Idli

Submitted by Mullai on Wed, 08/16/2006 - 9:26pm. Breakfast | Festive Recipes | Pongal Recipes | Tamil Nadu

Description

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)
½ 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.

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hi mullai my idlis come

Submitted by deejay on Mon, 08/30/2010 - 3:47am.

hi mullai
my idlis come out very well but after having idli from one particular shop i really feel shy to see my idlis those idlis were really white meaning foamy white u can say snow white and so so soft like the cotton do they add any other stuff to get that sponginess and color i heard people add castor seeds is it true please help me

Mullai, I make them with

Submitted by jkpriyadarshini1984 on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 6:01pm.

Mullai,

I make them with ponni boiled rice and sona masoori. I see that u are not mixing the batter and pouring it onto the plate directly.
I think that will only give soft idlis..illay..since we are not disturbing the air bubbles.
how do we spoon the batter...should we take the top layer of the fermented batter and pour to our idli stand??

Please reply panangoo

Priya

Hi Mullai Your recipes

Submitted by sirishaG on Sun, 06/07/2009 - 9:16pm.

Hi Mullai

Your recipes are excellent .

I would like to request a recipe for kovai/kushboo/malligai poo idli . It is Extra Fluffy. Can u also suggest differnt kind of rice i can use for makin that idli as i tried doing it with jasmne rice and it fell flat i wasted 2 lbs of rice but still did not get result. so looking forward for your tips

Thanks
sirisha

Hi, The idli looks very

Submitted by kathy_kool on Fri, 05/15/2009 - 1:09pm.

Hi,

The idli looks very soft. Here I dont get idli rice.. Can I use Long grain rice (mexican rice)
and white ural dal for this recipe..?

Thanks

Thank you Mullai, for this

Submitted by jayasudha on Tue, 01/27/2009 - 3:29pm.

Thank you Mullai, for this idli recipe and also for the description about the rice varieties...really a useful info for ppl like me :-).

hi mullai and friends. i

Submitted by bakya on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 7:10am.

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

Submitted by GS (not verified) on Thu, 10/16/2008 - 1:16am.

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

Submitted by indu Magesh (not verified) on Fri, 09/12/2008 - 12:25am.

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

Submitted by Radhika suresh on Sat, 08/02/2008 - 5:39pm.

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

hello, whenver i grind for

Submitted by jyothijyothi on Wed, 06/18/2008 - 8:29pm.

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

Submitted by cindy (not verified) on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 10:50am.

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

Submitted by harsha manohar (not verified) on Fri, 08/08/2008 - 7:36am.

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

Submitted by Mullai on Tue, 04/29/2008 - 11:27am.

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

Submitted by lathakumar on Sun, 04/13/2008 - 8:08am.

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

Submitted by chuyenmucamthuc (not verified) on Mon, 03/24/2008 - 11:41pm.

Really I like spices India

hi mullai...ur sambar looks

Submitted by vidhyajayaram on Sun, 03/16/2008 - 5:41am.

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

hi mullai, i m in us

Submitted by anitha.raja on Sat, 03/08/2008 - 7:23pm.

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

Submitted by Mullai on Sat, 03/08/2008 - 7:31pm.

Anitha,

Check this

http://www.spiceindiaonline.com/search/node/idli+podi

Hi Mullai, Like Jas, I also

Submitted by kankal28 on Thu, 02/21/2008 - 6:44pm.

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.

Submitted by Vankai Raman (not verified) on Sat, 10/25/2008 - 5:58pm.

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

Submitted by Mullai on Thu, 02/21/2008 - 8:10pm.

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

Submitted by kankal28 on Sat, 02/23/2008 - 9:21pm.

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

Submitted by m.viji on Thu, 02/14/2008 - 11:41am.

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

You are right, if you steam

Submitted by harika1 (not verified) on Sun, 02/08/2009 - 3:04pm.

You are right, if you steam too long color also changes. I cooked for 45 min, saw them turn yellow-red. If you cook for 15-20 min only they stay white.

It all depends on the

Submitted by Mullai on Thu, 02/14/2008 - 12:17pm.

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

Submitted by m.viji on Fri, 02/15/2008 - 9:03am.

hi mam

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

I have followed your Idli

Submitted by Logeswaran M. (not verified) on Wed, 02/13/2008 - 6:26pm.

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

Submitted by pritisgin on Thu, 02/07/2008 - 5:24pm.

hey when to use Fennugreek seeds?

priti

Priti, she said in the

Submitted by Ponnarasi on Thu, 02/07/2008 - 5:31pm.

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

shud definitely try this..

Submitted by Deepa V Kumar on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 9:51am.

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

Guess you are from India

Submitted by Mullai on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 10:18am.

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

Submitted by Deepa V Kumar on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 11:08am.

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

Submitted by Rose (not verified) on Thu, 01/03/2008 - 11:04am.

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

Submitted by Mullai on Thu, 01/03/2008 - 2:06pm.

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

Submitted by Rose (not verified) on Wed, 01/02/2008 - 2:21pm.

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

Any type is fine, use what

Submitted by Mullai on Wed, 01/02/2008 - 3:36pm.

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

Hi Neetu, Try it in little

Submitted by kaviarun on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 8:03pm.

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

Submitted by Neetu on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 7:53pm.

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

Please, can anyone tell me

Submitted by Anandhi (not verified) on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 12:37am.

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

Submitted by abi on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 12:20pm.

hi anandhi,

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

abi

Hi, Generally I use Idly

Submitted by durga (not verified) on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 4:25pm.

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

Submitted by Mullai on Mon, 11/19/2007 - 2:50pm.

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

Submitted by diana (not verified) on Fri, 11/02/2007 - 11:12am.

Thank you so much mullai for the immediate response

hi mullai i am new to this

Submitted by diana (not verified) on Fri, 11/02/2007 - 11:10am.

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

Submitted by diana (not verified) on Fri, 11/02/2007 - 11:06am.

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

Submitted by Mullai on Fri, 11/02/2007 - 11:08am.

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

Submitted by Sowmya Sathyan (not verified) on Tue, 10/16/2007 - 1:46pm.

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

Submitted by Mullai on Tue, 10/16/2007 - 1:55pm.

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

Hey Thanks Mullai.. will

Submitted by Rupali (not verified) on Mon, 10/01/2007 - 12:36pm.

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

Hey Mullai U didnt reply to

Submitted by Rupali (not verified) on Mon, 10/01/2007 - 12:06pm.

Hey Mullai
U didnt reply to my query :(

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