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Indian · Breakfast

Soft Steamed Idli

Light, fluffy steamed rice and lentil cakes from South India, made with a naturally fermented batter. Serve them hot with coconut chutney and sambar for an easy, filling breakfast.

Prep40 min
Cook15 min
Total55 min
Serves4
Difficulty
CuisineIndian
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Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment: Idli stand with moulds, large steamer pot with lid, blender or wet grinder, large mixing bowl

Method

  1. Soak the rice in a large bowl with plenty of water. In a second bowl, soak the urad dal, fenugreek seeds and poha together in water. Leave both for 5 hours.

  2. Drain the dal mixture and blend it with about 1/2 cup of cold water until very smooth, light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides. Add a little more water only if the blades stall. Pour into a large bowl.

  3. Drain the rice and blend it with about 1/2 cup of cold water into a fine, slightly grainy batter that feels like fine semolina between your fingers. Add it to the dal batter.

  4. Add the salt and mix well with clean hands for 2 minutes. The warmth of your hands helps fermentation. The batter should be thick and fall from a spoon in a ribbon.

  5. Cover loosely and leave in a warm place for 8 to 10 hours, or overnight, until the batter has doubled, smells pleasantly sour and is full of bubbles. In cold weather, keep it in a switched-off oven with the light on.

  6. Pour 2 to 3 cm of water into the steamer pot and bring to a boil. Lightly grease the idli moulds with oil.

  7. Stir the risen batter gently once; do not beat out the air. Spoon it into the moulds until about three-quarters full.

  8. Place the stand in the pot, cover and steam over medium-high heat for 12 minutes. The idlis are done when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean and the tops look set and dry.

  9. Turn off the heat and rest the stand for 3 minutes. Dip a spoon in water and loosen each idli from the mould. Serve hot.

Cooking tips

  • Use cold water for grinding so the batter does not heat up and lose its ability to ferment well.
  • Do not over-fill the moulds; the batter expands as it steams.
  • If your kitchen is cold, ferment the batter in a covered pot inside the oven with only the light on.
  • Use non-iodised salt if you can, and add it before fermenting for even flavour.

Substitutions

  • Use regular parboiled (sela) rice if idli rice is unavailable; basmati gives a firmer idli.
  • Use fine semolina (suji), soaked and drained, in place of half the rice for a quicker rava-style batter with a little yoghurt.
  • Skip the poha and add 2 tbsp cooked rice when grinding for similar softness.
  • Use whole urad dal with skin removed (mash ki dal dhuli) as the dal.

Serve with

"Serve 3 to 4 idlis per person with coconut chutney, sambar, or a spoonful of ghee and idli podi (gunpowder) mixed with sesame oil."

Storage

Keep fermented batter covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store cooled steamed idlis in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Sprinkle idlis with a little water and steam for 3 to 4 minutes, or microwave covered with a damp paper towel for 30 to 40 seconds until soft and hot.

Nutrition per serving, estimated

260kcal
8 gProtein
53 gCarbs
2 gFat

Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.

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Rice recipes Indian recipes Breakfast
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