Idli
Steamed cakes of fermented rice and urad dal, the lightest thing in Indian breakfast
Start the day before. The fermenting alone is 8 hr, against 40 min of actual work.
Allergens in Idli: none of the ten listed below.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 3 cups, par-boiled idli Rice
- 3/4 cup Urad Dal
- 1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
- 1/4 cup Pohamakes softer idlisoptional
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop, steamer, blender
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- The urad dal is ground first and separately, with cold water, until it is light and holds a peak. That aeration is what makes idlis fluffy. The fermentation only builds on it.
- Idli batter is thicker than dosa batter. If it pours easily it is too thin.
Method
- Soak the rice in one bowl and the urad dal with fenugreek in another, for 5 hours. Soak the poha for 20 minutes before grinding.
- Grind the urad dal first with cold water until white, fluffy and doubled in volume. Test it: a spoon of batter should float in water.This is the single most important step. Do not rush or overheat it.
- Grind the rice to a slightly grainy paste, then fold the two together by hand with salt.By hand. The warmth helps fermentation start.
- Cover loosely and ferment 8-12 hours until risen and bubbly.
- Grease the idli plates, fill three-quarters full, and steam 10-12 minutes. A skewer should come out clean.Do not oversteam; idlis turn dense and wet.
- Rest 3 minutes before unmoulding, then serve with sambar and coconut chutney.
Storage
Batter keeps 4 days refrigerated, growing more sour. Cooked idlis keep a day and steam back to life in 3 minutes; they are also the basis of idli upma.
Nutrition Medium estimate
One serving of Idli (195 g) is about 696 calories, or 357 calories per 100 g.
Medium protein: 19 g a serving, 11% of the calories
| Per serving195 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 696 kcal | 357 kcal |
| Protein | 18.6 g | 10 g |
| Carbohydrate | 148.5 g | 76 g |
| of which sugars | 0.8 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 6.0 g | 3 g |
| Fat | 1.5 g | 1 g |
| of which saturated | 0.4 g | 0 g |
| of which unsaturated | 0.8 g | 0 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for poha, urad dal. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Healthy Indian recipes · Vegan Indian recipes · Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Tamil Nadu recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.