Idli recipe | Soft idli recipe | How to make idli batter recipe with rice or rava

Prep time

8 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

28 mins

Soft and fluffy steamed cakes made of fermented lentil and rice batter.

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: South Indian

Yield / Serves: 16 to 18

Ingredients (240 ml cup used)

• ½ cup urad dal
• Non-iodized salt as needed
• cold water as required
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp. idly rava (or 1 cup rice for mixie or 1 ½ cups for wet grinder)
• 2 tbsp. of thick poha / avalakki / attukulu / beaten rice soaked for 2 hrs Or ½ tsp. fenugreek seeds

How to make the recipe

1. Wash dal and rava separately multiple times, soak them in lot of water for at least 5 to 6 hrs. Soak poha for about 2 hrs, if using. If using fenugreek seeds, add them to the urad dal and soak.
2. Drain the water. Add dal, salt and enough cold water to grinding jar or utensil (if using a wet grinder). If you live in a hot climate then skip adding salt now and add it just before making idli. If using poha or methi seeds add them as well to the jar. Grind till smooth and frothy, occasionally scraping off the batter from the sides of the utensil. Add very little water when ever needed. If you are using old dal, it doesn’t get frothy even if it is grinded smooth. Transfer this to a large utensil.
3. If using rice, add it to the blender with little water and grind coarsely. Add it to the urad dal batter and mix well. Follow from step 6.
4. 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.
5. Now mix the rava and grinded dal batter. 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.
6. Set this aside in a warm place for at least 6 to 12 hrs , sometimes it may take up to 18 hours depending on the weather and temperature. People living in high altitudes and cold climate can keep this in preheated oven. Or oven with the bulb on.
7. On a high flame, bring enough water to boil in an idly steamer or a pressure cooker, grease your idly plates. Greasing is optional. Mix the batter well, do not over do. Pour this in the molds. When the water begins to bubble and steam up, place it in the steamer. Steam for exactly 10 mins on a medium high flame and off the heat.
8. After 2 mins, remove the plates and set them aside for 2 to 3 mins, remove the idly and serve.

Notes

Do not use air tight jars for fermenting.
Use stainless steel utensils for fermenting.
Never let your batter warm up while grinding, as it will make the idly harder.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 100 Carbohydrates: 18gProtein: 6g