Idli

| | |

Description

Breakfast Idli

Idli is a traditional breakfast item very common in Southern India. It is prepared by steaming the batter made with rice and ulundu.

Ingredients
2 cup

Idli rice

¾ cup

Black gram (ulundu)

1 tsp

Fennugreek seeds

1 tsp

Cooked rice

2 tsp

Salt

Instructions

Soak rice and ulundu (add venthayam in ulundu) separately in just enough water overnight or for atleast 5 to 6 hours. Later in the morning drain the water in rice and grind it coarsely along with the cooked rice. Then grind ulundu to a silky soft texture and mix it with rice batter along with salt.






Now preheat the oven to 400 F and switch it off, then keep the batter in the oven for atleast 6 hours allowing it to ferment. Once when the fermentation is over, this is when u see the batter rise about double the quantity and it is ready for making idlis. Grease the idli plates with oil and fill with idli batter and steam them for about 10 minutes till they rise and become firm. Once done remove carefully with a spoon and serve them with sambhar or chutney.

Vote Result
+++++++---
Score: 7.6, Votes: 5

hi mullai and friends. i

hi mullai and friends.

i dont get idli rice here instead i hv ground rice..what proportion while using ground rice for making  idli and dosa..

Hi, I have tried to use 1

Hi,
I have tried to use 1 portion of dal to 2 portions of idly rava and the idlies were quite good.

I soak the rava for about 1hr before mixing it in the dal batter

Hi, I am not able to find

Hi,

I am not able to find Idli rice or any Indian rice near to my location. So I tried making the idli with Pearl Rice,Long grain rice.but it was not coming.

If you have an idea or tip please advice me how to make a Idli.

hi mullai Iam not getting

hi mullai Iam not getting the white colour idli.its somewhat dull in colour.please help.

hello, whenver i grind for

hello,

whenver i grind for idli, i feel rice will look very white and good, as soon as i mix with urad batter it looses it whiteness and looks veery dull white, which result dull white idly and not like pure white, why it is happening.

I get good white colour when i grind rice, but i don't get this colour when i grind urad and mix the rice with urad, is there any reason? or am i doing something wrong in it?

Hi mullai, I think its

Hi mullai,

I think its the right time for me to start making idlis..
I have been waiting for the right proportion..

I hav a doubt...Can we use 2cups - Idli rice and 1cup - urud dal
Will that proportion do any harm for my batter..
And also i dnt have vendhayam instead i have fennugreek powder..
Can i add 2tspn of that while grinding..?

Will that be okay..
Please help me in making gud idlis...
Thanks
Ronz

try this recipe for idli it

try this recipe for idli it works wonders.
urad:1 cup
bombay rava:2 cups
salt to taste
soak the urad dal for 4 hrs.
grind the dal.
then steam the rava in cooker.
let it cool down.
then add the rava to the dal mixture and see to it no lumps are formed.
let it ferment for 10 hrs.
then in the morning add the salt.
then make idlis.

you will love this recipe.

Ofcourse you can try this

Ofcourse you can try this quantity, only problem is.. it will be very hard to grind a small quanity in grinder. Please refer the forum topic for further assistance.

hi, wish u a very happy and

hi,
wish u a very happy and prosperous tamil new year.i have a question,in preparing idli batter,is it necessary to add fenugreek seeds,because color of the idli looks creamish in color.and why to add 1tsp of cooked rice to the batter.

thanks
lathakumar

Really I like spices India

Really I like spices India

hi mullai...ur sambar looks

hi mullai...ur sambar looks yummy...can u just post me the recipe for that?

hi mullai, i m in us

hi mullai,

i m in us now...jus started cooking...u r doin a gr8 job...its too good to go thro this site..it helps a lot...am happy to have bcome a part of this blog..
my hubby likes idli milagai podi a lot...he njois it wit dosa and idli...i dono how to prepare it...i gave it a search but in vain...can u help me how to do it???

Anitha, Check

Hi Mullai, Like Jas, I also

Hi Mullai, Like Jas, I also had problems with fermentation. My idli batter did not ferment inspite of keeping it for 2 days...I am really lost here..I dont know what to do..I followed all the steps that you had advised Jas about..but even then I was unlucky...Feels like its been ages since I saw my idli or dosa batter rise.!! Help pls.... Thanks Kanchana

Use you cooking range oven.

Use you cooking range oven. Put your idli batter in it. Bring the temperature to about 100F or 150F for ten minutes. Switch it off. Next morning you will see the batter rise.

Hi Kankal, two days is too

Hi Kankal, two days is too much time, it should be done by one night. I' m from Michigan, and its pretty cold here most of the time and still my batter gets fermented overnight.  Try Swad or Lakhmi brand idli rice, use little cooked rice or puffed rice (pori) while grinding rice. Urad dal has be very soft after grinding. Preheat oven to 500 and keep the batter covered. It should work. I use ultra grinder, even then, with regular mixie or blender it should work. Keep trying, I've shared all the possibilities.

Thanks Mullai for your

Thanks Mullai for your response. My name is Kanchana...Even I am in Michigan ....I stay in Jackson, I use Lakshmi brand idli rice...well, this seems to be testing my patience now...anyways, will continue my efforts with IDLI making and let u know the day my idli batter rises !!!

Thanks again..

Kanchana

hi mullai mam, photo's are

hi mullai mam,
photo's are very good it's tempting to eat.
when i make idli's it is not in white colour, what is my mistake? i use par boil rice only, ratio is same only.if we give more time for steaming will it change the idli's colour. is there any tips for it?reply me to get white idlies

It all depends on the

It all depends on the quality of rice. Normally with idli rice its would be white and with par-boiled (puzhungal arisi) or Idli rava, it will turn out pale white. Steaming too long will make it rubbery and hard, will not interfere with the colour. Only solution.. good brand (I've tried Swad and Lakhmi) Idli rice.

hi mam thanks for ur

hi mam

thanks for ur immediate reply.i'm in oman.i'll try to get good brand.

I have followed your Idli

I have followed your Idli Receipe. It was very wonderful taste & soft. I did a small correction on the receipe that you have written 1tsp Cooked rice? I have mixed 1 cup of cooked rice.
Everyone loves & enjoyed, THanks for the receipe.

hey when to use Fennugreek

hey when to use Fennugreek seeds?

priti

Priti, she said in the

Priti, she said in the first line(add venthayam in ulundu), right? Venthayam is nothing but fenugreek seeds... 

shud definitely try this..

shud definitely try this.. but i dnt have an oven.. is there another option ???

Guess you are from India

Guess you are from India and there's no need to use oven as the room temperature is sufficient to ferment the batter. Oven is only for people who live in colder places.

Thnx...i just started

Thnx...i just started cooking and am totaly at loss in the Kitchen...and i get my recipies from my mom , sis in law  etc.. but none of them gve me a clear idea.. or the trade secret .. whatever...just yesterday I told my hubby " I hate Cooking ".. but today I discovered this site of urs and am thrilled.. Thnx a ton...

Dearest Mulllai, Is it okay

Dearest Mulllai,
Is it okay to grind the batter with the urad dhal husk?(the black outer covering)
Can u please clarify my doubt?

Rose, you need to soak them

Rose, you need to soak them overnight and wash the next morning. Its better to wash as much as possible to remove the black husk. I've seen my mil using this she would repeatedly wash to remove them.

Dear Mullai, can i use

Dear Mullai,
can i use whole urad for idli batter preparation

Any type is fine, use what

Any type is fine, use what you have at home and follow the same proportions.

Hi Neetu, Try it in little

Hi Neetu, Try it in little amount. When i was in India i used one time with ponni parboiled rice(by mistake). The idli was very soft. So, try in little amount.
Kavi.

Urgent doubt, Can I use

Urgent doubt, Can I use ponni boiled rice alone for idli? Will it come out good?
Thanks in advance.

Please, can anyone tell me

Please, can anyone tell me the tamil name for parboiled rice.It is rich in nutritional values.So I would like to use it.Also tell me tips on how to cook and consume.
Thanks
Anandhi

hi anandhi,    parboiled

hi anandhi,

   parboiled rice means puzhungal arisi in tamil. water 1:3 ratio.

 abi

Hi, Generally I use Idly

Hi, Generally I use Idly Rava ( cream of rice) which is available in indian stores..Is it different from Idli rice? I don't know.. plzz let me know....thankx

Durga, Sorry for the

Durga,

Sorry for the delayed reply... actually you can use any one of them. Idlis made with Idli rava tend to look lightly pale yellow like the ones which we get in restaurants, moreover will look puffed up. This actually is ground Idli rice, when used for this recipe the proportion might change.

Thank you so much mullai

Thank you so much mullai for the immediate response

hi mullai i am new to this

hi mullai
i am new to this site and my friend told me about ur site
its really wonderful to see so many south indian recipes
and the presentation is awesome!!

how do we know whether the

how do we know whether the oven is preheated or not coz my oven doesnt have
those preheat options can u tell me please
thanks

Diana, Just set the

Diana,

Just set the temperature as said in the recipe. Leave for 5 minutes and switch off. This should work to ferment the batter.

Hi Mullai, I have been

Hi Mullai,

I have been trying most of your recipies.All have turned out very well.

Here is one more tip to get Idly batter fermented soon during winter.Store some previously prepared batter in the fridge and mix with the freshly prepared batter.Some 7-8 tablespoon of previously fermented batter should be sufficient.This is very similar to the way we prepare curds(adding very little curd to milk).Adding this very little well fermented batter will start up the process of fermentation sooner.After this we can keep it in oven or in a warm place.Trust me this will really make Idly batter ferment well there by getting softer idlis.

This is a tip given by my mother-in-law.It works....

The picture shown here is very very tempting.

Sowmya, thanks for sharing

Sowmya, thanks for sharing such a great tip, hope everyone would give it a try.

Hey Thanks Mullai.. will

Hey Thanks Mullai.. will def give it a try again...

Hey Mullai U didnt reply to

Hey Mullai
U didnt reply to my query :(

Hi Mullai Thanks for such a

Hi Mullai

Thanks for such a great Site.i am a North Indian..so not that good in south indian recipe,but bcoz of ur site i start cooking the south indian stuff..i tried Dosa and sambhar they turn out very well and i tried idli too but it become hard..batter was fermented very well..it become fluffy but was hard..i didnt add any water to batter..batter was very thick..please give the solution for this..
Thanks
Rupali

Rupali, idli batter doesn't

Rupali,

idli batter doesn't require water, but its ok to add little to bring it to the right consistency. Check whether urad dhal is soft and silky after grinding, something like sour cream consistency. One solution is to store in hot pack and serve hot. Try to use good brand of Idli rice like Swad or lakhmi.  Hope this helps.

Hi, By idli rice ,do you

Hi,
By idli rice ,do you mean parboiled rice or the idli rice they sell in indian shops?

Thanks.

Here you go 1. Ok... When

Here you go

1. Ok... When it comes to rice varieties, there are many types. Some of the common ones are fully boiled rice, par boiled rice and plain white raw rice.

(a) White raw rice: These are often termed as "white" or "polished" rice, This variety is made by removing the  outer husk and the layers of bran are milled away until the grain becomes white. (Ponni Pacha arisi in Tamil)

(b) Parboiled rice: Parboiled rice is treated with a special steam-pressure process before milling. The grain is soaked for 4 to 5 hours, steamed, dried and then milled to remove the outer hull. Water-soluble vitamins and mineral salts are spread throughout the grain, making it the most nutritious. Because of this special steaming process the rice tends to look pale yellow with brown spots. Good quality par boiled rice, which is specially processed for making idlis is sold in the name of " Idli Rice", so this variety can be used for making idlis.

(c) Fully Boiled rice: Here it is made the same way as par boiled rice except for the soaking time. It needs to be soaked for 8 to 10 hours before steaming. (Puzhungal arisi in Tamil)

You can use both varieties, idlis turn slightly pale yellow when made with fully boiled rice(Puzhungal arisi), taste doesn't vary much.

oh nothing can beat this.

oh nothing can beat this. what a tempting picture. love to do all the hard work for having this combination of breakfast. yummy.

Hi Mullai, Thanks so much

Hi Mullai,

Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. Idlis have come out very well. I tried different proportions, but this is the best.

Jyothi

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Glossary terms will be automatically marked with links to their descriptions
More information about formatting options
Captcha Image: you will need to recognize the text in it.
Please type in the letters/numbers that are shown in the image above.