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
Rohit dhall says
Hi swasthi,
I am very thankful for your idli recipe information.
swasthi says
Hi Rahit Dhall,
You are welcome
Arun Ranade says
You say to You cannot mean it. Water boils at 100 C. You probably mean 100 F or 40 C.
swasthi says
Hi Arun,
My instruction says to preheat the oven to 100 C or 210 F for 15 mins. Then turn off the oven and then place the idli batter in the oven. I updated it clearly now. Alternately the oven light can be set to ON until the fermentation is done.
Krishna says
Hello Swathi,
Very well explained. I have a question regarding idli plates. We also use plates that were shown in your receipe pictures. I use instant pot in venting mode for making idli. Idli in top two trays looks good. Idly in the bottom two cooks good, but will have bad corners due to water vapor residue? We usually steam for 10min with 1.5cup water in IP and leave in IP. What could be the reason for water residue (bad corners)on bottom plates? Thanks in advance for your advice…
swasthi says
Hi Krishna,
Thank you! Just use a glass lid with a vent. With the IP lid even though you keep the steam release handle to venting, steam doesn’t escape immediately from the vent. It takes some time but meanwhile the water becomes too hot and bubble up to the plates. Also place a small rack at the bottom before placing the idli stand. I use the one I got with stovetop pressure cooker. Glass lid with a vent can be found on amazon. Hope this helps.
Rohini says
Hi Swasthi,
Thank you very much for sharing your recipe and the detailed tips. I live in the U.S. My American-born son and daughter love idli so much, as does my husband; so I really appreciate learning from you how to make it well. There are so many brands of idli rice; so could you please let us know which brand you use? Thank you.
swasthi says
Hi Rohini,
You are welcome. I don’t stick on to any one particular brand. Idlis turn out good with any brand of idli rice. It is the ratio & proper fermentation that makes the idlis soft and fluffy. You can try with any brand. Hope your family enjoys them!
🙂
Srideci says
Thanks alot for ur detailed description.i am living in us and found very difficulty in making idly but ur post made it easy for me.i made it today and idly are super soft.
Thanks again
swasthi says
Hi Sridevi,
You are welcome. Glad your idlis turned out good. Thank you!
🙂
Deepika Sharma says
Hi…thanks dear for reply… I made 25 idlis from 1cup urad dal +3cups rice +1cup poha… I thought twice of this ratio can make 70-75 idlis… What do you say
swasthi says
Yes it should work.
Deepika Sharma says
Hi dear…. I just want to know for making 50-60 idlis.. How much batter is required…. Thanks
swasthi says
Hi Deepika,
Very difficult question. Most times it depends on how much the batter has raised. Sorry couldn’t help you!
Prema A. says
Nice tips on making idli batter and very well explained! Cooked and cooled rice fermented overnight is an excellent source of probiotics. Why is is not advisable to use it in idli batter?
saisaranya says
hi Madam,
thanks a lot !! all your recipes are too good especially the pulao types.
i need your suggestions on idli batter,
i live in really cold place and its too difficult for fermentataion , usually use mixer grinder for grinding idli batter.
in your recipe page , i had learnt about fermentataion using electric cooker, could you please explain on the same as for how many hours should it be placed in elctric cooker and also should it be in warm or in cook mode, which mode to be used for fermentation process.
swasthi says
Hi Saisaranya,
You are welcome. Yes idli batter can be fermented in electric pressure cooker. It has a yogurt making option, just need to press that. But I personally like fermenting batter in oven with the light bulb ON. You can check if it can be done in your oven. Preheat the oven to 60 deg C & then turn it off. Then keep the batter inside and keep the oven light ON. Hope this helps.
Noopur says
Thanks for writing such detailed notes and tips on making idli. This would be my first tim trying them and i was intimidated by the thought but your detailed instructions have given me so much confidence.
?
swasthi says
Hi Noopur,
You are welcome. Making idli is very easy. I am sure you will make soft idlis
naira says
can v add water after fermenting idli batter if it is thick???
swasthi says
Yes. Just give a light stir and check if it really needs water. Then sprinkle little by little and do not pour a lot. Do not over mix the batter.
naira says
my idli came out to be thick,dense,sticky . may be becoz it didn’t ferment completely or becoz i added lot of water& stir it too much after fermenting.
i used basmati rice, split urad dal
swasthi says
Hi Naira,
Firstly idli comes out good only with idli rice. Any other parboiled short grain rice may work but i am not sure. But the above problems may not be due to basmati rice. But any raw rice can make them sticky. Thick and dense could be due to not adding enough water while blending. Yes it must ferment well and smell test gives a right indication 99% of the times. But sometimes old stock the urad dal also makes them sticky. Too much rice also makes them dense and not light. I can help you further if you send me the pictures of the batter consistency after blending, after fermenting and the final idlis. You can find my email id in the about page.
Shilpa says
Hi…! Should we soak the day and rice separately? I used to soak them together and found no difference but just wanted to know if it makes any difference.
swasthi says
Yes it does make a difference. I soak it separately otherwise dal will not turn frothy and fluffy. We want the dal batter to be smooth, frothy and fluffy. This is what gives the idli super soft texture. Rice is ground to slightly coarse.
naira says
I fermented(for 8 hours in warm climate) my idli batter bt it didn’t,t double in its size & have few tiny holes, does it fermented completely??
What should be d approx temp for fermenting??
can I refrigerate leftover fermented idli batter (becoz u mentioned to refrigerate undisturbed fermented idli batter)??
I also asked u 2 plz suggest me microwave convection oven of a good brand for 4-5family member . I live in india.
swasthi says
Hi Naira,
Don’t go by the volume like Double or triple. Please smell the batter and check. When it is correctly fermented, it will not have the strong smell of raw urad dal. But it will have a mild fermented flavor. It should not smell too sour either. There is no ideal temperature for fermentation. For some 30C & for some 40C works. For me anything around 25C works. I ferment for 10 hours. Too warm also makes the batter rise a lot and then the batter turns yellow. Yes you can refrigerate the left over. But Undisturbed batter is best. I have very little knowledge of ovens in India. I do not suggest a combo microwave convection oven as the results are not great for baking. You can bake good cakes but not the best ones according to my experience. Hope this helps.
Smita Wagh says
very well explained, Thank you very much.
swasthi says
Welcome Smita
Manu says
Hi.. I tried out with rice.. Fermentation was v good but idlis weren’t fluffy as with Eno.. Can we fix it?
swasthi says
Hi Manu,
Idli will turn out good only with idli rice. Which rice did you use? For idlis to turn soft, the type of rice, good fermentation, the ratio of rice to dal all matters. Above all, urad dal has to be ground very well till smooth, fluffy and light. The urad dal batter turns very frothy when it is correctly done. Do let me know if you have followed all these steps. I can help you to fix.
Manu says
I used kolam rice.. Ratio of dal rice.. 1:2.will surely try with idli rice..
swasthi says
Hi Manu,
Yes do try with idli rice.
Anamika Anand says
Very useful tip.thanks
swasthi says
Welcome Anamika
Emma says
Hi Swasthi,
Thank you for all the great Indian Recipes. I was inspired seeing the pictures of a lady making your idli in a muffin tin and steaming them in an oven. I am a non-Indian trying to get more vegetarian foods into our diet. I made them last night the same way in a muffin tin & covered with a foil. The idli turned out to be great.
After reading your post I understand idli is supposed to be soft and I got them right. Wondering if they are to be tangy as mine were not tang. We loved them with your tomato chutney.
I was looking for a recipe to make ghee. Do you have one? I will be introducing your idli to my 1 year old next time. Thank you for the fabulous work.
swasthi says
Hi Emma,
You are welcome. Glad your idlis turned out great. Yes they are supposed to be soft but not tangy or sour. I think you made them perfect. I am amazed to know this method of steaming idlis.I do not have a recipe for ghee yet on the blog. If you are keen I can mail you the method. Yes idli is a great food for kids too. Thanks much for the comment.
🙂
Teena says
Hi Swasthi!!
Remember me!!! How r u?? Long time… ?I have a query regarding this batter recipe. You mentioned here to keep the batter for the next day untouched in the refrigerator after it ferments. Wanted to ask, the next day when we take the batter out from the fridge, then do we need to bring it to room temperature before adding salt to it and stirring it or straightaway we can add salt and stir after taking out from fridge and then go ahead with preparing idlis on idli maker?
Awaiting your reply.
Thanks,
Teena ?
swasthi says
Hi Teena,
Wow.. really a long time! How can I forget you? Hope your little champs are doing great. I usually keep it out as soon as I come to the kitchen in the morning. I finish the other works like frying for chutney, getting the steamer ready, greasing the plates, preparing for other dishes and at last make the idli. If you make idlis with batter straight out of the fridge, then the cook time will increase and i am unsure of the texture. Waiting at least for 30 mins is better.
Just before making the idlis, you can sprinkle the salt and mix. If using coarse salt, then add to the ladle along with 1 to 2 tsp water. Dissolve with your finger and pour it over the batter and use the same ladle to gently stir the batter. Hope this helps. Thanks much for rating the recipe. Really happy to see your comment after a long time.
🙂
Teena says
Thank you so much dear. That clears my doubt. Champs are doing great. Will be really happy to be in touch with you like I was before. Can we converse through fb messenger.?
Loads to luv to you…
Teena
swasthi says
You are welcome! Thank you! yes sure we can be in touch. But I am not very active on fb.
Much love to the kids!
🙂
Meena says
Please tell me the non-iodide salt name
swasthi says
Hi Meena,
You can use any rock salt, sendha namak or pink salt such as Himalayan. I do not know which brands are good in India but I have seen my mom using patanjali brand rock salt. I use Himalayan pink salt. Hope this helps.
Bharti says
I love your blogs on each dish and the way you combine taste with nutrition.
Keep sharing more posts! I look forward to those..
swasthi says
Hi Bharti,
Thank you so much! Yes sure will keep posting.
🙂
Sari says
Hi Swasthi,
Thank you for teaching us to make soft idli. I made idli wrong all these years using more rice. Finally I found the solution to hard and dense idli. More rice = hard idli. The idli I made today were so soft and pillowy even without using cooked rice. I am so excited to try more recipes from here. Thank you
swasthi says
Hi Sari,
You are welcome. Glad you liked the idlis. If making the idli batter in mixer, less rice is the key. We normally use more rice only for wet grinder as it can make the urad dal batter very fluffy. Thank you.
Shaji shaju says
Very very Helpful
swasthi says
Thank you
Boston BB says
Thank you for sharing your recipes and tips. I look forward to making this recipe but not having idli plates what can be used instead?
Is poho what is called pearl barley or Jacob’s tears? Pardon my lack of understanding, I am not from India and have no one to ask.
Do you have an email newsletter that I can sign up for or some way to follow? (I do not use FB.) Thank you for your time in response.
swasthi says
Hi Boston,
You are welcome. Yes idli can be made without the idli plate. You can grease a cake tin or a similar steel bowl and then pour the batter. For the cook time you will need to experiment and check as it depends on the size of the bowl used.
Regarding poha – these are also known as parched rice or beaten rice. These are Indian style rice flakes. If you cannot find poha then just use fenugreek seeds as a substitute. All the ingredients to make idli can be found in a Indian grocery store. Hope this helps. Feel free to post any doubts you have. Appreciate your interest in Indian foods.
I will add your email id to the subscription list. You can also subscribe from the subscription box in the homepage (sidebar). Please confirm when you receive the first email.
Thank you.
Lakshmi says
Your recipes are simply amazing! I am a 45 year old women who people say makes wonderful dishes. But I am lost at your amazingly delicious recipes. These idlis were the most tastiest & soft. They are well received by my foodie family and ask for more. Thank you. I will be following your blog from now on.Stay Blessed.
swasthi says
Hi Lakshmi Sis,
You are welcome. I am speechless. Thanks a ton for the wishes. Really happy to know you liked my recipes.Thanks Again. Have a wonderful day!
🙂