How To Make IDLY / DOSA Batter

INGREDIENTS

• IDLY RICE – 4 CUPS
• RAW RICE – 1/4 CUP
• UDAD DAL – 1 CUP (whole without skin)
• FENUGREEK SEEDS – 1 TBSP
• SALT TO TASTE SAFE WATER FOR SOAKING AND GRINDING

Pre -preparation

Idly rice is a type of parboiled rice that is most suitable for making Idly and Dosas. While choosing the rice check the rice grains to see if the white gelatinized portion is large and the rice grain intact without any breakage. Such rice would yield good quantity of batter.

While choosing dal whole skinned black gram dal is preferable though you can use split variety also.

Wash the rice (both parboiled and raw) in safe water and soak for 2-3 hours. Check to see if the rice in fully submerged in water during the entire process of soaking.

Similarly wash the dal and fenugreek seeds and soak them together.

Grinding and Fermentation

After 2-3 hours of soaking drain the water and set aside the drained water. Grind the dal and fenugreek seeds till the dal batter is absolutely soft, light and nearly white in color. To check if done, drop a little of the batter in water. If it floats immediately then the dal batter has reached the right consistency. This grinding process just does not make the dal into a soft paste but also incorporates air into the batter which is essential for the subsequent process of fermentation.

Remove the dal batter into a clean and sufficiently big vessel.

Grind the rice to a smooth consistency yet a little grainy. The granular texture should be more felt than seen .Another check point for the ground rice consistency is to stop the grinding process and take a look at the batter. If the batter explodes into bubbles, then the rice is ground well enough.

Remove the rice batter into the same vessel as the dal batter. Add the required quantity of salt. Now using your clean hands gently mix both the batters .Do not beat but give them a gentle mix so that the batters become homogenous Check to see if the batter is about half the volume of the vessel .This is to ensure that there is enough space for the batter to rise during the process of fermentation. Cover the vessel with a lid (not tight fitting as it will explode during fermentation) and leave it in a warm dry place to ferment. In tropical climates the fermentation process will take about 3-4 hours in summer and around 6-8 hours in winter. In freezing cold climate keep the batter near a room heater for the fermentation to occur. Ensure that warm air surrounds the batter vessel and should not heat it up.

Storage and Use

The batter can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. It is always better to store it in several small containers. Remove one container of idly batter from the fridge just before use. Beat it well with a ladle and check for its consistency. Ensure that it is of thick pouring consistency.

Grease the idly moulds and ladle the batter into the moulds. Place the moulds in steaming hot idly steamer and steam for about 6 minutes.

The same batter can be used to prepare dosas too. I usually make idly on day 1 and 2 after which I prepare dosas for about 2 days. After 4 days the batter is best suited to prepare oothappams.