Almost every time I am at a darshini, this is what I order. I really think I can eat idly everyday and still love it. Hold on, I do eat idly nearly everyday and still love it!

It was hard initially for me to get the idly batter to rise, so I’d simply stick to the store-bought batter. Not a satisfying thing for someone like me. Then I found it, just through trial and error.

One thing I do very differently is that I use a lot more dal than other people. Why not, I wonder, because that makes the idly infinitely healthier and doesn’t seem to affect the texture any. I make a LOT of variations of idly, this is just the basic recipe.

Before I begin, I must also mention to the uninitiated, that the same, normal white idly is made in a variety of ways. Kerala idly is waayyyy different from Karnataka idly. This is the idly Kerala style, also similar to what you would find in Saravana Bhavan.

Ingredients:

1 cup parboiled rice
1 cup black gram/ urad dal (traditionally, this would be ½ cup)
¼ cup beaten rice/ poha or cooked rice (optional)
¼ tsp fenugreek/ methi seeds
water, oil, salt as needed

Equipment:

Food processor/ wet grinder/ Mixer
Idly moulds
Steamer

Recipe:

Soak the rice and poha together, in sufficient water.

Soak the dal along with methi seeds.

Let these soak for atleast 4 hours. I’ve let them sit for up to 15 hours and it seems to do just fine. About 8 hours of soaking is ideal.

Drain the rice, as well as the dal. Reserve the water. Grind both of them separately, using the reserved water to bring it to a smooth, thick batter consistency.

Mix both the batters together. Place this batter in a vessel that can hold twice the amount, because it will rise.

Cover with a cloth or a lid and let it ferment for about 8-10 hours.
This process works great in summers, but if the room temperature is under 25°C, the results can be a bit disappointing. To counter this, you could place the vessel with the batter inside a casserole, warmed up pressure cooker or pre-heated (40°C) oven.

Mix the batter, add salt.

Prepare the steamer. If you are using a pressure cooker, remember to remove the vent, pour about an inch of water inside, and bring to a boil.

Oil the idly moulds, pour the batter into them and steam for 10 min. For best results, let the idlies rest for another 5 minutes before you take them out of the moulds.

Serve hot with chutney and sambar.

Makes 12-14 idlies.

Note: The batter can be refrigerated upto 3 days.

Tips: I know we all love to wash the rice and dal to remove any chemical residues, but this also washes off the precious bacteria that help in the rising process. I’ve seen better results when I don’t wash the rice and dal. Use organic ingredients to skimp on the chemicals.