Idli

The lentils are ground fine and the rice coarse, separately, and then it is steamed rather than fried.

Vegan.

Ingredients

• 400 g idli rice, or parboiled rice
• 100 g whole white urad dal, black gram
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 2 teaspoons salt
• water, to grind
• oil, for the moulds

Method

1. THE LENTILS ARE GROUND FINE AND THE RICE COARSE, SEPARATELY, AND THEN IT IS STEAMED RATHER THAN FRIED. Its article sets out all of it: four parts rice to one part whole white lentil, SOAKED SEPARATELY for at least four to six hours or overnight, optionally with fenugreek; then the lentils ground to a FINE paste and the rice ground SEPARATELY and COARSELY. That contrast in grind is the whole difference from a dosa batter, which is ground fine throughout. Coarse rice leaves little granules that hold steam and set around it, which is what makes an idli open and spongy instead of dense.
2. SO THEY ARE SOAKED IN TWO BOWLS, NOT ONE. Its article says separately, and it follows from the grinding: the two need different water and different times in the grinder.
3. THE LENTIL PASTE IS WHIPPED UNTIL IT IS LIGHT. Ground with very little water, then beaten by hand or in the grinder until it is white and fluffy and a spoonful floats in water. That trapped air is the rise.
4. THE RICE IS GROUND TO THE TEXTURE OF FINE SEMOLINA, AND NO FURTHER. You should feel grains between finger and thumb. Ground smooth, you have made dosa batter.
5. THEY ARE COMBINED BY HAND, FOLDING, NOT BEATEN TOGETHER. A whisk knocks the air out of the urad. Fold with the fingers until just uniform, add the salt, and leave it.
6. EIGHT TO TWELVE HOURS, AND THE BATTER SHOULD ALMOST DOUBLE. Its article notes the fermentation breaks down the starches and makes them easier to digest. Visibly domed and smelling sour is the test.
7. IT IS NOT STIRRED AFTER FERMENTING. One gentle turn to even it out at most. Stirred down, the gas goes and the idlis come out flat.
8. THE MOULDS ARE OILED AND THE STEAM IS GENTLE FOR TEN MINUTES. Filled three-quarters, into a steamer over simmering rather than boiling water, ten to twelve minutes. A skewer should come out clean. Hard steam gives a wet, dense centre.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

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