Idli
Steamed cakes from the same fermented family as dosa, but ground thicker and steamed rather than griddled.
- Prep
- 30m
- Cook
- 12m
- Waiting
- 20h
- Total
- 20h 42m
- Serves
- 20 idli
- Effort
- Involved
Scale
Units
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done. Tap an ingredient once for got it, twice for need it.
| 1 cup | Soak 6 hours 6h | Grind to a light, fluffy batter 12m Urad dal should whip up almost like meringue. Add water slowly and keep it cold. | Combine gently by hand with the salt 5m | Ferment 8–12 hours somewhere warm 10h It should double and look visibly bubbly. | Ladle into greased moulds, filling three-quarters 5m Do not stir the fermented batter down. You want the gas kept in. | Steam 10–12 minutes, then rest 5 before unmoulding 15m A skewer comes out clean. Unmould too early and they tear. | |
| 1 tsp | |||||||
| 2 cups | Soak 6 hours 6h | Grind to a coarse semolina texture 10m | |||||
| 2 tsp | |||||||
| for greasing | |||||||
-
Soak 6 hours
6h- urad dal 1 cup
- fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
-
Grind to a light, fluffy batter
12m- from 1 Soak 6 hours
Urad dal should whip up almost like meringue. Add water slowly and keep it cold.
-
Soak 6 hours
6h- idli rice 2 cups
-
Grind to a coarse semolina texture
10m- from 3 Soak 6 hours
-
Combine gently by hand with the salt
5m- from 2 Grind to a light, fluffy batter
- from 4 Grind to a coarse semolina texture
- salt 2 tsp
-
Ferment 8–12 hours somewhere warm
10h- from 5 Combine gently by hand with the salt
It should double and look visibly bubbly.
-
Ladle into greased moulds, filling three-quarters
5m- from 6 Ferment 8–12 hours somewhere warm
- oil for greasing
Do not stir the fermented batter down. You want the gas kept in.
-
Steam 10–12 minutes, then rest 5 before unmoulding
15m- from 7 Ladle into greased moulds, filling three-quarters
A skewer comes out clean. Unmould too early and they tear.
Thicker batter, and do not knock it back
Idli batter is ground thicker than dosa batter and is not thinned before steaming — the carbon dioxide trapped during fermentation is what makes the cakes light. Stirring vigorously after fermentation knocks that gas out and gives you dense pucks. Fold gently, and only if you must.
Notes
- Grind the urad dal cold, with ice water if your blender runs hot. Heat kills the aeration.
- Fill moulds three-quarters full; they rise considerably.
- Leftover idli, torn and fried with mustard seeds and curry leaves, is arguably better than the original.