Soft Idli recipe || How to make idli batter with idli rava or rice

Soft Idli recipe || How to make idli batter with idli rava or rice

Idli comes first in the breakfast dreams of South Indians, or even for most of the Indians. Soft spongy idli’s are made by grinding Urad dal (Black gram) and Rice into a thick batter. This batter is fermented to get the airy soft idli.

Idli’s are protein packed and also carb rich , serve it with chutney or sambar of choice to make it a wholesome meal. Although it is a breakfast dish, I can enjoy it at anytime of the day.

Trick & Tips to get soft Idli’s

FERMENTATION, yes if your batter is not fermented , then you will get flat and tough idli’s. So fermentation is important. Keep the batter in a warm place like a dark cupboard, Convectional oven(just warmed or with light on), instant pot( yogurt mode low) etc. Cooler places and in winter it will take longer time to get fermented(anywhere from 18 to 30 hours on countertop – but you can make it ferment fast by doing the above things like keeping it in an oven).

GOOD BACTERIA, good bacteria is what makes your batter ferment. So for this mix the batter with hands( clean but not rinsed with soap).

WATER CONTENT, yes if your batter is too runny, then chances are your batter will not rise because the aeration(fermentation is inhibited by the excess water content). So always make a thick batter and once the fermentation is done then you can dilute it as needed.

TEMPERATURE, temperature and fermentation go hand in hand, warmer temperatures are needed for good fermentation.

STEAMING TIME, yes this matters a lot, over steaming the idli’s means tough idli’s( just like over baking cake or cookies). so steam the idli’s just enough to get soft spongy idli’s. Usually the soft spot is somewhere between 8 to 12 mins.

RESTING TIME, once the idli’s are done steaming then do not immediately open the lid and remove the idli’s. Let the steamer rest for atleast 5 to 10 mins. This will ensure that idli’s do not break or stick while removing them from the mould. Also use oil or ghee on the mould before adding idli batter so that they will not stick.

GOOD QUALITY INGREDIENTS, yes picking high quality urad dal and rice/rava ensures that the idli is rich in taste and packed with nutrition

GRINDING THE BATTER, this is very important as we want smooth yet slightly grainy batter to get perfect textured idli’s. If using a blender then grind the urad dal first into smooth batter then grind rice into a semi fine/coarse batter. If using rava then just grind the urad dal into smooth batter

**In simple words FERMENTED BATTER = Airy Soft Pillow Idli’s 🙂  

Making Idli Batter is no rocket science, just few things to consider and Voila .. you will become a pro in making Soft Idli.

Serve Hot steaming Idli’s with Chutney, Podi or Sambar. 

Here are some Chutneys/Pickles you may like : 

Onion Ginger Chutney 

Raw Mango Coconut Chutney

Peanut Chutney 

Tomato pickle

Mango ginger pickle 

Garlic pickle 

No oil Lemon Pickle 

 

Leave a comment if I missed any tips or important points 🙂

If you try it then please don’t forget to give a rating for the recipe below in the summary box, it means a lot.! 

Idli

  • 1 cup Urad dal (whole is preferred)
  • 2 cups Rice or Idli Rava
  • 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) ((optional))
  • Salt (as needed)
  • water (as needed)

SOAKING

  1. Wash the urad dal and rice very well to get rid of dirt or pesticides/preservatives.

  2. Soak Urad dal+Fenugreek seeds and Rice separately in enough water.  If using Idli rava no need of soaking. Soak for atleast 6 to 8 hours. Overnight is also fine.

GRINDING

  1. Grind the Urad dal into a smooth batter. Grind the Rice into a semi fine/coarse batter. Use just enough water(lesser the better), to make it into a thick lumpy batter. 

  2. Mix the ground urad dal batter and rice batter(or idli rava) very well along with salt using clean hands (or a big spatula). 

FERMENTING

  1. Now let the batter ferment. It takes anywhere from 12 to 15 hours. The batter should rise and when you mix with a spatula, it should have aerations in it. 

  2. Once the batter is fermented, mix once thoroughly and cover with a lid. Store in refrigerator. 

STEAMING

  1. For steaming idli’s , take a idli steamer and add 1 to 2 cups water. Put the steamer on med-high heat. Let the water begin to boil 

  2. While the water is boiling, take idli moulds, grease with ghee/oil.

  3. Mix the idli batter very well and pour the idli batter into each mould. Fill the mould just 3/4th way, as the idli batter steams they will rise fully. 

  4. stack the idli batter moulds and place them into the steamer ( when the water begins to boil). 

  5. Now steam the idli’s for about 8 to 12 mins. 

  6. Rest the steamer for 5 to 10 mins before taking the idli’s out.

  7. Serve with Chutney,Sambar and Podi of choice.! 

  1. You can use a tsp of fenugreek seeds along with Urad dal while soaking. This is optional 
  2. Some people like to soak Idli rava as well, it is a personal choice. 
  3. Always fill the batter half the vessel  for fermentation, as there might be a over flow when the batter ferments and rises. 
  4. Idli batter will stay good for upto a week in the refrigerator. 

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4 thoughts on “Soft Idli recipe || How to make idli batter with idli rava or rice”

  • What’s up?

    I found this article very interesting…please read!

    Do you remember the blockbuster hit film The Matrix that was released in 1999? You may not know this, but it has deep spiritual implications concerning the times we are living in and Bible prophecy.

    It tells a story of how these “agents” are trying to turn us into machines. We are closer then ever before for this to become a reality when they cause us to receive an implantable microchip in our body during a time when physical money will be no more.

    You may have seen on NBC news concerning the implantable RFID microchip that some people are getting put in their hand to make purchases, but did you know this microchip matches perfectly with prophecy in the Bible?

    “He (the false prophet who deceives many by his miracles) causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name…

    You also may have heard of the legendary number “666” that people have been speculating for possibly thousands of years on what it actually means. This article shares something I haven’t seen before, and I don’t think there could be any better explanation for what it means to calculate 666. This is no hoax. Very fascinating stuff!

    …Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666″ (Revelation 13:16-18 NKJV).

    To see all the details showing why the Bible foretold of all these things, check out this article!

    Article: https://biblewoke.com/rfid-mark-of-the-beast-666-revealed

    GOD is sending out His end time warning:

    “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name'” (Revelation 14:9-11).

    In the Islamic religion they have man called the Mahdi who is known as their messiah of whom they are waiting to take the stage. There are many testimonies from people online who believe this man will be Barack Obama who is to be the biblical Antichrist based off dreams they have received. I myself have had strange dreams about him like no other person. So much so that I decided to share this information.

    He came on stage claiming to be a Christian with no affiliation to the Muslim faith…

    “In our lives, Michelle and I have been strengthened by our Christian faith. But there have been times where my faith has been questioned — by people who don’t know me — or they’ve said that I adhere to a different religion, as if that were somehow a bad thing,” – Barack Obama

    …but was later revealed by his own family members that he indeed is a devout Muslim.

    So what’s in the name? The meaning of someones name can say a lot about a person. God throughout history has given names to people that have a specific meaning tied to their lives. How about the name Barack Obama? Let us take a look at what may be hiding beneath the surface…

    “And He (Jesus) said to them (His disciples), ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven'” (Luke 10:18).

    In the Hebrew language we can uncover the meaning behind the name Barack Obama.

    Barack, also transliterated as Baraq, in Hebrew is: lightning

    baraq – Biblical definition:

    From Strongs H1299; lightning; by analogy a gleam; concretely a flashing sword: – bright, glitter (-ing, sword), lightning. (Strongs Hebrew word H1300 baraq baw-rawk’)

    Barak ‘O’bamah, The use of bamah is used to refer to the “heights” of Heaven.

    bamah – Biblical definition:

    From an unused root (meaning to be high); an elevation: – height, high place, wave. (Strongs Hebrew word H1116 bamah baw-maw’)

    The day following the election of Barack Obama (11/04/08), the winning pick 3 lotto numbers in Illinois (Obama’s home state) for 11/5/08 were 666.

    Obama was a U.S. senator for Illinois, and his zip code was 60606.

    Seek Jesus while He may be found…repent, confess and forsake your sins and trust in the savior! Jesus says we must be born again by His Holy Spirit to enter the kingdom of God…God bless!

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