Tips for Idli and Dosa batter
August 9, 2007 by lathanarasimhan
I thought there is need for this post as many viewers feel I use too little Urad dal. See recipe for idli batter here.
First proportion with Methiseeds gives the softest idlies. I got this recipe from our family friend who makes idlies every day. Its the staple breakfast for most families that hail from Chettinad.
The second one is for those who use a mixer or a food processor to grind.
The real magic needed to get super soft idlis is the technique used while grinding. A grinder is not used to forget about the batter till the grinding is done.
In a grinder:
When using a grinder soak the rice, methi and urad dal together. Soak for 6 hours. While grinding keep adding 1 table spoon water at regular intervals - about once in every 5 minutes. This is very crucial to get the best batter. You know the batter has turned out correct when its very fine and the consistency of the final batter is like cake batter ( for those who prepare cakes).
To be exact I would suggest that it is better to measure the amount of water also. If you soak 4 cups boiled rice (idli rice) and 3/4 cup urad dal and drain water completely before grinding, then you can add 2 and 1/2 cups water. First add 1 cup and the remaining keep adding as the batter absorbs.
This will definitely give you the right consistency. Mix with salt and leave for fermenting.
When you prepare the idlis, take out the required amount of batter in another container and mix with 1 or 2 table spoons water and make the idlies. This way the left over batter will remain fresh for more than a week.
In a mixie:
In the second proportion raw rice is added to make it easier to grind in a mixer. The same procedure as for first method has to be followed for grinding.
Hope these tips will help visitors to get their idli right.
Read the Round up of all Entries Here
nice tip…I normally grind Urud dal first to a fine paste and then add rest….
will try this way and see
Srivalli
http://www.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com
I usually add a tsp of methiseeds, as my mom does.
I use mixie, but grind everything together and have never used raw rice.
Thanks for the useful tip. Will try it next time.
Latha I use a mixie for grinding the batter. Even I can soak rice dal togther?
methi seeds help in fermentation - i remember reading somewhere (really long ago) that it works like yeast.
archana, amma’s kinda busy today, so she wont be coming online. for mixie, she used to grind separately and would use proportion 2 mentioned in the link below.
check this link for details:
http://theyumblog.wordpress.com/2007/07/15/idli/
Archana, when you grind in a mixer you can grind only small portions. so just for convenience I have mentioned grind separately. Does’nt really make any difference.
In olden days they used to grind large quantities as they lived in joint families. so they ground separately. While I like to stick to the traditional methods, It should also be practical. 3/4 cup of urad dal is too small for my large grinder.
Most important is the consistency and smoothness of the batter that gives softness to idlies. I use the same batter for dosa also.
You can use both proportions whichever is convenient.
latha.
First time here…you have a nice collection of recipes and tips…Keep posting more such useful tips! Thanks!
Hi Latha!
I have a question - do you stir the batter before you take out the amount you are going to use? Should you stir it before you put it back in the fridge? My idli batter is good for just two days, after that I use it to make dosas.
Good question shyamala. If you want the batter to stay for longer,store in 2 containers.First day we need to mix well.Later take only the top portion.I never add water to the batter that I want to store for longer no of days.
Some people in hot climate store half the batter in the fridge right after grinding. Take out and ferment for a few hours as and when they need.
latha.
Hmm those are some nice tips…I always grind urad dal first and then add the idli rava.. or when i am using rice(rosematta) i grind them together …
will follow your method, esp the water proportion which is so well explained.
-mythili
[...] Wash and soak the dal and rice for 6 hours and grind to a smooth paste. For detailed instructions click here. [...]
Hello akka,
I can’t find whole urad in the grocery shop here. Can I use split urad dal in the same proportion?
Yes latha, you can use the broken variety also. latha.
thanks for the detailed explanation…i have tried doing this batter in both ways(grinding dal and rice together and seperately)and in both mixie and grinder….the batter looks good but the idlis doesn’t look white its like slight creamish or whatever,,,,is it the problem with urad dal?any tips for buying urad dal?the idlis stay soft just for 5 mins and then they are hard…can u help?
HI,
Can you lease suggest some tis for best fermentation in cold countries like US especially in winter.Please suggest an easy way to make the batter for bachelors.
Regards,
Syed.
Thanks for the tip.I have never tried methi for making idlis.
Will try this method next time when i make idlis.
http://simplyaroma.blogspot.com
Hi Latha akka and Lakshmi,
Came here through Srivalli’s blog.You’ve got an amazing blog here and the tips for making idli and dosa batter is superb.I use a mixie and grind urad dal and rice seperately.Even my batter looks slightly yellowish in colour..
any tips on that?
Divya.
Hi I work in Indonesia and I bought some Rice Flour and Udad Flour from the US. But now I dont know how to proceed….what is the proportions, how long do I soak it, inside the fridge or outside?
So many questions! Anyone has tried using rice and udad flour before?
Any help will be good help!
Thanks,
Gita
Wow.. Very useful tips.. I used to grind urad dal first and then rice.. Next time shall try ur way.. and thanks for the proportion of water to be added
!!
hi, i just read your tips on storing batter for longer time.
i have made a huge quantity of batter . i have put in 3 diff containers. the container tht i will be using tomorow i have allowed to ferment today night. i wud like to know what to do with other 2 containers. should i freeze or simply refrigerate them ? or should i allow them to ferment And THEN freeze them ? Also , how long will these 2 batters stay fresh? can i allow them to ferment next week?
pls tell me as this is my first attempt at making idlies but we are a small family n we dont need this much batter .
i need all the help i can get .so pls help everyone !!!!!!!
thankss
HI…
i’ve never made a dosa before.i tried once with rice and urad dal but i don,t know where was the fault…it was sticking to the tava..can u tell some facts and tips..