How to make soft idlis

[suva27]

I make idlis with 1 part of urad dal and 2 parts of rice.My idlis do not turn soft. Any tips on making soft idlis?

[sunetra365]

For softer Idlis, add 1/4 tsp of Eno or fruit salt and 1 tsp of oil to the batter of one batch of 12 idlis.

[anuchem]

I used to miss those soft idlis from back home. Finally found solution for soft idlis.
Take 3 cups idli rice (not idli rawa)/parboiled rice : 1 and 1/4 cup urad dal
Wash the rice twice (or until the washed water is clear) and soak along with about 2 tablespoons of poha/beaten Rice. Similarly wash the urad dal also and soak separately. Soak for 5 to 6 hours. When ready to grind,first grind the rice along with poha,use the water used to soak for grinding.Grind until coarse consistency... like rawa. So pay attention that it doesn't get smooth and also be careful with the water quantity.Do not add lot of water
Remove the ground rice and then grind the urad to fine paste.Mix both the batters together, add 1.5 tsps of salt and mix thoroughly using your hands or wooden spatula.Fill in suitable vessel,leaving enough space to rise.
Leave the batter uncovered for about an hour.Cover and then let to ferment. Keep it in warm dark place.It takes about 8 to 12 hrs to ferment depending on temperature. warmer the temperature better it is.
Your dough for soft idlis is ready

[sunetra365]

To make idlis soft, take required quantity of dough for one batch of idli,add 1 tbsp oil,little bit of Eno, stir it in one dierction and make idlis. apply soem oil to the idli form to avoid sticking of idlis. they will come out very soft.

[surekhapar]

One more tip to make soft idlis is when you are steaming idlis make sure the water is at boiling temperature before you steam

[suminaik10]

Add one cup of soaked poha to four cups of rice while grinding the batter for idlis, will make them softer and lighter.

[rajmiarun]

The best thing to do to make soft idlies are,
Soak 1 cup of Urud Dal and 4 cups of boiled rice seperately for almost 4 to 6 hours. Grind the urud dal first, with less water. The urud dal paste should come off like a ball. Remove that from the grinder and put it in a vessel (add a hand ful of rock salt in the vessel before putting the urud dal) then grind the rice. Grind the rice also into fine paste, mix them nicely. Let the mixture ferment for atleast three hours.

You cannot make idlies the same day, the idlies can be made only the next day if you want soft idlies.

RajmiArun

[rajmiarun]

Donot beat the idly batter too much before pouring it in the idly plates. It will make the air that is accumulated while fermentation to go off. Then you wont get fluffly soft idlies.

[suva27]

Thanks gals for all the tips and making me idli expert.
Rajmi special thanks to your tip because I was told by one of my friend the more you beat idli batter, softer the idlis will be. She convinced me telling me in olden days people used to use grinder for grinding urad dal, now we dont use the grinder so now we should beat the batter as much as possible.
Thank you all

[Tweety]

I am not a great fan of idlis but eat them as they are good for health as all steamed products do no harm to the digestive system.

[raeshwari]

Hello ladies,

The proportion I use to make soft idlis:

4 idly rice : 1 whole urad gota

Also, I add a tsp of methi seeds along with the idly rice and a handful of thin poha along with whole urad gota when I leave them for soaking. Better to leave them soaked in water for about 4-5hours. In case of cold weather, we can soak the idly rice in hot water.

I use my grinder to grind the batter for idli/dosas.
Grind the rice first followed by the urad gota. Urad has the tendency to grab the rice batter at the end. When mixing the ground mixture of rice & urad, we need to stir them quite well, not too hard.

Allow them to ferment overnight (approx 8hrs). Guaranteed soft idlis next day! :)

I've also attached picture of my super soft idlis that I prepared recently.

[sabmeh]

Raeshwari
Thanks for shairng recipes. Your idlis are mouth watering and looks super soft.

[malspie]

Making soft idlis is an art and very few master it. Thanks sakhis for sharing the recipes.

[raeshwari]

Thanks sabmeh! :)

One more thing, we need to add some salt when we mix the ground rice and urad gota before fermenting. This mixing is best done by hand.



Raeshwari
Thanks for shairng recipes. Your idlis are mouth watering and looks super soft.

[devika235]

Raeshwari
Your idlis look super soft. I will try making idlis using all the tips in this thread.

[anandchitra]

We can always use extra help on this matter. I have been making idlis for nearly 30 years now but last week tried something I have never tried before.
I added poha to my batter while grinding . And truly the idlis came out soft. This trick I need to thank my friend dharma. Itseems you can also use cooked rice while grinding. I have always used 3 cups rice to 1 cup urad and always use ice water for grinding.:)

[suva27]

Thanks all sakhis for your tips. Finally made soft idlis.
Check out pic
http://www.narisakhi.com/forum/upload/showthread.php?p=4024&posted=1#post4024

Raeshwari, my aim is getting supersoft idlis like you.

[anandchitra]

Thanks all sakhis for your tips. Finally made soft idlis.
Check out pic
http://www.narisakhi.com/forum/upload/showthread.php?p=4024&posted=1#post4024

Raeshwari, my aim is getting supersoft idlis like you.

Photo looks good. so how did you do it?

[suva27]

AC, I used all the tips n tricks
3:1 rice:urad dal proportion
Added poha, and salt before fermentation, little bit of oil in the batter while making idlis. Kept dough in warm palce to ferment.
Dis not bit the batter too much
Water is boiled before I put idli stand.
Thanks all sakhis

[shanthi krishnakumar]

The trick for spongy idlis :
1. Soak urad dhal for about 45 minutes only.
2. Wash the dhal well and soak it in 3 cups of water( 1 cup urad dhal)
3. Grind in the soaked water itself till fluffy

[malspie]

Sakhis,

After reading all the feedbacks, I tried if with a fusion of suggestions.

3: 1 [Rice:U Dal proportion]

Wash nicely
Soak separately
Grind separately with cold (refrigerated) water
Add 2 tbsp of Poha to the rice mixture.

After grinding, mix both the dal and rice with some salt.

Keep it aside to ferment for 8 hours.

SUPER SOFT IDLIS! EUREKA! I HAD INVITED MY FRIENDS FOR BREAKFAST AND THEY ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH ( I took the risk of inviting, was frightened that my idlis may turn out to be rocks!).

Served with hot sambhar!

I am jumping merrily! Join me folks.

[sulu2000]

Thank you all sakhis for tips on soft idlis. Mals, count me in for breakfast.

[malspie]

Hi Sulu,

I am not scared of IDLIS anymore.

[Julianna]

Hi Sakhi's,

I agree 101% with Sunetra's tip to add Enos Fruit Salt to idli batter.
I've been doing this for years.One does not have to be bothered about the proportion having gone amiss or about the quality of iddli rice or urad daal .Enos always ensures you soft idli's.As sunetra suggested it will help to smear oil on the iddli moulds too.The water has to be boiling when you put in the idli stand.
As long as ENO is around, so will soft idli's be on the table for breakfast!
warm regards
Julianna

[anandchitra]

Hi Sakhi's,

I agree 101% with Sunetra's tip to add Enos Fruit Salt to idli batter.
I've been doing this for years.One does not have to be bothered about the proportion having gone amiss or about the quality of iddli rice or urad daal .Enos always ensures you soft idli's.As sunetra suggested it will help to smear oil on the iddli moulds too.The water has to be boiling when you put in the idli stand.
As long as ENO is around, so will soft idli's be on the table for breakfast!
warm regards
Julianna

Julianna

I didnt know about this adding eno salt. How much to add? i usually grind 3 cups rice and 1 cup urad.
so glad to know about thius.

also when to add? thanks

[Julianna]

Hi AC,

Like Sunetra here I'm also a great beliver in the power of ENO Fruit Salt if you want to make any batter light and fluffy.
For making say around 8 idlis you can add 1 teaspoon full to the batter just before you pour it into the idli mould .After adding Enos beat it well so that no lumps remain .As you beat you will notice how smooth your batter turns up .Grease your idli moulds with a trace of oil only.Say , 1 teaspoon full oil will do for those 8 idlis smeared evenly on the moulds.The water has to be boiling to a roll before you place the idli mould stand in it .In 15 minutes you will have the softest idlis ever .BTW the proportion I use here is 1cup urad + 2 cups idli rice.

warm regards
Julianna

[malspie]

Hey Juls,

I add ENO for making soft dhoklas, I never knew they can be used for idlis too!

The next time I try my hand on SOFT IDLI'S - Eno will be added.

Hey! I am enjoying this thread!

Sometimes, we end up making the most complicating recipes but struggle to make the simple ones.

[Julianna]

Hi Malsy,

I used to add Eno for Dhokla making like you... ....actually got the idea from a recipe book ages ago .This led me to try it for Idlis as it is basically the same principle of steaming the batter ...the difference being only in the type of dal used with rice added .The first time I tried it was a great success and since then no turning back .I always stock up on Eno!
You can even make your instant Rawa idlis softer with Eno, if you are making it from scratch at home instead of the instant Mixes for Rawa idli which will have leavening agents already added to it.
warm regards
Julianna

[malspie]

Hi Juls,

I do not know why it did not strike that the steaming procedure of making dhokla and idli is the same and we can add ENO to it!

As I have the SUPER SOFT IDLI BATTER still stocked up in my refrigerator, I will have to wait for it to exhaust and try the ENO method!

Will be back soon!

[suva27]

sakhis thank you so much for wonderful tips on idli.

[easycrafts]

I use the proportion of 3.5 cups rice (2.5 cups boiled rice and 1 cup raw rice) for 1 cup urad dal and the batter is soft for idlis and also good for dosas- two in one batter

[suva27]

sakhis, thank you for all lovely and useful tips. My idlis have improved with your tips.
EC, two in one daugh, works for me.

[seshu.paddu]

FOR SOFT IDLI'S

2cups Idli rawa
1cup urad dal
1/4cup Rice flakes

* Wash and soak Urad dal, rice flakes and Idli rawa separately for 4-6hrs.
* In a mixer jar or grinder put washed urad dal, rice flakes and grind into fine paste by adding water till soft and fluffy.
* Wash rava and take hand full of rawa and squeeze as much you can. Combine both rawa and batter and mix well by adding salt to taste.
* Cover and keep the batter in a warm place overnight to let the idli batter ferment.
* Now batter is ready for making idli's.

Before making idli's grease idli plates with ghee and fill it with batter. Cover and cook on steam for 10-15mins.

SOFT IDLIS ARE READY.

HOT idlis served with chutney, Sambar and Idli podi (kaara podi)

[suva27]

thanks seshu for detail recipe.

[shalaka39]

seshu, every style of making idli is slighlty different. You have added soemthing new that is squeezing rava and adding. I will try and see the difference.

[seshu.paddu]

seshu, every style of making idli is slightly different. You have added soemthing new that is squeezing rava and adding. I will try and see the difference.

Yes dear every region has different variety in making idlis. Usually we soak rava also for 4-6hrs. Before mixing in batter we wash rava for 2-3times and squeeze all excess water and then we will mix. My mom does this way.

[Unregistered]

add a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds soaked with water and grind along with the urad dal ..your idly wil come softer

[sabmeh]

I was not aware about adding methi seeds to idli. Thanks