Idli Recipe - Learn How To Make Idli

Idli Sambhar is a tempting and healthy South Indian dish. Rich in protein and carbohydrates this dish is a famous breakfast and dinner option. Learn how to make soft and spongy idlis with step by step photos nd detailed recipe given below.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes (10 minutes for one round of idli cooking)

Recipe Yeild: 4 (6 idli per serving)

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice (basmati chawal) - 1 cup soaked for 2 hours in water in one vessel one day before making idli
• Black gram skinned (dhuli urad dal) - 3/4 cup soaked for 2 hours in water in another vessel one day before making idli
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves (kari patta) if required in idli

Procedure:

1. Soak the basmati rice (basmati chawal) and black gram skinned (dhuli urad dal) in water in sepearate vessel for 2 hours, one day before making idli.
2. Strain off the excess water and grind both ingredients into a fine paste seperately.
3. Now mix the two paste in a deep vessel (pateela or bhagona) using hands and add water if required to prepare a batter of medium thick consistency. Remember the batter should not be of very hard consistency nor watery consistency.
4. Add salt to taste and mix well. Allow the batter to rest now for 8 hours (overnight) and ferment.
5. After 8 hours of rest and fermentation (or next day), mix the batter nicely and add curry leaves if you want.
6. Now grease the idli stand with refined oil as shown in the images below, and pour the idli batter with a spoon.
7. In a deep vessel (bhagona or pateela) add some water. Remember the level of water should be less the than the height of the base of the idli stand.
8. Now place the idli stand in the vessel containing water and cover with a lid. Allow the idli to cook on medium flame for 10 minutes.
9. After 10 minutes, remove the lid and poke the idli with a knife or folk to check if they are cooked till the core. If the knife comes out clean after poking then the idlis are cooked.
10. Turn off the flame and remove the idli stand from the vessel.
11. With the help of knife or spoon scoop off the hot idlis from the stand and keep in a casserole or serve hot with sambhar.

 (Tips: 1. Mix the paste of  basmati rice (basmati chawal) and black gram skinned (dhuli urad dal) using hands, because the heat from hands helps the mixture to ferment nicely. 2. The idli batter prepared sho