Soft Steamed Idli

RecipenKitchen Recipe 55 min · Serves 4 · Indian

Why make it 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.

You’ll need

Serves 4 2 cups idli rice or parboiled rice, washed ½ cup whole urad dal (split, skinless), washed 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana) ¼ cup thick poha (flattened rice), rinsed 1½ tsp fine salt, or to taste 1 tbsp oil, for greasing the moulds 1 cup cold water, plus more as needed for grinding

1 Step 1 of 9 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 Step 2 of 9 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 Step 3 of 9 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 Step 4 of 9 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 Step 5 of 9 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. The last 4 steps are in the full recipe.

Cook’s tip Use cold water for grinding so the batter does not heat up and lose its ability to ferment well.

Soft Steamed Idli

Ready to cook? Exact amounts, every step, timings and tips, free on RecipenKitchen. Get the full recipe