The Traditional Recipe for Idli

Idli is undoubtedly one of the healthiest breakfasts in the world. It is easy to make, nutritious and light. This breakfast is very popular in the southern parts of India.

So, what is Idli? Idli is a steamed dumpling made with rice and lentils. Idli is made in every South Indian home. In South India, small and big restaurants serve idlis and many other South Indian delicacies like dosa, vada, pongal, etc., for breakfast. It is a simple and humble breakfast that has been feeding generations of Indians for ages.

I have also posted my tried and tested Idli Recipes. You can find the respective links in my article: Traditional and Instant Idli Recipes for a Quick and Healthy Breakfast.

Traditionally, Idlis are made with rice and black gram ( skinless ) lentils. The grains are soaked and then ground together. Then, they are fermented overnight. The fermented batter is poured into idli moulds and steamed. The idlis are eaten with Sambar or Chutney. That’s the recipe I am sharing with you today.

In the olden days, the batter was made using a manual stone grinder; however, these days, it is common to see electricity run wet grinders in many homes, which makes the job easier. Wet grinders grind the grains slowly and help perfectly grind the batter, ensuring that the batter doesn’t get hot ( which can happen using a mixer grinder).

If you use a mixer to make the batter, give small breaks in between to prevent it from getting warm. Read my notes at the end of the recipe for more tips on making perfect idlis.

Ingredients needed to make Idli the Traditional way:

• 4 cups Idli Rice
• 1 cup Urad Dal (Black lentils without skin)
• 1 tbsp Fenugreek Seeds
• Salt; to taste
• Water; to soak the rice and lentils; to make the batter and to adjust the consistency of the batter
• Ghee; for greasing the idli plates

Method to make Idli the Traditional way:

• Combine rice and fenugreek seeds. Wash and soak them for 6-8 hours in 5 cups of water.
  
  
  
• Wash the lentils and soak them for 6-8 hours in 2½ cups of water.
  
  
  
• After 8-10 hours, you will see that the grains have swelled up.
  
  
  
• Grind them separately. Then, combine and mix well. If needed, add water.
  
  
  
• Cover and let it ferment for 8-10 hours in a warm place.
  
  
  
• After 8-10 hours, you will notice that the batter has risen. Mix well.
  
  
  
• Add salt. Add water if needed and adjust the consistency.
  
  
  
• Heat water in the idli steamer and let the water bubble and boil.
• Grease the Idli plates. Pour the batter into each section of the idli plate and steam the idlis for 15 minutes on high heat.
  
  
  
• After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let the idlis stay in the idli steamer for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove them. Place them on the kitchen counter. Sprinkle some water. This will ease removing the idlis.
  
  
  
• Remove and serve with sambar and/or chutney.
  
  
  

Some important notes:

1. Soaking time of rice and lentils is important, so make sure you soak them for at least 6-8 hours before grinding them.
   
2. When you grind, the batter should not get heated. Wet grinders give the best results as they slowly grind the grains, ensuring the batter doesn’t get heated. However, if you use a mixer, make sure that you give it short breaks while grinding. That way, you can avoid heating.
   
3. During summer, you can keep the batter on the kitchen counter for overnight fermentation. However, during winter, that won’t work. So, keep the batter overnight in the oven with the light on. That will ensure perfect fermentation. In extremely cold weather, you must increase the fermentation time despite keeping the batter in the oven.
   
4. Place the idli plates with the batter in the idli steamer only after the water in the steamer starts bubbling. If the water is not adequately hot, the idlis may turn hard.

You can try some Idli Variants with this batter. For example, you can mix a portion of the batter with grated carrots to make delicious carrot idlis.

Similarly, you can combine idli batter with vegetables like bottle gourd, zucchini, and beetroot to prepare delicious idlis.

About Ingredient sourcing in Germany:

While you can get some of the ingredients needed for this recipe from a local supermarket, you can get all the ingredients in any Indian shop near you. For Indian ingredients, you can also check the online store of Spicelands. They are a big store in Frankfurt, delivering all across Germany.

Alternatively, you can even buy these ingredients from amazon.de. Links are given below:
Idli/dosa Rice: https://amzn.to/3NZcTtI
Urad Dal:https://amzn.to/41yfdLj
Methi Seeds:https://amzn.to/3LUpf3N
Salt:https://amzn.to/3ACstDM

Equipment needed for the recipe:

Idli Steamer: https://amzn.to/3N3SW41
Mixing Bowl: https://amzn.to/42dy3YD
Mixer: https://amzn.to/3LzMbGF 

Here is the recipe in printable format:

Please note that this article contains affiliate links. If you buy using these links, I receive a small commission. This has no effect on the price for you.

Check out other recipes from my kitchen here.

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