This is a step-by-step tutorial to get your idlis cushiony soft, and staying that way even after refrigerating.
Method for Making the Perfect Idli Batter
- Wash and soak separately, 1 measure of gota urad (whole urad) and 3 measures of idli rice. Add 1/2 measure poha (thick or thin) and a few methi seeds to the rice while soaking. Wash 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Add enough water many inches above the grains to soak. The grains will fluff up.
- Let this soak for 3-4 hours.
- Drain the water out of the grains, and use fresh cold water to grind.
- Add the urad to a mixer jar with some water, and grind till it turns to a fine paste. There should be no grainy texture. Remove to a large bowl which the batter will ferment in.
- Add the drained rice, poha and methi seeds to the mixer with water and grind again. After grinding, you should be able to feel a slight fine grainy texture between your fingers.
- Remove this mixture to the vessel with urad batter in it.
- Add the required amount of salt and mix with your hands.
- Now is the important part. Add enough water to make the batter of a flowing consistency.
Tip: The batter should not be very thick. This is important because thick batter does not give fluffy idlis. And we do not want to add water to the batter once it is fermented. So we add all the required amount of water now, before it ferments.
- Cover it and keep it to ferment in a warm place.
Tip: During cold months, I wrap the vessel in multiple bath towels. Then, I heat up the oven and turn it off. Finally, I keep the wrapped vessel inside the oven to ferment.
- A good timeline to follow to have hot idlis for breakfast would be:
Wash and soak the grains at 3 pm.
Grind the batter at 8 pm.
Let it ferment until 7am. - You will know that the batter has fermented, once you see it having doubled in volume. Use a large spoon to mix the batter very slightly.
Caution: Do not stir vigorously, as you will damage all the precious air pockets that have formed. The air pockets is what leads to fluffy idlis. The aim to stir the batter is to ensure that all the batter contents have been evenly mixed.
- Grease your idli moulds with ghee or oil and preheat the steamer with water.
- Spoon the batter into the idli moulds. Fill it up almost all the way, leaving a little room for them to rise.
- Set a timer once the water in the steamer starts to boil, and steam for exactly 8 minutes.
- Once steamed, let it sit in the cooker with the flame off for 5 minutes.
- Remove the moulds from the steamer, set it on the counter top and let it sit for another 2 minutes. This will allow the idlis to separate from the moulds and come out clean.
- After 2 minutes, use a spoon to trace the sides of the idlis and remove from the moulds. Serve hot with ghee and chutney/ sambhar.
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