Homemade Soft Idli

Idli/Idlis are a  famous South Indian dish usually eaten for breakfast. It is a type of savoury rice cake which are soft and fluffy. The cakes are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented idli rice(surai rice/ukdo rice) and urad dal.
Dry yeast is added for fermentation which helps the batter become fluffier, increase in size and volume and also makes it soft.
Idlis are served and enjoyed along with green Idli Chutney.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg White Rice
• 250 gm Urad Dal
• 1 cup boiled rice
• ½ tsp Methi
• 2 tablespoon Salt(adjust as per taste)
• 1 tsp Dry Yeast
• Water as required

Preparation:

Idli Batter:

1. Take the raw idli rice(Surai Tandul/ Ukdo tandul) in a large vessel and pour the water inside it above the level of rice and wash the rice thoroughly and nicely and then rinse the water out.
2. Repeat step no 1 for 3 times.
3. Then add in the water in the raw idli rice for the 4th time above the level of the rice and cover the vessel of raw idli rice with a lid and let it soak for 6 hours.
4. Take another vessel and add in the urad dal and add in it water above the level of the dal.(Do not wash the urad dal or put your hand inside the dal vessel).
5. Cover the Dal vessel with a lid and let it soak for 6 hours.
6. After 6 hours, open the soaked raw idli rice vessel.
7. Take a mixer grinder and add in the mixer the soaked raw idli rice little by little with the help of your hands/spoon. (Do not add the water. Only add the raw idli rice)
8. Once all the soaked raw idli rice is added, add in the mixer the cup of boiled rice.(If your mixer is small, try to grind it 2 times by dividing the mixture in equal half(i.e. ½ kg raw idli rice and half bowl of boiled rice in 1st time grinding and the
   other half in 2nd time grinding). Even if your mixer is big you can grind 2 times separately and grind 3rd time by mixing 1st and 2nd grinded batter together).
9. Next add methi in the mixer(if grinding 2 times, divide the methi also in half).
10. 10.Add in 2 glass of water in the mixer.( If grinding two times, divide in 1 glass each).
11. Now cover the mixer grinder with its lid and grind this mixture for 2-3 mins until you get the right consistency of batter(If you feel the water is less, you can add in a little more water. You can stop and check in between the grinding to see if you get the right consistency i.e. slightly runny .Do not overgrind).
12. Then open the mixer lid and take a large vessel and transfer all the batter from the mixer in this large vessel.(If you have grinded twice make sure to add all the grinded batter in this vessel)
    NOTE: Please take a large vessel only because we need to add the dal batter too and the batter will get doubled after 5-6 hours
13. Now take the soaked dal vessel and rinse the water out.
14. Again add fresh water in the dal vessel above the level of the dal and wash the dal thoroughly and nicely and rinse the water out of the dal.
15. Repeat step no 14 for 3 times.
16. Once the dal is washed and rinsed for 3 times, add in fresh water again above the level of the dal and keep it aside.
17. Now take a mixer grinder and add in the mixer the urad dal little by little with the help of your hands/spoon. (Do not add the water. Only add the urad dal).
18. Next add in 1 glass of water and cover the mixer grinder with its lid and grind it for 2-3 mins until you get the right consistency of the dal batter.(You can stop and check in between the grinding to see if you get the right consistency i.e. slightly runny. Do not overgrind).
    NOTE: if you want, you can grind both Urad Dal and raw idli rice together.
19. Now open the lid of the mixer grinder and add the Urad dal batter in the vessel of the raw idli rice batter.
20. Now add salt in the batter vessel.
21. Next add in the dry yeast(Do not add in excess as Dry yeast helps in fermentation which helps the batter raise and increase in volume making it fluffier, thicker and double in size).
22. Now with the help of a spoon give this batter a good stir to ensure the salt and yeast and both batters are mixed properly.
23. Now take ½ glass of water and add it little by little in the batter vessel and while adding the water make sure you're mixing the batter as well with the help of a spoon.(If there is any batter left in the mixer you can add the glass of water in the remaining batter of the mixer instead and then add in the batter vessel).
24. Now cover the batter vessel with a lid and keep it aside for 5-6 hours.
25. After 5-6 hours, open the lid of the batter vessel and check if the batter has doubled.(If the batter has not doubled, again cover the batter vessel with a lid and wait until the batter gets doubled).
    NOTE: Keep checking the batter vessel because sometimes the batter may get doubled and may even pour out of the vessel, hence always check the vessel after 5 hours and make sure you always use a large vessel.
26. Once the batter has doubled, our idlis are ready to be put in the idli maker vessel.

Method:

1. Take an idli maker vessel and pour water at the bottom and place the middle tray of the idli maker on top of the water and cover the vessel with its lid. 2. Turn on the gas flame and place the idli maker vessel on it and let it get hot till it comes to a boil.
2. In the meantime, we will apply oil to the small idli bowls in which we will pour the idli batter.
3. Dip your fingers in some oil and take one of the idli bowls and apply the oil on all sides of the bowl nicely.(Applying oil helps in removing the idlis easily and also prevents the batter from sticking to the bowl.)
4. Repeat step 4 for all the idli bowls.
5. Once the water inside the idli maker vessel comes to a boil, open the lid and start placing all your small idli bowls on the middle layer tray.
6. Now take the idli batter vessel and give it a good stir with the help of a spoon.
7. Once done, start pouring the idli batter in the idli bowls with the help of a spoon.
8. Fill all the idli bowls with the batter.
9. Now cover the idli maker vessel with its lid and let it cook for 4-5 mins.
10. After 4-5 mins, open the idli maker vessel lid and check if the idlis are cooked.(You can check with the knife by poking it in the idli batter. If the knife comes out clean, the idlis is cooked).
11. Take a small tray/ plate and add in a little water to make a water bath.
12. When the idlis are cooked, remove the idli bowls and place them over this water bath tray/plate.(It helps to remove idlis and cool the idlis).
13. Meanwhile, you can place your next batch of idli bowls in the idli maker vessel.
14. After 2 mins take out one of the idli bowls from the water bath and with a clean cloth wipe the idli bowl bottom part to remove any water.
15. Now with the help of your hands start removing the idli out from the idli bowl and place it in a vessel/plate.
16. Repeat step 16 for all the remaining idli bowls.
17. Repeat steps 8-18 for making the idlis from the remaining idli batter.
18. Our idlis are ready to serve.
19. Enjoy the idlis with tasty idli chutney.

Checkout our Chutney Recipe