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8 idli on a plate arranged in circle with chutney and sambar on side

Idli Recipe | How to make Soft Idli Batter

Shweta Arora
Idli is popular and healthy South Indian breakfast recipe made from ground and fermented rice lentil batter. Here is a detailed full-proof recipe with lots of tips, on how to make the perfectly fermented idli batter at home two ways using idli rice and idli rava (rice rava) that will give the best, fluffy and soft idli, crispy dosa and spongy uttapam. 
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
Fermenting 12 hours
Course Breakfast, Lunch
Cuisine Indian
Servings 32 Idlis
Calories 83 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup urad dal using urad dal gota, or use split white urad dal
  • 3 cups idli rice or idli rava
  • 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • ¼ cup poha
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt or non idolized salt
  • cups ice-cold water approximately for grinding the batter

Instructions
 

Prep Work:

  • Rinse urad dal 3-4 times or until the water runs clear. Add fenugreek seeds along with 3 cups water and soak for 6-8 hours or overnight.
  • Rinse Idli rice (or idli rava) 3-4 times or until the water runs clear. Soak seperately in 4-5 cups of water for 6-8 hours or overnight.
  • Rinse and soak poha 5-10 mins before blending.

To make idli batter

  • Drain the water completely and transfer urad dal, fenugreek seeds and poha to a grinder or blender along with 1¼ cups of ice-cold water. Grind the urad dal to the light fluffy batter. Test by adding a drop of the urad batter to a bowl of water. It should float. This indicates the right batter consistency.
  • Transfer the urad dal batter to a large pot/bowl or Instant Pot steel pot. Make sure the bowl/pot has enough room for the batter to rise.
  • Makes rest of the batter using either idli rice or idli rava
  • A-Using Idli rice: Drain the water completely and transfer the rice to the blender (or grinder). Add 1½ cups ice-cold water and grind rice to a slightly coarse batter. Transfer the rice batter with the urad dal batter. Add salt and mix well using a spatula or preferably by hand until well combined. The batter must be pouring consistency (not runny).
  • B-Using Idli rava: Drain the water completely. Squeeze out all the excess water by pressing the idli rava between your palms. Apply pressure to drain maximum water. If there is water left it will make the batter runny. Add to the urad dal batter. Add salt and mix well using a spatula or preferably by hand until well combined.

Fermenting Idli batter

  • You can ferment idli batter the traditional way, in oven or use Instant Pot. Depending on where you live it can take anywhere from 8-15 hours.
  • Instant Pot Method: - Place the Instant Pot steel pot inside the Instant Pot and cover it with a glass lid. Do not use the Instant pot lid as if the batter overflows it can lock the lid. So always use a glass see-through lid. Set the Instant pot on yogurt mode and adjust the time for 12 hours. In some cases, it can take 14 hours too.
  • Traditional Method: - For warm climate, place the pot with the batter on the counter. Cover it with a lid (not air-tight) and ferment overnight or for 8-12 hours.
  • Oven Method: For colder climates, keep it in a warm place like oven (turned off). Keep the oven light on as it helps provide the warmth needed. Additionally, you can preheat the oven to 160°F and then turn it off. Wait 5 mins and then place the pot with batter in this oven.
  • After fermentation, the batter will double, rise and turn light, fluffy and bubbly. It will also have a slightly sour aroma.
  • Gently mix the batter 1-2 times to even it out. Do not over mix as that will cause the idli to rise and go flat after steaming.
  • This recipe makes about 8 cups of batter and depending on Idli mold size can give 32-36 idlis.

How to make Idli

  • Grease idli plates lightly with oil or ghee. Mix the batter once and fill the idli mold with batter.
  • Steaming idli in a pressure cooker or regular pot: - Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and place the idli stand inside. Cover with the lid or pressure cooker lid without the weight (whistle) and steam for 10-12 mins (with external timer) on high heat.
  • Steaming idli using Instant Pot: - add 1.5 cups of water to instant pot steel pot and start on sauté. Once the water comes to a boil, place the idli stand in the pot and press cancel. Close the lid and position the pressure value in the venting position. Press the Steam button and put an external timer for 12 mins.
  • When the external timer rings, press cancel. Wait for 5 mins before opening the lid.
  • Remove the idly stand out, cool for 2-3 mins. Insert a knife in the center of the idli, it should come out clean without any batter stuck to it. This indicates idli is done! Using a wet spoon, remove the idli.
  • Soft spongy idli is ready!! Serve idli immediately with chutney and sambar. Enjoy!!

Video

Notes

Quality and type of dal and rice - Use good quality and freshly stocked whole white urad dal Gota and idli rice or idli rava for soft fluffy idli. 
Salt - Use non-iodized salt like sea salt only. Don’t use iodized salt as that interferes with fermentation. It is ok to add non-iodized salt before fermentation.
Soaking - soaking is another important step so don't skip it. Soak dal and rice separately. Soaking them together is not recommended since they both need different water quantities and grinding times to turn soft and fluffy. 
Water - Use ice-cold water for grinding especially when using a mixer grinder or blender. The batter tends to get warm during blending and the cold water prevents that. Use correct proportion (as mentioned) and add little water at a time to prevent the batter from getting runny. 
Batter consistency - It should not be too thick or runny. Thin batter will not rise, although it might still ferment resulting in flat idli. The thick batter does not ferment well as there is not enough moisture and will result in hard idlis. The right consistency of the batter should be thick pouring consistency that falls with ribbons.
Steaming - Over steaming idli can make them hard and dry so steam just for 10-12 mins.
Storage - The fermented batter can be refrigerated for up to a week but it starts to get sour as it sits so use soon. Just get the refrigerated batter to room temperature before making idli. You can also freeze the batter for a month. Just thaw in the fridge and then bring to room temperature before use. 
Dosa and Uttapam - Idli tastes best when made with freshly fermented batter so I usually make idli the first day and then use the remaining batter for dosa or uttapam on subsequent days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
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