How to make Idli?

How to make  Idlis

Idli is one of the famous South Indian breakfast item.  What ever hotel you go in South India, Idli will be always available for break fast.  Idlis are the traditional breakfast items in all parts of South India.

Idli is very easy to make and also Idli  is extremely healthy and can be easily digested.  In fact when you are struck on a highway with nothing to eat,  people will never hesitate to walk into a road side hotel and buy few idlis to eat.   I will give a list of ingredients required for making a  Idli.

Ingredients to make  Idli :   

• 1 cup of Urad Dal ( Split black lentils)
• 3 cups of par boiled rice (Ukda Chawal)
• 1/2 tea spoon ful of fenugreek ( Methi) leaves seeds
• Salt to taste
• Coconut oil or any other oil for greasing
• Coconut chutney or sambhar for serving
  

How to make Idlis :   

• Soak Urad dal and the fenugreek seeds together in water for 3 hours and then drain them.
• Now soak rice in water for 3 hours and drain.
• Blend the urad dal and fenugreek seeds together in a mixie till smooth and frothy.  Add water little by little if required and then remove it and keep aside.
• Now blend the rice in a mixer till it becomes smooth and then remove and keep aside.
• Then you have to combine the urad dal paste and rice paste together in a bowl and keep it aside to ferment overnight.
• Once the batter is fermented, add salt to the batter and mix well.
• Now take Idli moulds, grease them with oil or even ghee.  See a picture of idli moulds below.

• Mix the batter well so that it should look like a cake batter to fall freely and it should be thick. add little water to it if required.
• Fill the moulds with idli batter.
• Now carefully keep the moulds in cooker; close with lid and do not place cooker weight.
• Steam cook in low flame for 10 to 12 minutes.
•  Now remove the moulds from cooker and allow them to cool.
• Now remove the idlis with spoon gently.
• Repeat the above procedure for remaining batter to make more idlis.  
• Serve the idlis hot with fried coconut chutney and sambhar.

Here is a video of preparing Idli.