2. After 6 hours, drain off the water from the dal and add it to the blender along with salt. If you live in a hot place, then skip adding salt now and add it after fermentation, just before making idli. Add 3/4 cup cold water & blend it to smooth. Using cold water prevents the blender or grinder from turning hot. If the batter turns up hot, idli may turn hard.
3. Pour 2 to 4 tbsps more water if needed and blend till you get frothy thick smooth batter. Do not make it very runny.
4. Transfer this batter to a large pot or bowl.
5. If using rice refer method 2 with detailed step by step photos below. A short description is here as well. Add rice and water to the blender and grind coarsely. Pour it to the batter and mix well. Follow from step 6.
If using idly rava: Squeeze off the water by taking rava in between your palms and with pressure try to remove excess water. Transfer this to a plate. Squeeze again any excess water.
6. Next transfer it to the batter. If you are some one who do not like the slight coarse texture of rava, then you can also blend it well. Then add to the urad batter.
Fermenting idli batter
7. Mix well with your hands. Keep it aside for fermenting in a warm place for 6 to 12 hours, depending on the climate. It may take up to 18 to 20 hours too sometimes. Do not use air tight jars or containers for fermentation.
If you live in a cold country, you can place it in the oven with the light bulb ON. Or preheat the oven to 170 F or 80 C for 10 mins. Wait for 5 mins and then place the batter inside.
Or If you have a instant pot or microwave (with yogurt function), then you can also turn it ON with the yogurt setting (low) for 6 to 12 hours or until the batter doubles. You have to experiment to know the exact fermentation time.
8. After fermentation the batter has to double and turn light, fluffy and bubbly. This time when I made this I had to ferment for about 18 hours as the climate was windy and cold.
9. Gently mix the batter, very lightly to make it uniform. Sometimes after steaming, idlis will rise and collapse due to the aeration in the batter. So it is ideal to give a gentle stir once. This will also bring the batter to a uniform consistency. I prefer to stir gently only 1 to 2 times. It may shrink when we do this.
Steaming idlis
10. Bring water to boil in a steamer or pressure cooker without weight on a medium high flame. Grease the idly plates. If needed sprinkle little water. The batter should be of thick pouring consistency. Pour it in the molds.
11. When the water begins to bubble up rapidly, place the idly stand in the steamer. Steam it for 10 minutes. Remember you need to be a bit tricky to adjust the flame. If the flame is very high, the water may bounce to the idly plates. If it is to low, they may not get steamed enough. So the flame should be on a medium high. Off the stove after 10 minutes. Leave it for 2 minutes. Remove the plates from the steamer and allow them to cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
12. Loosen the idli from the plates with the help of a spoon and then remove them to a plate. Add some ghee and serve with coriander coconut chutney or peanut chutney. You can also find a collection of 33 South Indian Style chutney recipes.
What to serve with idli?
Idly is mostly eaten with a variety of chutneys & a variety of sambar. Here are some popular chutneys that are served
Tomato chutney
Coconut chutney
Pudina chutney
Ginger chutney
We also eat Idli for a meal sometimes, most often it is for dinner. Then I prepare some kind of sambar along with some mini idlis for my kids. Here are some sambar options you may like to check.
Idli sambar or tiffin sambar
Vegetable sambar
Drumstick sambar
Method 2 – Using rice
The step by step photos shown below were made with half cup urad dal and 1 cup rice with 2 tbsp poha using recipe 1
1. Blend soaked dal,salt and poha adding water as needed until thick and frothy.
2. Grind rice until smooth or coarse to suit your liking. Add water as needed. Batter must be neither too thick nor too thin.
3. Next transfer to a pot. Set aside until fermented. The time it takes depends on the climate. I doubled the recipe 1 and made this. So I had to transfer the idli batter to 2 bowls.
4. After 14 hours, the batter fermented, doubled in volume and had a bubbly texture. Give a gentle stir only twice.
5. Lastly I greased the plates and poured the it in the plates. Steamed for exactly 6 to 7 minutes in the bubbling steamer. Since i made mini idli steamed for just 6 to 7 minutes else they has to be steamed for 10 minutes. Mini idli go well with idli sambar.
Faqs
Idli rice is the best to make soft idlis. However you may also use parboiled rice or basmati rice. During the lockdown I had made them with different kinds of rice. Aged short grain parboiled rice, raw rice & basmati rice (not parboiled rice) also worked well.
Idli rice is a kind of short grain fat parboiled rice that is cheaper than the regular parboiled rice.
Steam them exactly for 10 minutes on a moderately high flame. I do it on the highest heat. Place the idli stand in the pot only when the water comes to a rolling boil. Cover immediately and then start the 10 mins timer. The timing is the same irrespective of the size of your steaming pot.
They can turn hard if the batter hasn’t fermented well. Make idlis only with well fermented batter that looks well aerated & has risen. Also avoid over cooking them as it makes them hard.
If the batter has fermented partially, then you may wait for few more hours. But if it has not fermented at all even after 18 to 24 hours, then it is good to quit the trial and use it to make dosa, dibba rotti or punugulu. Trying to ferment the batter longer may grow mould over the batter. Read my full post & try it again.
How to make idli in instant pot
For fermentation, place a trivet inside the steel insert of your Instant pot. Then keep the idli batter bowl on the trivet and cover the IP with a plate and not with the lid. Ensure your pot is not too hot from your earlier cooking otherwise your batter will have the flavour of cooked urad dal.
Press the yogurt button (set to low) and the timer to 8 to 16 hours depending on your weather conditions.
To steam the idlis in your IP, pour 1.5 cups water to your steel insert and bring the water to a rolling boil on a saute mode. Meanwhile, fill the idli moulds. When the water begins to boil, place the stand in the IP. Cover it with the lid and position the steam vent to venting mode. Press the steam button and steam them for 10 mins.
Can you refrigerate idli batter?
Yes. It can be refrigerated for 1 to 2 days. After grinding, it must be transferred to separate containers. Then fermented separately. Next refrigerated after fermentation without disturbing it.
I usually make the idli batter good enough for 2 days. Then transfer it to 2 different containers and ferment them separately.
Use up one the next morning and refrigerate the other as it is without stirring it. For the second day, I use a glass or ceramic bowl. Plastic or steel containers may make it sour. My idli turns out soft with no sour smell even on the subsequent days.
On the third day, I am left with some batter that is not enough for all of us. So I mix up ragi flour in luke warm water and add it to the left over batter. I allow it to rest for 30 mins out of the fridge. Even these turn out good.
Related Recipes
Recipe card
Idli recipe | Idli batter recipe for soft idli
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
Recipe 1
- ½ cup urad dal or skinned black gram
- 1 cup idli rice (or parboiled rice) or (1 cup + 2 tbsp idli rava)
- 2 tablespoon thick poha Or ½ tsp fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
- ½ teaspoon Non-iodized salt (rock salt or pink salt)
- ¾ to 1 cup chilled water (for grinding dal)
- ½ cup water (for grinding rice)
Recipe 2
- ½ cup urad dal
- 1½ cups idli rice (or parboiled rice)
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
- 2 tablespoons thick poha (flattened rice) (substitute with ¼ tsp methi)
- ¾ to 1 cup chilled water (for grinding dal)
- ¾ cup water (for grinding rice)
Instructions
Preparation
- Add urad dal & methi seeds to a bowl. Add rice or idli rava to another bowl.
- Wash them very well separately until water runs clear. Soak them separately in lot of water for at least 6 hrs.
- Rinse and soak poha with ¼ cup water for about 30 mins before blending.
How to make idli batter
- After 6 hours, drain the water from both the bowls.
- Add dal, methi, soaked poha, salt & ¾ cup water to a blender jar or a wet grinder. You may need another 2 to 4 tbsps water while blending.
- If you live in a hot climate then skip adding salt now and add it just before making idli otherwise the batter turns sour. You will have to experiment with salt to know what works well for you.
- Blend all of them till thick, smooth, bubbly & frothy. The idli batter should not turn hot or even warm as it makes dense idli.
- Transfer urad dal batter to a large bowl.
- A. If using rice : Add rice to the blender with water (mentioned in the ingredients). Grind to a little coarse batter (semolina texture). Pour this to the dal batter. Mix both of them well with your clean hands. The batter must be thick yet of pouring consistency. B. If using idli rava : Drain off the water thoroughly from the rava. Squeeze excess water from the rava with the help of both your palms. Rava must not look soggy. It must absolutely have no water in it, else the batter will become runny.
- Transfer this to the urad dal batter and mix well.
- Now mix everything well. Use your hand to mix as it helps to ferment faster and better. If needed can add little water, if the batter is too thick.
Fermenting idli batter
- Set the batter aside in a warm place for at least 8 to 14 hrs. The batter ferments and rises well to double the quantity. Sometimes it may take up to 18 hours depending on the weather and temperature.
- If you live in a cold country, keep it in the oven with the light bulb ON. Or preheat the oven to 170 F or 80 C for 10 mins. Wait for 5 mins and then keep the batter inside. If you have a instant pot or microwave (with yogurt function), then you can also turn it ON with the yogurt setting (low) for 6 to 12 hours or until the batter doubles.
- A well fermented batter will yield good soft idli. The batter must rise and look fluffy but not turn sour. You will need to experiment to know the fermentation time.
How to make idli
- On a high flame, bring water to a boil in an idly steamer or a pressure cooker. If using instant pot, pour 1½ cups water to your inner pot. Press the saute button and bring the water to a rolling boil.
- Meanwhile grease your idly plates lightly. Mix the idli batter gently 1 to 2 times only. Do not over do as the aerated batter will turn flat. Fill the molds with batter.
- When the water begins to bubble and steam up, place the stand in the steamer. Cover and steam for exactly 10 mins on a high flame. If using Instant pot, when the water begins to boil, press CANCEL button. Keep the idli stand in the IP. Cover with the lid & position the steam release handle to venting . Then press STEAM button. Use an external timer to monitor & steam for 10 to 12 mins.
- Once done turn off and wait for 2 mins. Remove the idly stand. Set aside to cool down for 2 to 3 mins. When cooled, the idli must not be wet on top.
- With the help of a spoon remove the idlis to a plate. Serve idli with a chutney or sambar.
Notes
- Do not use air tight jars for fermenting.
- Use stainless steel or ceramic containers for fermenting.
- Avoid plastic jars. Never let your batter warm up while grinding, as it will make the idly harder.
- If using wet grinder, you can use 1½ cups rice for recipe one.
- For Recipe two you can use 2 cups rice.
- Use more water proportionately.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Sheela Jane says
Dear Swasthi,
Thanks so much for this incredibly helpful and detailed recipe – I’ve learned to make idli for the first time thanks to you. I have a question about using idli rava. I’ve typically used “Recipe 1” and I only use sona masoori rice – the idli have turned out really well every time. However, I recently came across idli rava at my local Indian grocery store, so I thought I’d give it a try. However, I think I misread “Recipe 2” and used the wrong proportion of dal to rava. I used 1/2 cup dal and 1.5 cup rava. Is this a fatal mistake? Should “Recipe 2” not be followed if using rava?
Many thanks,
Sheela Jane Menon
swasthi says
Hi Sheela
Welcome! Yes recipe 2 is only for rice and not for rice rava. The texture won’t be the same. Idli rava & urad dal are always used in 2:1 ratio. A few tablespoons more can be used if the batter is ground in wet grinder as it turns more fluffy. Hope this helps.
R.S.Srinivasa Setty says
Mrs. Swasthi garu ,
Sorry for late response. Thanks a lot madam.
I have been benefited by interacting with you. You always clear doubts by providing appropriate potential answers and also relevant information.
Your suggestion ” soaking dal & rice for long hours ” worked wonderfully .
Keeping other things same, this time, only the soaking time is increased from 3 hours to 6 hours. Amazing ! Now got rised idlis ( earlier not so ) and compared to earlier idlis , now idlis are more fluffy , more soft, tastier by change in taste and also remained in the same state even after 6 hours. Almost like the idlis in the photos.
Now , supported by your suggestion, I say , without any doubt , proper following of each step is as crucial as ingredients and their relative quantities.
Madam, I do agree cuisine is team work of ingredients and stages of the methodology .
With regards.
swasthi says
Hello Srinivas garu
Glad the recipe finally worked out for you. Thanks for leaving a comment.
R.S.Srinivasa Setty says
Thank you Madam for more guidelines.
Make my question clear. I follow recipe – 1 completely. Under same temperature, time period of fermentation and consistency ( quantity of water ) ? ^ which ingredient makes most rising of batter, irrespective of amount of rising ? ^
With regards,
swasthi says
Srinivas garu,
I feel it is the ratios and combination which works well rather than any particular ingredient. Try using both poha and methi seeds. Yeast in the environment contributes to rising. You can also try leaving the ground batter uncovered on the kitchen counter for 2 hours and then keep it for fermentation. This also works well but in warmer temperatures.
R.S.Srinivasa Setty says
Thanks a lot Mrs. Swasthi gariki .
I have delighted. Indeed the explanation is helpful and also cleared a few doubts .
The referred photos gave the idea of top rising and what flat idli means.
Throughout the post ,rightly, you emphasised DOUBLING of idli batter after fermentation for white, soft and fluffy idlis .
I focus only this factor of doubling.
Table top wet grinder of ultra make is used. Used the soaked water for grinding . Idli rice is used. Thick poha and methi are used. Getting little rised batter after fermentation. No sourness. The idlis are FLAT on top, BUT are white, soft and fluffy. Has inside texture.
Also top and edges are not wet , at, all. Idlis do not lump while eating. THOUGH ACCEPTABLE IDLIS BEING CLOSE TO SPECIFICATIONS OF YOU , BEING FLAT CUISINE HAS TO BE IMPROVED FOR WHICH YOUR HELP IS ABSOLUTELY NEEDED.
I think non doubling of batter is the reason for flat idlis.
Could you please help to get doubling of the batter ?
Particularly, please, tell me the king pin ( essential to succes ) or under pinning essential ingredient which enables doubling of batter. Simply, without which doubling is not possible.or เฐฎเฑเฐฒเฐพเฐงเฐพเฐฐเฐฎเฑเฐจ ingredient.
I want to know from an experienced expert, you.
swasthi says
Hi Srinivas garu,
Yes flat idlis can be because the batter didn’t rise enough or it is slightly runny, meaning not thick enough. Try soaking for longer hours and ferment the batter day time as it is warmer during the day. Soak the dal and rice in the night for 8 to 9 hours. Do not cover the pot of soaked ingredients, spread a thin cloth if you need to cover. In the morning blend them by 8 am and ferment till 10 pm. This will work better. There is no one secret to fermentation but trying it in different ways will help you know which works better for you. Hope this helps.
Misha says
Thanks for sharing the receipie. I can now make perfect and soft idlis following your method.. ๐
swasthi says
Welcome Misha
Glad to know! Thank you!
R.S.Srinivasa Setty says
Thank you Swati garu, for exposition of making soft and fluffy oldies.
I need a few clarifications for still greater understanding : ( 1 ) under 4 important factors, said that if dal is old ( not fresh ) then metho & thick poha aid fermentation .
Now if fresh , white dal is used then metho & thick poha are not needed ?
( 2 ) what exactly FLAT idlies mean ?
Is idli not raised on the side opposite to that of mold side of idli plate ? Please clarify. It will be help me a lot.
What is the main reason when idli batter not rose 2 times, after fermentation ? Please clarify.
swasthi says
Hello Srinivas garu,
1. In cold places it is still good to use methi seeds. Try with both poha and methi seeds as mentioned in recipe 1.
2. Flat idlis means idlis won’t rise at all while steaming. They won’t rise on the top portion. You can see my pics to understand better.
Try soaking longer. Also try using the same water in which the lentils were soaked for grinding. Avoid using iodized salt, one that has been labeled as free-flowing or any salt which has additives. Try using rock salt. Hope these help
Balakrishnan says
I live in the USA and cannot get Urud dahl that is white in color. I get only yellow urud dahl. Is there a way to get soft Idly using this yellow urud dahl?
swasthi says
Hi,
Yes try Recipe 1. It works well.
Vasanth Kumar says
Very good info thank you
swasthi says
Welcome!
Ranjeet says
My idlies have very good, however some of them were wet/moist on the corners. I tried cook them for a longer period but still the problem did not go. Can you tell what must have happened?
swasthi says
Hi,
If only the idlis in the down plates were wet, then it means the flame is too high so the water has reached to the idli moulds. Too much water in your steamer can easily enter the moulds. I don’t use more than 1ยฝ cups water in my steamer. If you use more water then you have to place a trivet and then your idli rack. If some of the idlis on the top plates were moist that means the batter has more water. Add less water while making batter next time.
Ian says
Hi,
I have made the idli batter following your recipe 1. Used basmati rice, fenugreek and split dal. The first day idli turned out great. After 3 days in the refrigerator I see a lot of ice over the batter. Is it good to use? How do I use it again?
swasthi says
Hi,
Glad to know! Yes you can still use it. Try if you can scoop out some of the ice. Let it come down to room temperature and then use. Hope this helps
Tejal says
Thank you so much Swasthi! I followed your recipe to the point and right now enjoying soft fluffy idlis ๐ I wasn’t happy with my previous attempts, but after coming cross this detailed method of yours it really helped me on the small nuances and tips which were affected by the weather conditions I live in.
swasthi says
Welcome Tejal
Glad to know the recipe was helpful. Thanks for leaving a comment
Madhavi says
Absolutely wonderful recipe. In my family we have been making idli rava based idli for ages , but this recipe is hands down the fluffiest , softest one ever!
Cynthia Philip says
Hello,
Your recipe is very helpful. I always have difficulty knowing how much water to add when grinding the rice. When I made the idly this time, I think I added too much water. The idly batter rose but it does not look like it doubled in size. Is there anyway to fix it? Can I add baking soda or yeast to help it rise more?
swasthi says
Hello,
I have mentioned the amount of water to use separately for both rice and dal. I have no idea about soda or yeast. Try making dosa . It should be fine
Bharti says
Thanks Swasthi!! My batter comes out really well..thanks to u..
But if i use same batter on the 3 or 4 day for dosa or idli..i experience itchiness in my eyes.. and amit always happens once i eat it..
is it bcoz of over fermentation?? I always keep it in fridge..
swasthi says
Welcome Bharti,
Yes some people get it due to over fermented foods. If making idli, don’t keep the batter for more than 2 days. If making dosa, ferment the batter lesser, not as much as you ferment for idli. Then this won’t over ferment and keeps good for 6 to 7 days.
L v prasad says
Cooking dilly,spoon feeding fine swathigaru,I will try,firs time,wish me .
swasthi says
Hi Prasad garu,
Yes give it a try. I am sure you will get them right
Aditi mundi says
Thanks a lot . Idlis came out soft and perfect .
swasthi says
Glad to know Aditi
Thanks for leaving a comment
Shiphali says
Hi swasthi,
I really want to know the receipe for idli batter using wet grinder . Little confuse in using water .
Thanks
swasthi says
Hi Shiphali,
First grind the methi seeds for sometime. Sprinkle little water while you grind. It will turn fluffy and frothy. Then add dal and keep adding the same amount of water as mentioned in the recipe. You will need slightly more for the wet grinder. Then add rice and more water. If you have a small wet grinder, then remove the dal batter first and then grind rice. I have a very large one, so I add the rice directly to grinder without taking out the dal batter. For wet grinder, I have given the ratio in the notes. Since it will require more rice, it will also need slightly more water. Hope this helps.
Rom says
Hi Swasthi
Is it necessary to soak the idly ravva for a long time or is it ok just to wash the ravva a few times to remove the fines, then squeeze out the water and add to the batter? If it has to be soaked, then for how long? I tried once using rice. I didn’t care for it much. In fact I hated it! In Andhra we are used to using rice ravva for making idly not grinding soaked rice. I have another question on the chana dal that is used for making the chutney. What exactly is roasted channa dal? Is it what we call in Telugu “gulla senaga pappu” (I think in Hindi it is called Dahlia) or raw channa dal (from the grocery stores) that is dry roasted? Please clarify this for me. Keep up the great work. Thanks
swasthi says
Hi Rom garu,
Actually the traditional Andhra idli is just made by rinsing the rava. As you said the excess water is squeezed and added to the batter. Soaking it makes softer idlis. Also traditional recipe does not use any methi seeds or poha. They are made with 1:1.5 or 1:2 ratios (dal:rava).
Yes the taste of the rice idlis is much different from those made with rava. Since organic idli rava is not easily available I moved to using the organic idli rice.
Yes roasted chana dal is gulla senaga pappu. It is also known as roasted gram or fried gram. It does not need any roasting as it preroasted and can just be ground directly with coconut and other ingredients. Hope this helps.
Rom says
Swasthi
Thanks very much for your detailed response. You are awesome! Yes you are right – I haven’t seen organic idly ravva anywhere. Sometimes certain brands of ravva is also very coarse. I made with rice only once and the idly tasted like overcooked rice (too smooth and soft for my taste).
Keep up the great work and stay safe.
Chhavi says
Hi Swasthi,
Thank you for the blog and sharing your recipes with the world.
I am here to talk specifically about idli. Irrespective of any idli batter ( home made or store bought or gits or mtr) , my idlis have always come dense, sticky. May be my consistency and steaming method was a lil off.
With multiple tries, finally today my idli has come out better ( non sticky and light) but not perfect or as white as yours.
I have used rice, dal, methi seeds.
Couple of questions and I know expert like you can easily answer these:
1. Why my idlis are not as white as yours and they have a creamy tinge to them?
2. I feel they are a bit empty from inside I mean seems like they are missing some texture or substance to them. Donโt know why? Any ideas?
3. Should I ferment them in glass containers? I have fermented in steel patila and itโs in fridge now. Should I transfer it to some other container?
Thank you so much for all you do
swasthi says
Hi Chhavi,
I am sorry for the late reply.
1. Try rinsing the soaked dal well a few times before blending. I always rinse them well 2 to 3 times. This is what makes the idlis white. The second reason could be too much methi seeds. I always use methi seeds in combination with poha so I can cut down a portion of methi seeds.
2. Empty from inside or no texture or sometimes flat idlis – is due to over fermentation. Mix the fermented batter 2 to 3 times if it rose a lot and aerated. I always gently mix the fermented batter twice then fill the moulds. If this tip doesn’t work out then try with a different brand of idli rice or with raw sona masuri rice.
3. It’s fine to keep in steel container if you are using it off within 48 hours. Sometimes batter rises and continues to ferment even in the fridge if kept in steel containers. So I prefer the glass or ceramic ones. This again depends on how loaded your refrigerator is and the weather conditions.
Hope these help.
๐
Mrs. Ghosh says
I have tried the idli recipe and it turned out very good. It was very very soft & spongy. I had taken the quantity exactly what you had given in the recipe. Those who really wants to learn how to make soft idli, should follow your recipe. Thank you.
swasthi says
Mrs. Ghosh
You are welcome!
Thanks for leaving a comment
๐
Rom says
Hi Swasthi, those idlis in the picture look fabulous. Like blobs of white snow.
I have a question for you. I tried making idlis using the skinned whole urad dal. They came out ok but I am not really thrilled. Then I tried split urad dal with husk. The idlis came out just satisfactory but not fantastic even though, they tasted much much better than those I made with skinned urad dal. Now I am experimenting with skinned whole urad dal. I wasted 100 gallons of water literally, still not able to remove all the skins completely. But the dal looked real white and fresh like you indicated in your procedure above. The urad dal (skinned split and whole) we get here in US is not really very fresh. The de-husked dal is terrible and it tastes bitter. I think the merchants here get the dal from India or from Africa. By the time they hit the stores here, they are yellow in color and stale. Anyway to make the long story short, I am wondering if you know of any compact mill/tool that would split urad dal in half. If you remember back in the old days people used to use grinding stones (Tiragali) to split dals. I am hoping there might be something like this but more compact and table top model. Once the dal is split, it is lot easier to remove the skin after soaking. I googled if there is anything available, but no luck. I thought may be you know of anything like this. If you do, please let me know. There are table top “mills” for making flours from wheat, rye, rice etc. I wonder if something similar exists out there. Thanks for your time.
swasthi says
Hello Rom garu
Thank you! Yes it’s a pain.I don’t think there is any table top machine of that kind. Next time try with little poha, idlis will turn out fluffy even if the dal is yellow & aged. Sorry that I couldn’t share the pepper rasam since my mom said she too doesn’t know the traditional one. She makes the same rasam with more pepper which I already shared on the blog.
๐
Rom says
Swasthi, thanks for your response. I am surprised that no one has come up with such a devise to split dals and beans like the one I am talking about. They have wet grinder and I don’t think it is that difficult to create something similar to split dry dals. Yes it is a pain and I have to spend lots of time to remove the husk. Actually, removing the husk from split soaked urad dal is not that bad compared to whole urad dal. However, I found quite a difference in the taste of idlis when made with skinned vs split urad dal (after removing most of the skin). I will try your suggestion about using poha. Thanks