Idli recipe: wondering how to make soft idli with homemade idli batter? Look no further for the perfect formula and tips for making soft idlis!
Idli and dosa is a staple breakfast for most South Indians. In my home, we always have the batter ready in our fridge and Amma is always prepared to feed multiple people for breakfast or dinner at minutes’ notice, thanks to this.
Amma has a large, old-fashioned grinder which we’ve had ever since I can remember. In my childhood, we moved houses 6 times and this grinder came with us from house to house, year by year, doing its job as expected. Ok, I will stop now, I don’t want to jinx it!
So yeah, back to idli and dosa. My maternal grand mom, as long as she was able to, oversaw the grinding of the idli-dosa batter and she did it with a hawk-eye. The help will handle the measuring and soaking and actual grinding and the heavy-lifting (quite literally) of using the stone insert in the middle of the grinder, and finally the onerous task of cleaning the thing once the batter is ground. Needless to say, except for passing by a couple of times and wondering how it would feel to dip my finger into the creamy batter, I have had nothing to do with this idli batter grinding business.
When I moved to Hyderabad for my first job, I started buying idli batter. Making idlis with store-bought batter hasn’t worked for me yet. I have tried a few times always knowing it will fail and it always has. Making dosa is easier since it’s more forgiving. But idlis are demanding. For all this, I am not even that fond of them!
Also check out rava idli, rava idli with eno, and instant oats idli. Don’t forget chutney recipes, you do need something to serve your soft and delicious idlis with.
Once I got married and moved to Singapore, I was ready to grow up and start making my own batter. I brought back a small, table-top wet grinder from back home (Trichy, to be exact) and it was a proud day I ground my first batch of idli batter.
It was a disaster! The batter didn’t ferment at all and I should have taken that as a sign but it smelled fermented so I impatiently brought out the idli moulds and went the whole way. The idlis were rock hard. Dosas the next day turned out fine but the soft, pillowy idlis of my childhood had evaded me the first time and I was determined to not let that happen again.
But it did. I got it wrong about 3-4 more times. I did get marginally better at it each time but the idlis were nowhere near soft and barely edible if not dunked in litres of sambar.
I changed everything I could – the urad dal (I even brought back a kilo from Amma’s stash in Kottayam), the rice, adding salt at different times, fermenting spot, everything!
Then I realised the answer was really simple. It’s water. Yes, water. Not the type of water but the amount. I was not adding enough. It was a revelation when I realised this and since then, there has been no looking back. I make idli batter every 2 weeks and steam batches of idli and either chill them or freeze them for later use during those weekend mornings and too-tired-to-cook weeknights.
Also check out the Murugan Idli Kadai Idli Recipe.
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Idli recipe, a very detailed step by step recipe to prepare idli batter for soft idlis.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of whole, skinned urad dal / ulutham paruppu / uzhunnu parippu
- 4 cups of idli rice
- Salt as needed
- Water as needed
- A wet grinder or powerful blender
Instructions
- Step by Step Pictures to Make Idli:
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Soak in enough water to cover it by 3 inches and leave aside for 3-4 hours.
- Once the rice has been soaking for 2.5 to 3 hours, wash the urad dal and soak it for 30 mins or so. Amma tells me soaking urad dal for too long is not necessary and it may lose its “potency”. Make sure there’s enough water for it to absorb and swell – the urad dal requires more water than the rice.
- Wash and prepare your grinder. Add the soaked urad dal…
- and a generous amount of water to get it started. I usually add about 1 cup and see how that goes but this will totally depend on the quality of urad dal you use. My recurrent mistake was always not adding enough water to grind the urad dal.
- It will take about 15 mins for the urad dal to be ground smooth. When you take a little batter and rub between fingers, it should be smooth and flowy. As the urad dal grinds, it will rise and turn fluffy. This is perfect.
- Transfer the urad dal batter to a large enough container and set aside. You don’t have to wipe the grinder clean of the batter. When you grind rice, it will automatically get ‘cleaner’.
- In goes the soaked rice next.
- Rice doesn’t need as much water as the dal so add about 1 to 1.5 cups and see if it gets thick as you grind. When rice grinds, it will absorb the water so test in between and keep adding water as you go, a little at a time. Grind rice to a smooth pate too and this takes me around 25 mins or so in my grinder.
- Once done, add this to the urad dal batter and top off with some salt. Mix gently so that the rice and dal get combined well.
- The consistency should be fluffy and the batter should fall down easily from your spoon as you mix it.
- Set aside this batter in a container that is only filled halfway with the batter to allow room for rising during fermentation.
- The urad dal would have risen to the top leaving the heavier rice batter at the bottom so you need to mix it uniformly before making idlis.
- Pour into greased (I use gingelly oil or Indian sesame oil) idli moulds and steam for 10-12 mins for super soft and spongy idlis.
Step by Step Pictures to Make Idli Batter and Soft Idli:
1. Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Soak in enough water to cover it by 3 inches and leave aside for 3-4 hours.
2. Once the rice has been soaking for 2.5 to 3 hours, wash the urad dal and soak it for 30 mins or so. Amma tells me soaking urad dal for too long is not necessary and it may lose its “potency”. Make sure there’s enough water for it to absorb and swell – the urad dal requires more water than the rice.
3. Wash and prepare your grinder. Add the soaked urad dal…
… and a generous amount of water to get it started. I usually add about 1 cup and see how that goes but this will totally depend on the quality of urad dal you use. My recurrent mistake was always not adding enough water to grind the urad dal.
It will take about 15 mins for the urad dal to be ground smooth. When you take a little batter and rub between fingers, it should be smooth and flowy. As the urad dal grinds, it will rise and turn fluffy. This is perfect.
4. Transfer the urad dal batter to a large enough container and set aside. You don’t have to wipe the grinder clean of the batter. When you grind rice, it will automatically get ‘cleaner’.
5. In goes the soaked rice next.
Rice doesn’t need as much water as the dal so add about 1 to 1.5 cups and see if it gets thick as you grind. When rice grinds, it will absorb the water so test in between and keep adding water as you go, a little at a time. Grind rice to a smooth pate too and this takes me around 25 mins or so in my grinder.
6. Once done, add this to the urad dal batter and top off with some salt. Mix gently so that the rice and dal get combined well.
The consistency should be fluffy and the batter should fall down easily from your spoon as you mix it.
Set aside this batter in a container that is only filled halfway with the batter to allow room for rising during fermentation. Singapore is warm enough for us to leave it aside in the kitchen and it will ferment in about 6-8 hours. In colder places, you can either leave it inside the microwave (don’t turn it on!), or inside the oven with the oven light on. This is how most people I know in the US do it.
Once fermented and risen, mix very gently to combine. The urad dal would have risen to the top leaving the heavier rice batter at the bottom so you need to mix it uniformly before making idlis.
Pour into greased (I use gingelly oil) idli moulds and steam for 10-12 mins for super soft and spongy idlis.
A few tips, notes, and learnings from me:
– I can’t stress the importance of adding enough water while grind the dal and rice. This is the single most important thing that separates you from soft idli.
– You can add some fenugreek seeds / methi seeds when soaking the rice. It gives a nice fragrance to the batter.
– I have tried soaking and grinding the rice and dal together (because I get immensely lazy sometimes). I got mixed results. Sometimes it worked ok and sometimes not. Again, dosa always turns out fine so if you don’t intend to make idlis, you can take this shortcut.
– Once you have scraped out all the rice batter, wash the grinder with little water and collect this in a separate bowl. After a few hours, the batter in the water will sink leaving almost-clear water on top. I add this to the batter before making dosa because for dosa we need to water down the batter anyway. My grand mom was very frugal when it came to cooking and she would do this so that we don’t even waste the batter sticking to the grinder.
– Always use a wet spoon to remove idlis from the mould and do it after the idlis have cooled down a bit.
– Once the batter is fermented and you have made idlis, store the batter in the refrigerator. You can make dosas from day 2 onwards by diluting the batter to the right pouring consistency. On day 4 and 5, if I still have batter left, I make masala kuzhi paniyaram.
– I make idlis in bulk and store in them steel containers in the chiller (if I plan to use them within the week) or in the freezer (for longer storage). Before serving, the best thing to do is to re-steam them for a quick 5 mins but if you don’t want to do that, re-heat them in the microwave with some water sprinkled on top. These have to be served immediately, otherwise they will turn hard and rubbery.
– If using a mixie or blender for grinding idli-dosa batter, remember that it won’t get you the same results as a wet grinder. Also, reduce the quantity of rice:dal and use 3:1. I use my rice cooker cup to measure, you can use any cup or tumbler as long as you use the same one to measure both rice and dal.
– If your idlis are too flat, it could be due to two reasons. One, there’s too much urad dal in the batter and two, the batter is too watery. Even if you end up adding too much urad, if your batter is thick, the idlis will be fine but too much water will create flat idlis and there’s really no way to fix this. The idlis will still turn out soft in most cases though.
– UPDATE: If any of you are using a mixie or mixer-grinder to grind your idli-dosa batter, then here’s a note from Vini who does the same in her Preethi mixer-grinder. The proportions are as I mentioned, 3:1 rice:urad dal but see how important the addition of enough water is. Read her note below. For anyone wondering “can you grind idli-dosa batter in a mixie or mixie-grinder?” Here’s your answer.
“Hey Nags,
I am glad I came across this post! I have only a mixer ever since I shifted to the US. The ladies of my house gave me several tips to make idli-dosa batter in a mixie including 3:1rice dal, mixing with hands, switching on then oven light but no one ever told me the importance of adding enough water! I always used to get ok-ok idlis and I blamed it on the mixie and was waiting to ge a grinder soon. But but I saw this awesome post and immediately soaked rice and dal..made sure I added sufficient water while grinding..the batter fermented beautifully and voila my idles where super soft just like how mom makes it back home :):) I jumped in joy when hubby told they were the best idles he had eaten since he came to the US 🙂 Thank you so much for this important tip which no other blog post on idlis stressed about. And you can tell everyone that soft idles are possible with preethi mixer grinder :)”
How do you make idli batter at home? What do you do differently and what has worked? Please leave a comment with your idli and dosa tips please!
For idli recipe and idli batter instructions in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Urdu, etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.
If you try making idli at home using my recipe and instructions, do leave a comment and positive rating below. You can also share pictures on social media with #ediblegarden, I’d love to see them!
I can’t tell you how thankful I am for this recipe and the story. Similar story for me and water did the trick. Water is the absolute ingredient for the best batter for idly and dosa. Thank you so much.
So glad to hear 🙂
Hi Nags! I’ve been having trouble with my batter for a while now. I use 3:1 proportion for rice and dal and follow everything you mentioned. However when I leave it to ferment in the oven (with the light on), it never rises, instead I get a cream coloured top layer and it’s pretty foul smelling too. Not sure if I’m doing anything wrong.
sounds like the dal is not great. try soaking it for less time, around 2 hours, and make sure you add enough water and grind to a very smooth paste.
Thank you. I’m going to try my hand at it again this weekend. If it fails I’m going to have to throw the dal out and get myself fresh stock.
Hi Nags, wants to know approximate how much water to use for soaking dal and grinding dal and how many hrs to soak dal.My measure of whole urad dal is one and a half cup or 272 gms and I am grinding the batter in wet grinder.How much water to use for soaking idli rice and how much water for grinding idli rice.My measure is four and a half cup of idli rice or 900 gms.
this is hard to say because it depends entirely on the type and quality of rice and dal. i would say about 4-5 cups minimum water for rice and about 2-3 cups minimum for dal. adjust from there.
Thank you Nags for your reply.
Thank u for this wonderful recipe !! ❤️
I am grinding my batter right now. It is quite smooth and fluffy, but I can feel little bits of very fine grit. Does the batter have to be smooth like yoghurt, or can I stop now and let it beging fermen ting?
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I’m grinding the batter right now, and its pretty smooth but I grinding till tie batter is completely smooth like yoghurt ?
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yes
Ok thanks. Sorry about typos, but the font is small and light and I am anxious!
Nags – I have been trying to make idli for quite some time. I always used methi seeds until I saw your post. I tried this recipe but I am still failing. I follow the directions exactly. I bought the grinder shown above.
The idli does not cook. I have idli dishes I bought in India and I have made Gits brand in them a million times. The idli comes out raw as if I just poured it in. It sinks in – doesn’t fluff up. No matter how long I steam, this is my result. I live in San Diego and weather is chilly right now but I have fermented outside in high heat or in oven all night with oven light.
I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. Can you help? I can’t understand why it won’t cook.
that’s quite strange karen. have you checked that your cooker is not leaking steam? That’s the only thing I can think of.
Hello, I am french and love idlis. I have an indian grinder at home but was not abble to make a proper idli batter with it. The wet grinder you use is it like a grinding stone or with the blades?
it’s got grinding stones 🙂
Hi Nags – fantastic recipe. Followed it to the T including 1:3 while using a mixer at home and all the notes about using the right quantity of water for the urad dal. My wife was really impressed with the quality of the idlis. Thanks a ton!
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i am so glad! making idli from scratch takes some practise so happy you got it right 🙂
Hi nags
I had used mixie and the idli’s were soft, but recently got a grinder the same one that u have shown. I have used 4:1 ratio and the idli’s are hard. Am going crazy browsing for the soft idli’s.
Please help
in a grinder,allow enough time for it to grind properly. id say min 30 mins for dal alone. and add enough water. the dal will grind and bubble up
Nags,cant thank you enough for this recipe..I’ve been getting OK idlis till I read your post..I was always hesitant to add more water since amma told me to be careful with water..but this time I added generous amount and voila I got soft idlis..Keep going gal!!
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Hi…..thanks a lot for this recipe. But I am really confused if to use the soaked water itself for grinding esp the dal or no. Have googled a lot and some say to use the dals soaked water for grinding as it helps in fermentation while many say not to use the soaked water of the dal or rice as it contains phytic acids and other anti-nutrients.
Some say to wash the dal and rice after soaking also just before grinding. When I use fresh water for grinding…the better doesn’t seem to rise much or at all….and whenever I have used the soaked water of the dal for grinding….the batter does rise good enough.. But off lately the better turns actually bitter to taste resulting in bitter idlis and dosas. Any idea what cold be wrong.
Just for your info….I have been making this batter using Organic Sonamasuri Brown Rice, Organic Dal, Methi seeds, Oats, Barley and Puffed Amaranth seeds.
Thanks in Advance – rOhit
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Hello Rohit, I use the water soaked for soaking sometimes and sometimes I don’t. I have heard that the water used for soaking the dal gives better batter but don’t always find this to be true. If we wash the rice and dal well before soaking, then using that water shouldn’t cause any harm. It’s really hard to troubleshoot what’s going on in dosa/idli batter since so many factors can affect the outcome. Try using parboiled dosa/idli rice rather than sona masuri or brown rice. Brown rice can also result in bitter batter based on my experience.
Would love to make organic idlis but not even in my dream, Can’t find organic urad dal in Paris nor organic idli rice; At least if I could succeed to make any type of batter rise I would be happy!
Hi Nags, Yesterday I tried making idlis with red parboiled rice 3:1 rice & Urad dal. I added a bit of fenugreek and also a pinch of baking soda and salt. Fermentation was good, but after steaming the batter was still watery. It did not set at all. Then I tried to make Dosa from the batter. The batter just flowed like water and Dosa did not set at all. Finally I tried adding rice powder to the batter. It was of no use. Then I had to throw the batter in the sink. All the effort was wasted.
Lesson learnt: Red parboiled rice cannot be used to make Idli.
Today I am trying your very recipe with Dosa rice. 3:1 rice : Urad dal. Added a spoon of fenugreek to Urad dal while soaking. Made both batters and mixed it. Added 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 1tsp of salt and kept for fermentation. Another 6-8 hours after overnight fermentation I shall know the result tomorrow. Keeping fingers crossed.
Thanks for your awesome website.
Ashok, Goa.
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yes red rice won’t work well for idli/dosa but there could be other reasons why you got such bad results for dosa too. too much water added when making the batter? also, soda powder is not necessary, especially if you live in tropical weather like in Goa.
Im really confused what capacity of grinder to buy, ultra cones in 1.25 l , 1.75 l and 2 litres . Pls advice. My family consists of me n my hubby, 2 kids 11 yrs and 6 yrs.
maybe go for the largest one? better to check in store on size and ask them too for advice
Hi
I tried to making idlis . Got smooth idli when i used mixer for grinding. But when i use grinder my idli is flat … I dont know what happens … Pls advice me ( dosa is perfect if when i use mixer or grinder)
flat idlis usually mean the batter didn’t ferment enough or you mixed too much before pouring into the moulds. try again and mix the fermented batter minimally. also use more urad dal if the issue persists
Madam, I am a punjabi living in Delhi, India and very fond of soft idlis. I tried several times using a mixer grinder but never achieved the desired fluffiness. While going through the internet, I found an articles which stated that softness will come when wet grinder is used. At last I spent Rs.6200 and purchased Ultra wet grinder. I used 2.25 cup of water for grinding 1 cup dal and 3.5 cups of water for grinding 4 cups of rice. Fermented it for more than 12 hours and made idlis. But the idlis were very very flat without any increase in size. You have written that if the batter is watery, the idlis will be flat. It means I have to use less water for grinding.
Please guide me to help me to make soft idlis with a grainy look with lot of pores on its surface.
hi ajay, it’s tough to give exact measurement of water since it really differs based on temperature, quality of rice and dal, etc. ensure you are using good quality urad dal and try using 1:3 ratio of dal:rice next. that may help. also make sure you add enough salt for fermentation
Hi Nags!
Thanks so much for a wonderful post. I still have not tried my hands on this yet, however, have made a note of all the small but important tips while making the batter.
I have just one small question though – you have rightly conveyed the importance of adding enough water while making the batter. On the other hand, you have mentioned that if the batter becomes watery then the idlis will turn flat!
So could you please let me know how much water (while grinding) will be enough water and at the same time it does not make the batter as such watery!
Thanks again!
Regards,
Pragati
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thank you pragati, it’s very tricky to give an exact measurement because it depends a lot on the type of rice, lentils, and weather you are in. I would say add more than you think you need, the batter should be thick-ish but scoopable. Once it ferments, the consistency will change again. Do try and see how it goes, you will get the hang of it once you have some experience.
I want a idli making machine and I like machine so pls inform me abt machine cost.
Nice
My idlis are super soft the first day i grind it. But my problem is that they become very hard after I refrigerate the dough and make it. Towards the 4th to 5th day the idlis are not consumable at all. Please help.
Hello Smitha, idlis should only be made the first day after grinding batter. After that the air in the batter settles and you don’t get soft idlis when steaming. You can make a large batch on day one and refrigerate or freeze the remaining (steam before use) or make dosa from day two.
My idlis get stuck to the moulds.When I take them out they look like lumps of cooked batter.I steam them for more tham 15 minutes.Am I overcooking them ?I also add poha to the batter.1 cup dal, 2 cups idli rice ? 1 cup poha.
make sure you grease the moulds with oil and also steam in medium-low flame so that the idlis get cooked evenly
This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I got the same wet grinder as an Xmas present two years ago, tried once and was so ashamed of my failure that i put it in a cupboard and ignored it.
The water makes so much difference. I do have one question – I also have a new pressure cooker and I’ve seen some things saying that it can be good to pressure cook them. Have you done this? Does it matter? Does it even work?
Thanks again!
You mean pressure cook idlis? You can use pressure cooker to steam idlis. Place water in the cooker, insert the idli moulds, close and cook for 10-12 minutes. Do not use the “weight” on top.
very nicely presented.. thank you .. my wife Lav preparing dosa since 5 years she did not knew batter measure at all after reading this artical she started preparing nice soft idle and soft dosa.. thank you again
Thank you, so glad it helped.
Thanks for your k
Hi all,
Here is an amazing idea for soft fluffy idlis which I regularly use while I always grind my batter at home in a mixer grinder neither do I soak both rice and dal separate nor do I grind them separate since years and never faced any difficulty . The idea is very simple just take some cooked rice if available while grinding if not just take thick poha soak it for 5minutes while you grind the soaked rice and uraddal then grind it along with the rice and urad dal. Now put required amount of salt and keep for fermentation near your cooking area as the heat helps to ferment. Once fermented soft fluffy idlis are ready to be served.
Thank you Neetha 🙂 I have a recipe called “Murugan Idli Kadai Idli Recipe” in this site and it uses this method of adding cooked rice to dosa batter (or idli batter). works perfectly!
Hi,
Follow your blog for loads of recipes (making green chilli chicken and palak pulao today 🙂
Just a query, what is the exact model of grinder that you have? Currently trying to source some company that will ship to me in Spain without charging the earth…
Wow! Thanks to you – I just made my best idli ever! Have been looking for similar tips since long and finally found it here! First time, my idlis were not soggy or hard – perfect!! 🙂 I am so happy!
This really is an eye opener Nags ! I live in the UK and I get a very hard time getting good batter at home.. I am very hopeful for my next attempt now after reading this 🙂
I have seen dozens of cooking sites but Edible Garden is unique perhaps it is the organization, perhaps it is the photographs, and perhaps it is the quality of the recipes. I plan to be a frequent visitor and scale other mountains [OK, hills :-)] in cooking so to speak, using this site. I have already identified the next goal — that would be thogayal/chutney. I have failed in this before.
Here is where I stand on idly:
1. My wife and I each tried two times so far — with one success each. (During the work week, we live in two different towns.) The failures were due to (among other things possibly) not covering the batter while leaving it to ferment in the oven. The pilot lamp worked — unfortunately, a thick crust formed at the surface.
2. Here are the details of my successful recipe. (This worked in the US midwest, on cold days.)
1/4 cup whole ulundu (I was just testing the recipe), soaked overnight with 1/2 tsp of vendhiyam
1/2 cup rice rava soaked
Ulundu/vendhayam was blended to a fine paste. Water was squeezed out from rice rava. One handful blended into a coarse paste along with some cooked rice. [I use the proportion from Show Me The Curry. I also looked at vah reh wah.com] The two pastes were mixed and the rest of rice rava added to this. [This recipe is simpler than Edible Garden's. The latter my well taste better.]
I first let the batter to rise near the water heater for 12 hours. It did not rise. I then covered it with seran wrap and kept it overnight in the oven with the light on. To my pleasure and surprise, the batter rose. It was very frothy — the density was low. I mixed it by hand and then made the idly.
My wife used a similar procedure. She didn't keep it near the water heater and straightaway put it in the oven.
Hi Nags
My 18 month son is a fan of idli. He will grab one and eat it while playing and reading books. But I was always in doubt that I can ever make idlis with rice and dal and that too super soft. But after reading your post and tips I thought why shouldn't I give a try.
And today after days of prep (specially bought idli rice, soaking, grinding, re-reading post) I have come up with a batch of SUPER-DUPER soft idlis. Thanks to you only.
I am in a very cold area of US. But with your tips and my patience I am flying on cloud nine. And I really want to share pics with you but at the moment I am sharing on FB only 🙂
Again thanks a lot.
Hi Nags
My 18 month son is a fan of idli. He will grab one and eat it while playing and reading books. But I was always in doubt that I can ever make idlis with rice and dal and that too super soft. But after reading your post and tips I thought why shouldn't I give a try.
And today after days of prep (specially bought idli rice, soaking, grinding, re-reading post) I have come up with a batch of SUPER-DUPER soft idlis. Thanks to you only.
I am in a very cold area of US. But with your tips and my patience I am flying on cloud nine. And I really want to share pics with you but at the moment I am sharing on FB only 🙂
Again thanks a lot.
I know how you feel. I am on Cloud 9 too — I got the batter to ferment for the first time in my life. I will post details later.
Nags: I would like to know what you and your readers think of this idli video:
[This is NOT my side. If I can cook idlis like this, I wouldn't be posting here :-)]
She uses a blender like I do. She uses split urad dal. She grinds the rice to a rava like consistency (which makes me think that idly rava should work).
Looking at her fermented batter, I don't think mine is fermented enough.
By the way, I live in midwestern US.
I just finished making the idlies and eating them. I really do't know what to say. It probably was a C-/D+.
The idli was not like a brick. It tore easily. I inserted a fork into it and the fork came out clean, without picking up any of the particles from the idli — I assumed that it got cooked enough. It was also grayish isntead of whitish. The idlies in the picture above look more porus than mine.
I don't know what I should do next.
1. Was the problem not enough fermentation? I can test this by adding soda just one time. I need to look up to see when the soda should be added.
2. Is the problem in my proportion? I only use 2:1 idli rava:ulundu. I can try and increase the amount of idli rava.
I would appreciate suggestions.
The top of the batter formed a thick film. Next time, I will leave it outside in sunlight for fermentation. The batter after fermentation was not fluffy. It seemed to have lost some moisture.
I wish that an experienced person can watch me prepare the batter and give suggestions.
If you think the following does NOT add value, you don't have to publish this.
Attempt #2 is ongoing — this time I read your instructions carefully. I had to change some things due to various factors. I hope that these don't cause a failure.
1. I soaked 1/4 cup of whole ulundu in enough water to cover it and left it in the fridge overnight. (I do realize that you suggest that 1/2 hr should be enough.)
2. I blended it in generous amount of water in an Oster blender. (This is all I have.) I started this around 6 AM. I live in an apartment. I was nervous about waking up the neighbors.
3. I added 1/2 a cup of idly rava and blended some more. (I don't have idly rice.) The batter flowed easily from a spoon. When I rub it between my fingers,I can feel some grains.
4. I ground some vendhayam and put that in the batter and mixed along with a wee bit of salt. (I am on a low salt diet and use my salt budget for sambhar/chutney/podis.)
5. I left the batter in an oven with just the oven light on.
6. I hope to make the idlis about 12 hours from now.
I just hope that my modifications won't cause me problems.
If anybody wants to give constructive suggestions, I would appreciate it. Thanks.
I made some idlis today, for the first time in my life. They were not great. I looked up your post _after_ the disappointing experience. Almost certainly, I did not add enough water. [I also added no slat to the batter. I don't think that this made any difference.]
I almost got tears in my eyes when I read Vini's comment 🙂
We also make idlis in bulk and freeze them. I travel for my job. My wife gives me three weeks worth of frozen idli at a time. I thaw one packet each day and eat. Pretty much, this is the only breakfast that I can eat.
Keep up the great work. I am a true fan 🙂
thank you 🙂 idlis are truly a lifesaver for me too and when i have had them in the fridge for a week or so, i make the idlis into idli upma or chilli idli (or a variation of these). even podi idli is something we enjoy a lot!
Hi Nags your blog is really nice. Especially the pictures are excellent and really helpful. Thanks to your efforts ….and The mistake which you said about mixing water in the batter …. I had made the same mistake and always blamed everything else. I had the impression that I made a very silly mistake…but am relieved to see that there are more people who have the same experience 🙂 Keep the good work.
Regards,
Divya
Hi what i learnt from my aunty who had been making idlis as staple food for them and us too is we add a handful of stale rice while grinding the batter(even we mix the rice and urad dal together, it really makes idli very soft, cushion like texture and cotton like. When ever my aunty makes it, they are heavenly soft but when i try i can never make those ultra soft idlis with same texture i don't know why. The method is always same, ya even the fengrueek seeds we add
I must congratulate you Nags for a post I had been looking for a long time.The way you have described how much water to add along with the pictures is such a help to me , who has been trying idlis since a long time.I ahve recently started to blog and would really appreciate if you pay a visit to my site.There is so much to learn from so many talented bloggers like you that is excites me no end.Great blog and excellent pictures.
Thanks for your post. I tried your recipe for the first time. My idlis came out soft and delicious. We normally used to buy batter from the supermarket. From now, it's going to be only homemade batter 🙂
Thanks for the detailed post. I read this and tried out idli batter for the first time. I've to tell you they were soft and tasty.
– Reshma
One foolproof method that I use is to soak Urad dal in cold water (from the fridge) and then let it soak in the fridge itself for 2-3 hours. And while grinding the urad dal, I use Ice cubes which reallymakes the batter raise wonderfully. It becomes very soft & fluffy with this method. Given this method the rice:urad dal ratio that I use is 6:1, yes you read it roght 6:1 because the batter really rises so well that you need more rice to balance it out. One tip given to me by my mother regarding Idly-Dosa batter is that when ground, the urad dal batter and the rice batter should be of equal quantities for the correct consistency of the Idly-Dosa batter. This tip has helped me a lot when my urad dal rose way behind my expectations becoming more in quantity than the rice batter. In that case, I removed the extra amount and made dosas by adding ragi flour to the extra urad dal batter.
thanks for the great tips shobhana. i didn't realise chilling the urad dal would make the idli dosa more soft and spongy. i must try that. do you add the ice cubes into the grinder as is? it won't damage the machine right? ok maybe that's a stupid question 🙂 will definitely use your tips to making soft idlis next time i make idli dosa batter. adding equal quantities is also a great tip. i do sometimes feel that i have more urad dal batter than rice batter, especially when i want to make idlis.
Thank you Shobhana! 🙂
Don't worry about the ice cubes being put directly into the grinder. If not anything else, you get to know the power of your grinder in grinding those ice cubes with the dal and rice. The chilling method was found accidentally when I couldn't grind the dal I had soaked, immediately at the time I had planned for. That's when I got worried that it might get spoilt and I kept it in the fridge. And wow, the result was a fantastic discovery 🙂
In our home, we soak the Urad Dal in Cold water and then keep it in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Also, while grinding the urad dal, I use ice cubes which really makes the urad dal batter rise very well and is fluffy like air. When this method is used, I alter the ratio of rice:urad dal as 6:1, yes 6:1 as the urad dal really rises so much that you need more proportion of rice to make the batter equal. I use Annam/Udayam Brand Udad Dal that we get here in Chennai. You may try this method to see how much more fluffy your urad dal batter becomes. A tip that my mother gave me regarding the Idly batter is that, once ground, the urad dal batter should be equal to the rice batter (which does not rise like the urad dal, hence the ground quantity of batter turn out to be the same. When this is achieved, you have the perfect batter for Idly & Dosa.
I'm newly married and learning cooking. Trying out idli for the first time. I added 1 whole urad dal and 3 idli rice. Made it in a mixie. Left it for fermenting for tomorrow. Hope it is a success.
good luck! do keep me posted 🙂
3:1 ratio for idli batter made in mixie is good. there could be so many other reasons why the idlis didn't turn out as soft as you expected. generally the mixie batter can only go so much and since i don't know how it turned out for you and what you are expecting, this issue is hard to diagnose 🙂
I made the idlis today. It came out spongy and tasted good. But somewhere hubby felt it should have become more softer. Is it because I added 3:1 instead of 4:1?
Hey stepped by your blog, really useful post… I normally preapre my Idlis after adding a wet small karcheif like cloth on the conatiner then pour the idli batter and prepare idlis
It helps in easy retrival after the idlis are baked, you just have to sprinkle water and you can transfer them pipping hot into hot case . I have noticed that idlis done like this does not become harder after it becomes cold
ah that explains it! i used to wonder why people use those cloth pieces when making idli. so it's about easy removal. i do realise my idlis are a big mangled since i don't grease the moulds uniformly. someone suggested using pam spray to grease idli moulds, which i think is a great idea
Hi, !
Love reading this description of the idli preparations. I looked at the rice held in your hand in the photo, is that rice a "sweet rice" in contrast to a jasmine or a basamati?
U seem to be using whole Urad dal. Is this washed and the black cover washed off ?? I used split urad dal. Is it good enough ? Thanks. Appu
Hey appu, split urad dal won't work as well as the whole ones. You get the skinned urad dal to buy, don't get the ones with the black skin, they are not easy to remove.
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May I nominate you for an award? Or is that too blasé? You've been blogging a long time I see 🙂
Radhika aka Dedicated Docent
I'm never able to leave a comment successfully…tried many times.
Your comment did appear 🙂
I never buy urad or toor dal in Singapore either. Those are the two standard things I bring back from India each time I go, in addition to raw rice and sesame oil.
I hope I'm not spamming you…but I still can't see my comments. May I nominate you for an award? Or it is passé?
After struggling for ages with the urud dal from Singapore, I now beg or borrow (not yet steal) my dal from India. Anyone coming to Singapore who asks me what I want- I say "urud dal and toor dal"
My idlis have been decent, but after adding the cooked rice that you suggested, they are soft as a baby's cheek 🙂
When i was searching the recipe of "Super spongy Andhra Idli" i end up reading this post. Well portrayed, a flawless writing. it's definitely helpful for those who are making paperweights under the brand name od idly. Keep up the good worlk. Appreciate it! (If possible get me the Andhra idly making recipe too)
PS: I'm a tamil guy
Hi When I was searching for the recipi for a super spongy idly which i had in Andhra I end up reading here. Very well and flawlessly portrayed. Really helpful for everyone making paperweights in the name of idlys. Appreciate it! (If you could get me the Spongy Idli recipe I'll thank you a lot 🙂 )
In winters I add a small pinch of baker's yeast to the batter and lo and behold your batter raises like you were in Bellary.
Only, you must be careful not to add more yeast, lest you have your counter top flowing with batter.
Start experimenting with least yeast and go on incrementing until you titrate the right dosage.
Too much raising spoils the integrity and formation of dosa/idli.
I use Preethi mixie for grinding and I've had mixed results. Looking back, it very well could have been because of the water levels, which I don't add with a measure. Thanks for the tip. Very useful.
But often my batter doesn't ferment that well here in Melbourne, even when I keep in the oven with a light, which could be the typical chilly Melbourne weather. So I make idlis mostly during summer. I follow a 3:1 proportion with 1 tbsp methi seeds soaked with rice.
One more tip that works best for me and has always worked for my mom is adding a handful or two of leftover cooked rice. This can be ground along with raw rice. According to my mom, it makes idlis softer, and I too think it helps. A Konkani friend of mine, grinds 1/2 cup soaked Poha (aval) to make the batter softer.
Thank you for these great idli tips Preethika. I have a recipe for Murugan Idli Kadai Idli here and that uses cooked rice in the batter. Only thing with that batter is that it's not great for dosas. https://www.cookingandme.com/2011/09/murugan-idli-kadai-idli-recipe.html
Can't resist posting a comment here. Thanks for having a such a nice a blog which tempts me to cook. This was the first time i have tried making batter and actually it came out well.
thanks rahul. glad the idli batter turned out well for you
Thank you Nags f0r this post…I had 2 idli disasters and now I know the reason…I just want to make those soft fluffy idlis my MIL prepares which my husband is always in love with…
It took me almost 5 years to get idlis right. And my mom tried mixing idli rice with regular rice…half and half…add poha…and that works perfectly for us.
And in winter i keep the vessel on the heater VENT…and it ferments wonderfully…When in the oven the top seems kinda cooked so i do the vent..LOL
I heard adding a little bit of cooked old rice while gridng helps with the fermentation too
Hey nags, it would have been nice if i had the grinder but alas i use the mixe to make batter, i actually use ice cubes instead of water to keep the temperature balance so that my batter wont change color due to the mixie heat and aval works very well for me. it is very cold here and the batter raising is almost impossible so i leave it near the sun shine the whole morning and it works pretty well too.
Nagalakshmi, I was a silent reader of your blog but today I just HAD TO comment. You may have potentially solved the biggest problem in my kitchen – idlis! I always get rock hard idlis. I am very afraid of adding water when grinding since everyone keeps saying the batter consistency should be smooth and not watery. But I will surely give it a go now. Thank you very much indeed!
Preeti
Hey Nags,
I am glad I came across this post! I have only a mixer ever since I shifted to the US. The ladies of my house gave me several tips to make idli-dosa batter in a mixie including 3:1rice dal, mixing with hands, switching on then oven light but no one ever told me the importance of adding enough water! I always used to get ok-ok idlis and I blamed it on the mixie and was waiting to ge a grinder soon. But but I saw this awesome post and immediately soaked rice and dal..made sure I added sufficient water while grinding..the batter fermented beautifully and voila my idles where super soft just like how mom makes it back home :):) I jumped in joy when hubby told they were the best idles he had eaten since he came to the US 🙂 Thank you so much for this important tip which no other blog post on idlis stressed about. And you can tell everyone that soft idles are possible with preethi mixer grinder 🙂
Mom gifted me my wet-grinder for my bday last year… and since then, its been good idlis for us. I store the batter in a Tupperware container, and it stays fresh and nice for a long time in the fridge.
Yeah, soaking the dal and the rice together is not a good idea, but you can still grind them together. Just wait till the dal is ground well, and then add the rice to this. Let the grinder run till the rice breaks down to a rawa-type consistency, and the entire batter resembles the final idli batter.
The only caveat is that you can't do larger quantities of Idli this way.
My grinder can take only 1C of soaked Dal, and so just another cup of rice is the max it can take… 🙂
Wonderful post. But I cannot stress the importance of mixing the urad dal batter and rice batter with CLEAN HANDS. Especially for people living in colder climates this makes a big diff. The warmth/heat from the hands is very beneficial for fermenting the batter.
thanks for that tip jan. i will add it to the post asap.
Super moist idlis which was not a big fan of earlier, now i repent coz i crave for them now but i don't get to have it whenever i want. For most of the people they would have had their trial and error when it comes to making idli batter. Cute idlis nags.
Who knew there was so much water to an idli ? I make do with store bought or buy fresh made by super cook next-door aunty. However next-door is no longer next-door but I will still go all the way to get the batter from her.
I love this post…
Nag's can you share the freezing procedure for the idlis.. how long do they last fresh and what kind of container you use??
hello swetha. i cool down the idlis completely and then either store them in glass pyrex bowls or the tupperware freezer storage boxes. before consuming, leave them out for about 15-20 mins and re-steam for 5 mins. you can also microwave with some sprinkled water but that should be served immediately otherwise they turn rubbery and hard.
When I thaw idlies in microwave, this is what I do. I wet two paper towels in water and put one above and one below the set of idlies for microwaving. I microwave for 1 minute and then turn the idlies over and microwave for another minute. I usually eat within 10 minutes. They were always OK. I will try the technique of re-steaming them.
well in my point ! i tried more combination with idly rice and urad dal , every time i get different results. finally concluded with 4cup rice : 1 cup urad dal , if the urad dal is super quality i use 3/4 cup as it makes the idly perfect.
Try with your cooking rice that is puzugal arisi or sapatu arisi or boiled arisi, it works out fine, some times if i am out of idly rice and i have only the cooking rice then i go with this —Result is awesome. i do not find any difference.
heared adding tender coconut to the batter while grinding makes more soft , i need to try this .
fine last question !heared about the ramsheri idly?do u know the recipe? have u tried? if so pls share those recipe and i am waiting for the picture.
link —http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsFL3CnohTg
looks absolutely inviting and tempting..
When I was young little did I know that those idly's that I used to reject were so hard to make..LOL!! After marriage I also had a lot of trouble with my dosa and idly batter…dosa comes right most of the times but idly is very difficult (for me)…. I found that the issue with my batter was that it needed warmer temperature (esp since we live in Cleveland) to ferment so I started keeping them in the oven with lights on…after that the batter has started coming out well… 🙂
Your batter and idly look super good!!
When I was young little did I know that those idly's that I used to reject were so hard to make..LOL!! After marriage I also had a lot of trouble with my dosa and idly batter…dosa comes right most of the times but idly is very difficult (for me)…. I found that the issue with my batter was that it needed warmer temperature (esp since we live in Cleveland) to ferment so I started keeping them in the oven with lights on…after that the batter has started coming out well… 🙂
Your batter and idly look super good!!
hey superb tips… coincidentally I have planned to make idlis tomorrow so I have already soaked some urad dal and idli rava.Will try to follow all the tips. Thanks so much.
i prepare idlis once a week. they come out well.the difference is i use 3:1 proportion of idli rice and urad dal.let me try your ratio of 4:1.thanq;very methodical is your recipe demonstration..
if ever i start making my own batter, i shall follow this like a bible. One of the things about living in london is that i now get ready made dosa batter. Considering tht i had to use the horrid dosa podi to make batter before we moved to london, ready made batter was a saving grace. Since the s.indian stores are not close by, i buy two huge packs and freeze them. The dosa's come out amazingly well, but the idlis were a bit on the harder side. My mother in laws suggestion of adding about a tsp or 2 of baking soda to the batter, letting it rest for a while fetched me the softest idlis ever. i even boast about it to my mum saying i make better idlis than her 🙂 (ok super long comment, got carried away. apologies) 🙂
omg! that IS a great tip to make store-bought dosa batter work for idlis too. i am sure hotels add soda too. i must try that once just to see how that turns out.
don't worry about long comments. atleast you had something nice and useful to say 😀
Very nicely written , super soft idlis
Wonderful steps! I use dosa batter, which is not diluted, to make my idlis and then I add water for tosais(dosas).The poha(or aval)is replacement for cooked rice, which i feel helps to keep the batter good up to even 2 weeks in cold fridge, that is if you have not added salt.Add salt just before making. The cooked rice turns it sour within 5 days. The only thing i dont like in making idlis s cleaning the muslin cloth!
Thank you swati 🙂 Also, some people use muslin cloth to line the idli moulds. It apparently makes the idlis softer and easier to un-mould. Amma or my grand mom have never done this so I don't either.
kavita muslin cloth ?
awesome little details covered nags.. such things become so common for us that we dont realize they need details .. d only difference in my maav is i soak methi with the urad daal and yess i completely understand when you talk about the importance of water.. 🙂 but u know what , once one of my aunts came home and in all excitement she added a little too much water in the uluthan parupu batter and well, it was no lnoger great for idli.. but the first dosais from that batter!! what a bliss!
What timing! I ground idly batter and dosa batter last week for the first time ever.Yes, we make them separately. We mix soaked idly rava(I assume ground rice) with ground urad dal for idly. Dosa is soaked urad and rice ground together. I'll send you pics.ok we need to talk.bye.
Hb.
Surely going to try this up next time. 🙂
Super post. Beautiful snaps.
Timing is perfect. I just made my first ever idly batter and dosa batter last week. Yes, we make idly and dosa batter separately. Idly with idly rava(I assume ground rice) and urad dal. This rava gets soaked but won't be ground. Dosa batter with soaked urad and rice ground together. Very satisfied with my idli making skills already, gee but dosa needs lot of improvement. Will send you pics. Ok we need to talk, I can't hijack your blog like this.
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I use poha and it makes the idlis really soft. Its a blessing to have idli batter on hand always. By day 3 its paniyarams here too 🙂
wow beautiful post,wonderful step vise pics…
Thanks so much for the tutorial – my idlis would make excellent paperweights but they aren't much good for eating. I've watched my mother-in-law make them but she is so familiar with the technique that I don't think she realizes what she is doing.
Looks really soft and nice step wise pics. Nothing can beat idli and idli podi 🙂