Description
Soft, fluffy South Asian-style steamed rice cakes (idli-style) made from a fermented rice and lentil batter light, versatile, and perfect for breakfast or snacks.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups parboiled rice (idli rice) or short-grain rice
- 1/2 cup split urad dal (skinned black gram)
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- Water for soaking and grinding
- Cooking oil or ghee for greasing idli molds or a steamer
Instructions
- 1. Rinse the rice and urad dal separately until the water runs clear. Drain.
- 2. Soak the rice in enough water for 4–6 hours. Soak the urad dal and fenugreek seeds together for 4–6 hours.
- 3. Drain the urad dal and fenugreek and grind them in a wet grinder or high-speed blender with a little water to a smooth, fluffy batter. Transfer to a large bowl.
- 4. Grind the soaked rice with minimal water to a slightly coarse, smooth batter (a little graininess is fine). Combine with the urad dal batter.
- 5. Stir in salt and mix the combined batter thoroughly by hand or with a spoon until slightly aerated. The batter should be thick but pourable.
- 6. Cover the bowl and ferment the batter in a warm place for 8–12 hours or until it has risen and is bubbly (fermentation time varies with temperature).
- 7. Once fermented, gently stir the batter. Grease idli molds or small ramekins lightly with oil or ghee.
- 8. Spoon batter into molds about three-quarters full. Bring water to a boil in an idli steamer or a large pot with a steaming rack.
- 9. Steam the idlis for 10–15 minutes (depending on size) until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the tops are set.
- 10. Remove molds from the steamer and let sit for 2 minutes. Unmold the idlis and serve hot with chutney, sambar, or a drizzle of ghee.
Notes
- For a softer texture, use parboiled idli rice; a 4:1 ratio of rice to urad dal is traditional but can be adjusted.
- If your kitchen is cool, ferment the batter in a warm oven (oven light on) or near a warm appliance.
- Leftover batter can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours; use to make dosa or steamed snacks.
- For variety, mix in finely chopped vegetables, spices, or herbs before steaming to create savory variations.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast / Snack
- Method: Steaming
- Cuisine: South Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 idlis
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: idli, rice cake, steamed cake, South Indian, fermented batter