how to make good idli batter?

Discussion in 'Cuisines of India' started by thegirlygirl, Apr 8, 2013.

  1. thegirlygirl

    thegirlygirl Platinum IL'ite

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    hi ladies!!

    i want to know how to make good idli batter.

    i use rice and urad dal for this. i take 3 cups of rice and 1 cup of urad dal. i soak it overnight, and then grind it to a batter in the mixer the next morning, and then leave it for some 8-12 hours to ferment.

    but the batter does not come out very smooth and nice like the one we get in supermarkets. this time when i made the batter, it started smelling, i think because of the heat these days, and it formed a rough flaky layer on top.

    also the idlis come out very sticky and hard and not fluffy and nice like the ones we get in restaurants.

    is my proportion of the rice and urad dal correct?
    is the same batter that we use for making idlis also used for making dosas and uthapas? or does the rice and urad dal proportion differ for each's batter?

    or am i making some other mistakes?

    please share with me your secrets of making good idlis/dosas/uthapas and please also let me know what proportion of rice and dal you use for the batter.

    eagerly waiting for your suggestions.
     
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  2. Dinny

    Dinny IL Hall of Fame

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    Ok my batter is in 2:1 proportion
    2 cups rice and 1 cup urad dal and few tablespoons of cooked rice.If you want you can add a pinch of soaked fenugreek seeds too.The batter comes out creamy because of the cooked rice added to the batter.Then let it ferment overnight.
    It works well for me.Btw urad dal needs good 5-6hours of soaking before grinding.
     
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  3. thegirlygirl

    thegirlygirl Platinum IL'ite

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    dear dinny!!

    thanks for your tips dear!! but i have a question

    1) can you use the same batter that you mentined for making dosas and uthappas also, or does the proprtion vary a little?
     
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  4. Dinny

    Dinny IL Hall of Fame

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    Girlygirl i use the same batter for dosa and idlli too.though if you want you may dilute the batter slightly...thats if you want but i dont do it...i use the same batter to make paper dosas too
     
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  5. Anandchitra

    Anandchitra IL Hall of Fame

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    I use this proportion too; Just that I grind in grinder. I think grinder is important to make idli come out good;


     
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  6. sweetshreya

    sweetshreya IL Hall of Fame

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    My mom adds a handful of soaked Poha before grinding. Says make the idlis soft... :)
     
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  7. Kungumam

    Kungumam Gold IL'ite

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    First u will get better batter in grinder as anandchitra said...
    My proportion however is totally different ...
    3 cups idli rice , 1 cup raw rice and 1 cup urad dal... Add a handful of fenugreek seeds...
    I soak around 10 in the morning and grind at 4 in the evening...leave overnight to ferment .
    I get nice fluffy idlis for the first 2 days and then I slightly dilute it to make dosas for the next 3 days...
    So my batter lasts one week for a family of 4
     
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  8. R2s2

    R2s2 Bronze IL'ite

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    I use parboiled ponni rice. I dont know
    wheather you are using parboiled rice or not
    but it makes soft idilis. The proportion is 4 cups of rice
    to one cup of urad dal( preferably whole one)
    Soak separately for 4-6 hrs and grind it. While grinding
    urad dal add the chilled water little at a time.the urad batter should be
    Fluffy. Grind rice coarsely like sooji texture.
    Add salt and mix well with urad batter. Since you say its hot there i think 6 hrs of fermentation would be enough.
    Yes i use same batter for making dosa too after 2 days thinned out little bit
    with water.
    There are various reasons for hard idilis.
    It can be rice or grinding the rice very smoothly like paste
    or proportion of rice to dal or nit fermenting properly.
    Its like gambling what works for you once you discover the trick
    you might be wondering " oh that was easy" moment.gl
     
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  9. Mumtotwo

    Mumtotwo Silver IL'ite

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    Last edited: Apr 9, 2013
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  10. manalimanoj

    manalimanoj Silver IL'ite

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    hi
    actually i use idly rawa insted of rice with same measure 1urad dal:3 idly rawa and while grinding i put cooked rice and ferment it gives nice white an soft idlies try it.
     

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