Idli Recipe (Idli Batter Ratio & Tips)
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Looking for a fluffy and soft idli recipe? I bet your search ends here. Keep reading for tips and tricks to make homemade idli batter and how to ferment idli batter perfectly every single time.
Ingredients
Instructions
Soaking:
Wash/rinse idli rice 2-3 times using regular tap water until the water is clear and not cloudy anymore. Massage lightly using your finger before rinsing the water.
Soak in enough water (2 inches of water above the rice) for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Similarly, rinse the mixture of whole urad dal and methi seeds. And soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.
30 minutes before grinding, rinse poha once using tap water. Soak poha in ⅓ cup of water for 30 minutes only.
Grinding:
Drain the water completely from lentils, methi seeds using a strainer.
Transfer them to a blender or mixie jar along with 1 cup of cold water. Make a smooth paste out of it. Check by rubbing between your thumb and finger, it feels smooth and sticky.
Remove it to the instant pot liner.
Drain the water completely from idli rice using a strainer. Transfer it to a blender, and add soaked poha and 2 cups of water. Grind into a coarse-fine paste. If your rub between your finger and thumb, the batter feels slightly grainy.
Remove it to the same liner as the lentil batter.
NOTE: If using idli rava then it doesn’t require grinding. Simply squeeze out the water from the soaked idli rava and add it to the lentil batter and mix. If needed add water to make the right batter consistency.
Mix both batters vigorously (for around 1-2 mins) using a spatula or your hand until mixed evenly. The batter consistency should be medium thick (not too thin, runny, and not too thick). It should be flowy consistency and when it falls in ribbons and disappear within seconds.
Fermenting Idli Batter In Instant Pot:
Place the instant pot steel liner into the instant pot, and cover it with a lid (a separate lid, not a pressure cooker lid).
Set the instant pot on yogurt mode for 8-12 hours.
After fermentation, idli batter gets double (sometimes more than double) the volume. It also turns light, fluffy, airy, and bubbly.
Gently mix the batter, add salt, and mix again. I have added salt later as I am using iodized salt.
If the batter consistency looks too thick then you can add a splash of water to adjust it. But make sure not to make it too thin. If you have followed the water amount while grinding as mentioned then your batter consistency will be perfect.
Steaming:
Bring water to a boil in a steamer. Grease the idli plates using oil.
Pour the batter into the molds.
Steam for 10 minutes on medium heat. Remove the idli plates and let them sit for 2 minutes.
Then using a spoon or butter knife, loosen the idli from the mold and transfer to a plate. Repeat the steaming process for the rest of the batter. Or store leftover batter.
Notes
- Quality & Freshness of lentils: Fresh urad dal helps in the fermentation process. The fresh lentils are white in color while older or stale lentils start to turn pale yellow and which shows the aging process. Salt: If using iodized salt then add after fermentation is done, as iodine and anti-caking agents in salt interfere with the fermentation process. If using non-iodized salt then you can add in the idli batter earlier. Soak lentils and rice separately, because we are grinding them separately. Both take different times and amounts of water while grinding. So it is recommended to soak and grind separately. Always use cold water while grinding. Sometimes blender or grinder get hot/warm during the grinding process and cold water prevents the batter to become warm. If your blender gets too hot then let it rest for 5-10 minutes, let it cool down, and then continue grinding again. This happens mostly with Indian-style grinders (preethi brand), I have never faced this issue with Vitamix. Batter consistency has to be right to get fermentation. If the batter is too thick or too thin then it won’t ferment properly and result in dense or flat idli. When you pour the batter back into the bowl, it should be flowy, with pouring consistency, also as your pour ribbons form in the batter and disappear right away.
