Ingredients
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4 Parts Idli rice (Steamed raw rice)
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1 parts Raw rice
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1 tbsp Sago pearls (Sabudana)
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1 Parts + 1/4 (same measuring unit) Urad dal (de husked black gram)
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1 tspn Fenugreek seeds
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2 tspn salt(Add before leaving to fermentation)
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Enough to soak water
Directions
“IDLI MAKES YOUR DAY LIKE NOTHING ELSE COULD; CALL IT FOR A BABY OR FOR GROWN-UPS.”
Here is a quick recipe card for you… Idli can be had with coconut chutney or tomato chutney or sambar. We South Indians, especially Tamilians, have this idli with meen kolambu (fish curry) or an overnight leftover puzhi kolambu (spicy curry prepared with tamarind juice). Either way it is satisfactory; eat it for breakfast or for dinner. This is a dish that was being relished in our Indian kingdom back between 800 and 1200 CE, and it is still loved the same way for generations.
Idli is prepared by soaking urad dal (de-husked) and steamed raw rice for about 8 hours for rice and 2 hours for urad dal and then letting it ferment overnight. The next day we steam the batter in an idli cooker and serve it with a variety of popular side dishes especially prepared for idli, dosa or appam.
Today idli has come up with lot of variations like Rava Idli, Rava Oats Idli, Finger Millet Idli,, etc.
If you are new in preparing this recipe,, do check my blog below supported with pictures
for your quick understanding.
(1) HOW TO PREPARE A PERFECT BATTER
For making homemade idli batter: You need specialized rice. Idli rice is steamed raw rice that looks a little fat and half cooked and half raw kind of. The idli-to-lentil ratio is always 4:1.
You can take any measuring container.
I usually prepare with a teacup measuring a whole of 4 cups of raw steamed rice (idli rice 0) and 1 cup of raw rice (paccharisi) and wash it thoroughly till the rice looks transparent.
Add 1-2 tbsp sago pearls (sabudana) to it. You will have to soak it for a minimum of 6 hrs to a maximum of 8 hrs for rice. Then you take 1 cup along with 1/4 cup of whole urad dal, black gram without skin, and soak it for not more than 2 hrs. Soak the fenugreek seeds in a separate container for 6-8 hours. Adding fenugreek seeds gives you a nice fresh aroma to the batter. Also, if you soak urad dal for longer hours, then it may leave the batter with a very pungent, acidic smell later.
Now,
1. Note that you do not wash urad dal; just directly soak it in water because we want that unwashed urad dal for a better fermentation process. Urad dal has an acidic agent that aids fermenting bacteria.
2. If you soak it for more than 2 hours, the batter after fermentation will start to give a very strong acidic smell, which will be very unpleasant.
Now in a mixer you beat urad dal first—transfer it to a vessel, and then you beat rice and transfer it in the same vessel. The batter has to be thick,, meaning you need to add less water while churning in the mixer Add 1 tsp of salt and mix by hand for a minimum of 7 to 10 minutes. Grind it to a very fine paste.
Cover and leave it on the kitchen counter overnight. The other day morning, you took a spatula and just slightly cut and folded the batter. Don’t you overmix it, or else you may end up losing the fluffy idlis later. You can slightly add water if required to batter that is taken into a separate container and not the entire batch. The same batter you can use for making dosa by adjusting the consistency of the batter to a free-flowing consistency.
(2) HOW TO STEAM THE IDLI
These days every utensil market sells greased idli pans with oil, and in the idli cooker, boil some water to a level where the water does not touch the idli plates. Place the pans filled with batter right after you see the water starts bubbling. Then you let it steam for around 5-7 minutes on a high flame.
Things to note while steaming idli:
- Do not let it steam for a longer time; else, the risen idlis will start turning harder.
- Take out pans, and let the water run on the plates from behind so as to prevent the idlis from sticking onto the plates.
- Let it sit for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and now you remove the idli from the plates and serve it hot with your desired side dish.
You can store the batter for upto 4 days inside an airtight container in the fridge. Do not leave the batter outside for a long time because it will continue to produce a sour taste. So refrigerate it once you are done or take small portions in a separate bowl as and when required.
Just the smallest rules that you follow carefully, and you can master the art of preparing the best idli right from scratch.
Enjoy!!!!
Sharing a glimpse of my fluffy, airy idli batter that never lets me down. As a South Indian, I was never taught how to make the perfect idli batter. Achieving this consistency came through years of trial and error, patience, and learning from my own experience—and it still brings me immense satisfaction every single time.
Although there are hundreds of recipes and tutorials on how to make idli batter, nothing teaches you better than your own trial and error. That’s what stays with you the longest—understanding how to adjust the ingredients based on the rice, urad dal, weather, fermentation, and consistency. Those lessons become second nature with experience.
WANT TO KNOW AN EASY METHOD TO MAKE APPAM???
You can also check out how to make easy appam batter without much fuss. No cooked rice, no poha, no yeast and no coconut are required. A very must-know recipe for all appam lovers.
Click this link to read a detailed recipe on appam.
here is a detailed video with english subtitles for your visual reference
Other Recipes:
Tamil Nadu Style Appam Recipe without Yeast/Coconut
Steps
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1
Done
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this is idli rice - steamed raw rice |
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2
Done
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take any measuring container of your choice. take a heapful amount and you have to maintain the same for urad dal quantity as well. |
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3
Done
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wash the rice thouroughly. remove the starch completely by washing 4-5 times. |
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4
Done
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adding one handfull of raw rice will help the batter balance the softness or hardness of idli |
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5
Done
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sago pearls adds fluffiness not only to batter but also to idli. its a key ingredient. |
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6
Done
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urad dal needs to be skin less and split into two |
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7
Done
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whatever the rice quantity you take should be the same for urad dal. else the batter will not be perfect |
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8
Done
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fenugreek seeds gives a subtle aroma to the fresh batter always. |
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9
Done
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soak with enough of water say four times of rice quantity. so that rice is completely softened |
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10
Done
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choose a vessel that is twice or thrice as high as the batter quantity so as to ensure they wont spill out while fermenting overnight. |
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11
Done
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place it in a warmer place of your kitchen and lifted from ground as well so they get equal temperature to rise. |
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12
Done
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do not overbeat the fermented batter ever. just use a spatula and cut and fold it right from the bottom once. the air inside the batter is what produces softest idli. |
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13
Done
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there two types of steaming one if you are using a plate with holes pour the batter directly and if you are using non hole idli pan then you can also put muslin cloth and pour the batter accordingly. |
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14
Done
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idli if overcooked beyond required time starts settling downward just as a cake would do. so count your minutes and work accordingly |
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15
Done
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place the idli pan only after you see steam rising out from the water. and strictly not before that because you count the minutes right from when you place the pan after the water starts steaming. |
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16
Done
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to whoever you want to serve , just steam it right before they are going to eat. it tastes much better this way. |
