South Indian Soft Idli Recipe With Video

South Indian style soft idli recipe to start your day the right way! Treat yourself to a hearty breakfast every day with these nutritious rice and lentil cakes. When served with traditional side dishes like sambar or chutney, these will bring a flavor fiesta to your taste buds.  Read on to get all the tips and tricks to cook the softest idlis each and every time. 

I often find it difficult to choose healthy and satisfying breakfast for the family everyday. In my opinion, perfect brekkie must be packed with nutritious goodies. At the same time, the whole family has to enjoy each and every bite. 

That’s when I turn to traditional recipes that deliver both on taste and nutrition. This idli recipe is, in fact, a very classic South Indian breakfast enjoyed for generations. Made with rice and black lentils (urad dal), these savory cakes are steamed to seal in all the nutrition and tempt your taste buds. 

So, what’s all the fuss about this perfectly soft idli recipe? And how do you make the best idlis? Alright, well, as this recipe is a very traditional one, I must say, each and every household have their own versions of the perfect idli. So today, I’m going to tell you all about my best recipe to create these savory cakes. 

The best part is you’ll only need two ingredients to make these delicious idlis. One, rice. Two, black lentils. And you’ll need to soak these two ingredients for at least 6 hours.

Ok, before we go into soaking part, let’s talk about the ingredients. Traditionally, ‘idli rice’ is used to make idlis. But, the truth is I always use the kind of rice I have on hand ranging from long grain white rice to basmati rice. You can make super tasty soft idlis with them. 

Next up, the lentils. The type of lentils used in this soft idli recipe is skinned, whole black lentils or urad dal. You’ll find two varieties of lentils in Indian grocery stores. Split and whole. I highly recommend you choose the whole variety for the best results. 

Both rice and lentils go into large bowls. These are covered with water and allowed to soak for at least six hours. Note that the more time you soak them, the softer they become. This makes grinding process easier, and you’ll be rewarded with very smooth batter. While grinding the rice and lentils, make sure you get smooth batter which in turn makes the idlis super soft and very tasty. 

Idlis are made in a special idli maker, and are served hot with sambar or chutneys. You can try adding some grated veggies to the batter to make the idlis extra nutritious. 

So, ready to make these healthy, well-balanced breakfast cakes minus artificial preservatives? Well, why not give this soft idli recipe a go?

Yield: 35 idlis

South Indian Soft Idli Recipe With Video

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Classic South Indian idli or steamed rice cakes made with rice and lentils makes for a nutritious, hearty and filling breakfast

Prep Time 10 hours

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 10 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice, rinsed (raw rice or long grain rice or basmati or sona masoori rice)
• 1/3 cup whole skinned black lentils (or urad dal)
• 1/4 cup cooked rice
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Place rice and lentils in two separate bowls. Cover with water. Soak for about 5-6 hours. Drain.
2. Place rice in the bowl of a food processor. Add 1/2 cup water. Process to make smooth batter. Transfer batter to a large bowl. Place lentils in the food processor. Add 1/2 cup water. Process to make smooth batter. Add this to the rice batter. Grind cooked rice with 1/4 cup water, and add it to the rice batter. Mix. The batter needs to be thick with a pouring consistency.
3. Place the bowl in a warm spot for 8-12 hours, and allow to ferment. When ready to use, season with salt. Set aside.
4. Grease idli mould with oil. Pour idli batter in the holes. Place in a steamer, and cook for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Leave to cool down slightly. Open steamer, and remove idli from the moulds. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Notes

-The number of idlis that can be made depends on the size of the idli mould.
-You can substitute cooked rice with 1/4 cup poha if you like
-In winter, place the batter in a preheated oven to aid fermentation
-Remember to use 'whole' lentils not the split ones

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 61Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 73mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 2gSugar 0gProtein 3g

Like this South Indian style soft idli recipe? Then join Nish Kitchen on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or YouTube. Also, check out other classic breakfast recipes:

• Dosa (Rice and Lentil Crepes)
• Idiyappam (String Hoppers)
• Besan Chilla (Chickpea Pancakes)
• Appam (Rice Crepes)