Little Millet (Samai) Idli – Healthy & Easy Millet Tiffin

Today, let’s prepare a soft, healthy, and delicious Little Millet (Samai) Idli, a perfect millet-based tiffin for breakfast or dinner. This recipe is completely rice-free, making it a great option for those looking to include more millets in their daily diet.

I regularly prepare millet tiffins for dinner and have tried many millet recipes like millet khichadi, millet dosa, and millet kozhukattai. After experimenting with different methods, I understood one important rule while cooking with millets – proper soaking is the key.

For easy digestion and soft texture, millets should be soaked for at least 3 hours. But for recipes like millet idli and dosa, soaking for a minimum of 5 hours gives the best results. Another important tip is to use a slightly higher quantity of urad dal compared to regular rice idli batter. This helps in achieving soft and fluffy idlis.

By following these simple steps, you can easily prepare nutritious, light, and tasty millet idlis at home. This recipe has already received great response on my Facebook page, and I’m excited to share it here on my blog as well.

Health Benefits of Samai (Little Millet)

Samai, also known as Little Millet, is a highly nutritious grain that is rich in dietary fiber, making it good for digestion and gut health. It has a low glycemic index, which helps in maintaining stable blood sugar levels and makes it suitable for diabetics. Little millet keeps you full for a longer time, supporting weight management. It is naturally gluten-free, easy to digest when soaked properly, and provides long-lasting energy without feeling heavy. Including samai regularly in your diet is a great way to enjoy healthy and balanced meals.

Check out my other tiffin recipes here

👉 Watch the detailed video and follow the step-by-step instructions to try this healthy millet idli recipe at home.

Ingredients

Little Millet (Samai) – 1 cup
Urad Dal – 1/3 cup
Fenugreek Seeds – 1 teaspoon
Salt – as required

Method – Little Millet (Samai) Idli

Measure little millet and add it to a wide bowl. Rinse well 2–3 times and soak with enough water for 5 hours.
In another bowl, take urad dal and fenugreek seeds. Rinse well and soak with enough water for 5 hours.
After soaking, drain the water from urad dal. Add it to a mixer jar and grind by adding water little by little until the batter becomes fluffy, smooth, and creamy. Transfer it to a large vessel.
Now add the soaked little millet to the mixer jar and grind it to a smooth batter. Add water carefully, as little millet requires less water than rice.
Transfer the millet batter to the urad dal batter. Add required salt and mix both batters well using your hand or ladle.
Cover the vessel with a lid and allow the batter to ferment for 8 hours or overnight.
After fermentation, the batter will rise well. Mix gently once again.
Grease the idli plates with a little gingely oil. Pour one ladle full of batter into each mould.
Heat water in the idli pot. Once the water starts boiling, place the idli plates inside. Cover and steam cook for 10 minutes.
Switch off the flame and remove the idli plates. Rest for 5 minutes, then gently remove the idlis using a spoon.
Soft and healthy Little Millet Idlis are ready! Serve hot with sambar and chutney.

I tried this Little Millet Idli for dinner, and we all enjoyed it with Tirunelveli Brinjal Kichadi and coconut chutney. The texture truly surprised me—the idlis were soft with a slight grainy feel, very similar to the famous Rathna Cafe idlis of Chennai. Just like their idlis, these millet idlis were light, airy, and delicious. I highly recommend serving millet idlis with a thin consistency sambar, as it pairs perfectly with the texture. Do try this easy, healthy, and wholesome millet tiffin for your family and enjoy a nourishing meal.

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Hai, I am Muthulakshmi Madhavakrishnan welcoming you to my blog VIRUNDHOMBAL . Basically, I am a computer science graduate from Bhrathidasan university, Tiruchy. From my infancy stage till I get married I have been nurtured In Tiruchy. I went to a school where a rich tradition and heritage find a valuable space. Yes, I did my schooling in Railway mixed High school and all disciples are unique in their own way. Even while I was pursuing my higher education in Jamal Mohmaed college, Tiruchy we the students feel free to interact with our co students about our way beyond our college days. After my college days are over I was about to choose Home science with specialization of food science my wedlock ceremony, though not an interruption, had to be arranged as a part of the parental care. It was a blessing in disguise as my husband a busy software techie found his own time to appreciate my magical work in the kitchen.That was an inspiration for me, a hou...

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