Soft Idli

Soft Idli

Soft Idli

Veg Vegan

Steamed rice-urad dal cakes — the foundational South Indian breakfast: raw rice and urad dal soaked separately, ground to a smooth batter (the urad dal to an exceptionally airy, light foam), mixed with salt, fermented overnight in a warm place until the batter doubles in volume and develops a slight sour tang, then poured into oiled idli moulds and steamed for exactly ten minutes. The quality marker is softness so extreme that the idli springs back when pressed and leaves no indent. The Tamil Brahmin approach prizes a lighter fermentation (not too sour) and a specific ratio: three parts rice to one part urad dal. Eaten with sambar, coconut chutney, and idli podi; the combination of all three at once is the standard Tamil Brahmin breakfast.

Cuisines

Chettinad Tamil Brahmin Kongunadu Madras Udupi Mysore Kerala Andhra

Best for

Breakfast Lunch

Recipe

Prep: 20 min Cook: 12 min Total: 32 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

1 cup idli rice
1/4 cup urad dal
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
to taste salt
as needed water

Instructions

  1. 1 Rinse the idli rice and urad dal separately under running water until the water runs clear.
  2. 2 Soak the idli rice and fenugreek seeds together in enough water for at least 6 hours.
  3. 3 Soak the urad dal separately in enough water for at least 4 hours.
  4. 4 Drain the soaked urad dal and grind it to a smooth batter using a little water as needed. The batter should be light and fluffy.
  5. 5 Drain the soaked rice and fenugreek mixture and grind it to a slightly coarse batter using water as needed.
  6. 6 Combine both batters in a large bowl, add salt, and mix well using your hand to incorporate air.
  7. 7 Cover the bowl and let the batter ferment in a warm place for 8-12 hours or until it doubles in volume.
  8. 8 Once fermented, gently stir the batter. If it's too thick, add a little water to achieve a pouring consistency.
  9. 9 Grease the idli plates with oil and pour the batter into the molds.
  10. 10 Steam the idlis in an idli steamer or pressure cooker (without the whistle) for about 10-12 minutes.
  11. 11 Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick; it should come out clean.
  12. 12 Remove the idlis from the molds using a spoon and serve hot with chutney and sambar.

Tips

For softer idlis, ensure the batter is well-fermented and the urad dal is ground to a fluffy consistency.