If you are looking for an easy and tasty breakfast option that also is a natural source of probiotics, you must try Idli. I have been making and eating Idlis for more than 2 years now and they are my absolute favorite.
What is Idli?
It is a soft, fluffy and slightly tangy cake made up of fermented and steamed rice and lentil(black lentil). It is a traditional South Indian dish widely consumed in India and many other parts of Asia.Â
Imagine starting your day with a warm, soft idli and tasty side dips/chutneys or sambar(lentil and veggies stew). The combination of flavors and texture will sure to satisfy your taste buds and they are highly nutritious and is easily digestible.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make Idli
You will find different variations to make idli with different rice to lentil ratio. I am providing you the ratio and fermentation process I use to prepare idli. And according to various researches including one from ResearchGate, 3:1 is an almost perfect ratio. This is very important to make a soft fluffy idly. Â
What is needed ?
- 11/2 cup Idli Rice : These are short grain rice easily available with same name on Indian Stores.
- 1/2 cup Skinless Black lentil/Urad Dal : These are black lentils with skin removed and are also available in Indian stores.
- 1/4th cup Flattened Rice/Poha (Optional): I add this to make my Idlis more softer and to add lightness. It’s okay to skip it too.
- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek/Methi Seeds: Fenugreek seeds not only help to onset the fermentation process but also provide many nutritions.
- 1/4th tsp Salt (optional): You can add little salt or completely skip it.
- Idli Mould : Again, easily available in Indian Grocery stores.
Preparation
- Take Rice and Lentil on two separate bowls
- Wash both of them well for 2-3 times and drain out the water.
- Add Flattened Rice and Fenugreek seed to Rice
- Add water to both the bowls and soak them for 4-5 hours
Blending Method
- Drain water from both the bowls.
- Add Lentil to the blending jar with 1/2 cup of water and blend until smooth. You might need to scrape off the side and blend couple of time to get smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into a big bowl and add drained rice with 1 cup of water. Blend until the batter is little coarse.
- Pour rice batter over Lentil batter.
Fermentation process
- Mix everything well and cover the batter with a lid.
- Keep it in warm place/oven for 8-12 hours. Overnight works best.
Cooking process
- Take preferred amount of batter. If you prefer adding salt, you can add it now and mix with spatula.
- Steam water in a steamer
- Grease idli mould with butter or little oil
- Once steam is formed in steamer, place filled idli mould.
- Cook for 7-8 minutes.
Key Considerations for Making Idli Successfully
- Make sure to keep lentil to rice ratio as 1:3. It is especially important to maintain soft texture of Idli.
- If you prefer to add salt, please make sure to add Pink Himalayan salt or Pink salt as other salt are said to inhibit fermentation process.
- Fermentation takes anytime between 8-12 hours depending on temperature of the room. The well fermented batter will have puffy texture and will incorporate air pockets.
- Donot cook Idli for more than 8 minutes. Overcooking will make it to loose that soft texture.
Wrapping Up and My Experience with Making probiotic-rich Idli
I have come up with this recipe after ruining it couple of times. But, ever since I started making them, they have been one of my family’s favorite recipes. We can eat them as breakfast, lunch, snacks or even dinner and it is extremely easy to prepare and cook. And the best part is that you can use same batter to make dosa too which is another famous south-indian cuisine.
