Idli & Batter for Idli and Dosa

Idlies are an excellent and healthy breakfast in our South Indian cuisine. From babies to elderly people idlies are considered as one of the best food which are easily digested.  As you all know idlies are the comfort food in all the aspects such as healthy, easy, simple and quick.

Now we will see how to grind the idli batter for soft and fluffy idlies. Like most people, I learnt how to prepare soft and perfect idlies after so many practices.




Soaking

• For table top wet grinders I suggest to soak the rice and dals for 5 to 6 hours. The idea behind this is that it grinds smoothly and so in the end you can get perfectly ground rice batter and dal batter. I learned this technique after so many experiments. If you soak the rice and dals overnight and grinding them in the morning, the batter ferments properly. You can also follow this technique if your fermentation process is not quick.

Grinding

• Usually I grind the rice first and then grind the urid dal. You can grind as you wish. For grinding the rice, it would take around 20 to 22 minutes. For urid dal, it would take 25 minutes. Add water in regular intervals and then grind the rice. For urid dal sprinkle the water and then grind it.

Mixing the batter

• After grinding both the rice and urid dal separately add the required salt and mix them well with your palm. You should mix them well with little force. Your palm must be fully mixed like gloves with the batter and then mix them well.

Fermentation

• This is the most important method for soft idlies and dosas. Keep the batter in the room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. The batter will rise up after 12 hours. If you are in cold places 18 to 20 hours of fermentation will be required. During summer season, the batter will ferment quickly so 8 to 10 hours of fermentation is enough. 

Store it right

• After fermentation mix the batter once again with a ladle from top to bottom. Then transfer the batter to separate boxes or vessels and close it with the lid. Storing and cooling your idly batter in the right manner will give you perfect results. Also, once you have decided to prepare idly or dosa bring the batter to the room temperature 1 to 2 hours in ahead. By doing so you can get soft idlies and dosas.

Tiffin recipes                                                   

• Black urid dal Dosa
• Ragi flour Upma
• Millets Ven Pongal
• Arisi Upma
• Poori
• Bottlegourd Adai

Batter for Idli and Dosa and Idli Recipe

Idlies are an excellent and healthy breakfast in our South Indian cuisine. From babies to elderly people idlies are considered as one of the best food which are easily digested.



Prep time : 1 hour
Soaking time : 6 hours
Cook time : 10 minutes
Category : breakfast
Author : Muthulakshmi Madavakrishnan

Ingredients

• 4 cups idli rice
• 1 cups urid dal
• 1 tsp fenugreek
• salt to taste
• 2.5 to 3 cups of water for grinding rice
• 2 to 2.5 cups of water for grinding urid dal

Grinding Directions

1. Soak the rice with 10 to 15 cups of water for 6 hours. After 6 hours wash the rice for 3 to 4 times. Drain the water completely.Measure and add the urid dal and fenugreek in a separate vessel. Soak it with 4 cups of water for 6 hours. After 6 hours, wash the dal for 4 times. Drain the water completely.
2. Rinse the wet grinder well. Add the soaked rice and 1/2 cup water. Grind it nicely.
3. After 5 to 10 minutes, add water and scrape the rice, which sticks to the sides of the drum with your hands. Add some more water and grind.Grind the rice smoothly for 20 to 22 minutes.
4. When it's done switch off the grinder. Transfer the rice batter into a big vessel. Remove the rice batter completely and add 1/2 cup water to the drum and rinse it well without any rice batter.
5. Next, add the urid dal. Add little water and grind. After 5 minutes, sprinkle the water little by little and grind it. Do not add more water then the dal won't fluff up. You have to sprinkle water frequently and grind it. Grind it for 25 minutes. (My grandma's tip is if you hear the sound of the grinding stone tak, tak in the end then it's done). It may vary to other grinders. Or if you drop the urid dal batter while grinding it must fall smoothly. Do not grind more than 25 minutes.
6. After 25 minutes, transfer them to the rice batter. Remove the batter completely with your hand and rinse the grinder with little water and add it to the batter.
7. Add required salt. Mix the batters well with your palm from down to top. Mix it well with little force. You should hear dab, dab sounds when mixing. When you see some bubbles on the top of the batter, it is perfect. Slowly remove the batter sticks in your hand and close it with the lid for 12 to 16 hours. If you are living in cold place keep the batter in a warm place for 18 to 20 hours.
8. After 12 hours the batter will be fermented. Once again mix the batter with the ladle and transfer it to the separate boxes. Keep it refrigerated. When you want to prepare dosa or idly bring the batter in the room temperature for 1 to 2 hours in ahead and then prepare the dosas or idlies.

  Cooking Directions for idlies

1. We use to cook idlies in a wet white cloth. If you do not have, grease the idly plates with little gingely oil. Pour 1 to 1.5 cups of water in the idly cooker and keep in on the gas stove on medium heat. Let it start to boil.
2. In the meantime, take 1 ladle full of batter and fill it with the greased idli moulds. Steam cook for 8 to 10 minutes. When they are done, gently remove the idlies with a wet spoon.
3. If you are using white cloth, wet the cloth in cold water and fit it in the idli plates. Apply little water with your hands on each moulds and pour ladle full of batter on each moulds. When the water starts to boil in the idly cooker, keep the idly plates carefully and steam cook for 8 to 10 minutes. To check keep a small bowl of water near your gas stove and insert your index finger in the water and make a small cavity in the middle of the idli or a gentle presss in the middle of the idli. If it doesn't stick to your finger the idli is ready to transfer. Sprinkle a handful of water around the idly plate and carefully drop the plate upside down in a circular plate. Remove the idly plate and then remove the white cloth carefully. Transfer the idlies to the serving dish. 

Batter for Idli and Dosa with step by step pictures

Measure the rice and add it in a big vessel. Soak the rice with 10 to 15 cups of water for 6 hours. After 6 hours wash the rice for 3 to 4 times. Drain the water completely.

Measure and add the urid dal and fenugreek in a separate vessel. Soak it with 4 cups of water for 6 hours. After 6 hours wash the dal for 4 times. Drain the water completely.

Rinse the wet grinder well. First add a handful of  the soaked rice and 1/2 cup water. Start the grinder and add the remaining rice. After 5 to 10 minutes add water and scrape the rice which sticks to the sides of the drum with your hands. Add some more water and grind.

Grind the rice smoothly for 20 to 22 minutes. Add water in regular intervals and grind it smoothly.

When it's done switch off the grinder. Transfer the rice batter into a big vessel. Remove the rice batter completely and add 1/2 cup water to the drum and rinse it well without any rice batter.
 

 

Next, add the urid dal. Add little water and grind. After 5 minutes sprinkle the water little by little and grind it.

Do not pour more water then the dal won't fluff up. You have to sprinkle water frequently and grind it. Grind it for 25 minutes. (My grandma's tip is if you hear the sound of the grinding stone tak, tak in the end then it's done). It may vary to other grinders. Or if you drop the urid dal batter while grinding it must fall smoothly. Do not grind more than 25 minutes.

 

Transfer the urid dal batter to the rice batter. Remove the batter completely with your hand and rinse the grinder with little water and add it to the batter.

 

Add required salt. Mix the batters well with your palm from down to top. Mix it well with little force. You should hear dab, dab sounds when mixing. When you see some bubbles on the top of the batter it is perfect. Slowly remove the batter sticks in your hand and close it with the lid for 12 to 16 hours. 

 

 

After 12 hours the batter will be fermented. Once again mix the batter with the ladle and transfer it to the seperate boxes. Keep it refrigerated. When you want to prepare dosa or idly keep the batter in the room temperature for 1 to 2 hours and then prepare the dosas or idlies. 

Idli with step by step photos

If you are using white cloth, wet the cloth in cold water and fit it in the idli plates. Apply a  little water with your hands on each moulds and pour ladle full of batter on each moulds. When the water starts to boil in the idly pot, keep the idly plates carefully and steam cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

To check keep a small bowl of water near your gas stove and insert your index finger in the water and make a small cavity in the middle of the idli or a gentle presss in the middle of the idli. If it doesn't stick to your finger then the idli is ready to transfer.

Sprinkle a handful of water around the idly plate and carefully drop the plate upside down in a circular plate.

Remove the idly plate and wait for a minute and  then remove the white cloth gently. Transfer the idlies to the serving dish.

 

If you are packing the idlies in the boxes or plantain leaf do not keep the idlies close it with the lid. Apply a drop of oil over the idli and allow the idlies to cool down for a while and then pack the idlies.  

Side dishes for Idly and Dosa

• Tiffin Sambar
• Brinjal Kichadi
• Puli Milagai
• Coconut Chutney
• Tomato Chutney with green Chilly
• Elly Idly podi