Idli

Like many others, during my initial days of cooking, I also made idlis from store-bought idli batter as I found it difficult to soak the ingredients , grind  and make the batter. But later , after asking so many friends, I also started making idlis by grinding the ingredients and made my own idli batter. Initially it was a bit tough, but later on by practise I was able to do it easily. So for all those who had given up in making idlis, what I  have to tell is that, it will take some time and practice for making the perfect idlis. I have shared few tips which I have come across in making idlis.

Ingredients

• Idli Rice - 2 cups
• Urad Dal - 3/4 cup
• Cooked Rice - 2 tbsp
• Salt - To taste
• Water (As needed to grind)

Method

1. Soak Urad dal and Idli rice separately for minimum of 6-8 hrs.  Add  the fenugreek seeds along with urad dal while soaking. 
2. In a wet grinder grind urad dal by adding  very little amount of water at a time until it becomes smooth and fluffy batter. Do not add too much water as  the batter will become loose and won't rise up well. 
3. Transfer it into a wide mouthed bowl.
4.  In the same grinder add rice in two batches along with cooked rice till u get a smooth batter.
5.  Transfer it to the same bowl where u have poured the urad dal batter and mix well with hands. It speeds up the process of fermentation.
6.  Keep the batter undisturbed for at least 10 hrs.
7.  After fermentation the batter would have almost doubled its volume. At this stage add required  amount salt.
8. Grease the "idli thattu "with some oil. Add 1 heaped spoon of batter to it.
9. Add enough water in idli cooker.You can also use normal pressure cooker for steaming idlis. Make sure the idli mold fit inside and you are able to close the lid well.
10. Steam the idli for 8 -10 mins.
11. Remove the idli thattu from steamer immediately. Allow it to cool for 5 mins.
12. Using a wet spoon take out the cooked idlis from the molds.
13. Serve hot with chutney, sambar or chutney powder .

Notes

1. Do not add too much water while grinding the batter.Add water little at a time so the batter would be nice and fluffy. The more time you grind the more soft idlis would be .
2. The right consistency of urad dal batter can be checked by  putting 1 drop of it in cold water.If it doesn't sink down and rise up immediately,that is the right consistency. 
3. You can also add soaked white aval(poha) instead of cooked rice while grinding.
4. The fermentation time depends on the climate. Batter will ferment easily on warm areas and will take time on cold regions. So increase the fermentation time according to the place where you live.(It can take even up to 20 hrs). If you are living in cold regions you can place the batter in an oven which is preheated at 200F for 5 mins and turned off.
5.  Place the batter in a large wide mouthed bowl as there should be enough space for the batter to rise. The final batter should neither be too thick or too thin and should be risen well for making soft idlis
6. You can add cold water for grinding as the batter won't get heated up easily while grinding. The batter for idlis should be slightly thicker than that of dosa.
7. You can easily take off the idlis from the molds by using a wet spoon. Each time you scoop out the idlis,  dip the spoon in a glass of water. It helps in easy unmolding and you can get "perfectly shaped" idlis.