Here’s the complete recipe for making soft and fluffy idlis, along with the perfect batter preparation and fermentation method, translated into English:

Perfect Idli Recipe — Soft and Fluffy Idlis

Ingredients:

Rice (Idli rice or regular white rice) – 2 cups

 Urad dal (skinned black gram) – 1 cup

Fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) – 1 teaspoon

Salt – to taste

 Water – as required

Method:

1. Soaking Rice and Dal

Wash rice and urad dal separately. Soak them in water for 4-6 hours or overnight.

Soak fenugreek seeds along with the urad dal. Fenugreek improves fermentation and makes the idlis soft.

2. Grinding the Batter

After soaking, rinse the rice and dal well.

First, grind the urad dal and fenugreek seeds with a little water to make a smooth, fluffy paste. Add as little water as possible to get a thick batter-like consistency.

 Next, grind the rice with a little water to make a coarse paste.

 Mix both the pastes thoroughly in a large bowl.

Add salt to taste and mix well.

The batter should be thick but slightly runny. Add a little water if needed.

3. Fermentation

Cover the batter and leave it to ferment at room temperature for 8-12 hours or overnight.

In warm weather, fermentation completes in 6-8 hours.

After fermentation, the batter will rise, form small bubbles on the surface, and have a slight tangy smell.

If the batter hasn’t risen, fermentation is incomplete, and the idlis may turn hard.

4. Making Idlis

Gently mix the fermented batter.

Grease the idli molds lightly with oil.

Pour the batter into the molds, filling them only halfway because idlis will rise while steaming.

Boil water in a pressure cooker or idli steamer.

Steam the idlis for 10-12 minutes.

Check doneness by inserting a knife or toothpick – it should come out clean.

Serving Suggestions:

Coconut chutney

Sambar

Tomato chutney or moong dal chutney.

Tips:

Adding fenugreek seeds improves aroma and fermentation.

 Keep the batter at a warm, room temperature for good fermentation. Too cold or too hot will affect fermentation.

 Batter consistency should neither be too thick nor too thin.

Steam idlis in a pressure cooker without the weight/whistle. Using the weight can mak

e idlis hard.