idli dosa batter

This Idli Dosa Batter is a no-fail Instant Pot recipe for fermenting the perfect batter so you can make pillow-soft idlis or crispy-thin dosas at home.

Idli Dosa Batter Recipe

idli rice ((see notes))

urad dal (whole

methi seeds ((fenugreek seeds))

water

salt

Rinse rice 2-3 times, until the water runs clear. Soak in enough water for 6 hours or overnight.

Rinse dal 2-3 times until water runs clear. Soak in enough water along with fenugreek seeds, for 6 hours to overnight.

Soak Rice and Dal Separately

Drain water from rice and add to the blender. Add 1½ cups of ice-cold water and grind to a smooth paste using the smoothie button. If needed, add another ½-cup water to get a fine consistency. Transfer this batter to the same Instant pot insert.

Drain the water from dal and add to a high-power blender. Add 1¼ cups of ice-cold water and grind to a smooth paste using the smoothie button. If needed, add another ¼ cup water till you get a pancake batter-like consistency. Transfer the batter to the instant pot steel insert.

Blend Rice &amp; Dal Separately

Add salt and mix the batter well, for one-to-two minutes. At this point, the consistency of the batter should be like pancake batter - neither too thick nor runny.

Add Salt &amp; Mix

Place the steel insert in the Instant Pot. Cover with a glass lid (not the Instant Pot lid as batter might jam the seal).

Select Yogurt mode and set a time for 12 hours using the +/- buttons. Adjust to &#039;less&#039; or &#039;low&#039; mode. At the end of this time, the batter should have risen to almost double in size and should look slightly frothy. If it doesn&#039;t look fermented, cover the lid and set it on yogurt mode for another 1-2 hours. (The total time varies between 12-14 hours depending on the climate, variety of rice and dal.)

Ferment Batter in Instant Pot

Transfer the batter to a large bowl with enough capacity to handle the fermented batter (almost double in size). Add salt and mix as per directions.

Place it in the oven with the oven light on. Leave it for 12 hours or overnight. For extra insurance against the batter overflowing, place a baking sheet underneath.

Fermenting Batter in the Oven

Grease an idli mold and spoon in the fermented batter, till about 3/4th full. Don&#039;t overfill.

Place 2 cups of water into the steel inner pot of the Instant Pot, then place in the filled idli stand.

Secure the lid, close the pressure valve, vent set to &#039;VENTING&#039;. Select &#039;Steam&#039; and cook for 12 minute at High Pressure. The in-build timer of the Instant Pot doesn&#039;t work on steam mode, so set an external timer for 12 minutes.

Remove the idly stand and let it rest for 1-2 minutes. This prevents the idli from sticking to the mold. Using a pairing knife, run around the mold to release the idli from the mold. Serve warm with sambar or coconut chutney.

To Make Idli:

Pour 1 cup of batter into a bowl.

Slowly add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the batter is slightly runny (you may need 3-4 tablespoons of water total).

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, drizzle a few drops of oil. Then using tongs wipe it off with a wet kitchen towel. This creates an evenly heated surface for dosa.

Ladle about 1/2-cup batter onto the center of the pan, and using the back of the ladle, spread it around the pan in circular motion, till it creates a smooth and even layer. Cook for about 30-40 seconds. The edges of the dosa lift from the pan when the bottom side is done.

Sprinkle a few drops of oil on top, then flip and cook the other side for 30 seconds. Serve with sambar, coconut chutney, or stuff with spiced potatoes for masala dosa.

To Make Dosa:

Add a few tablespoons of water to adjust the batter to a flowing pancake batter-like consistency. (for uttapam, I keep the batter thicker than dosa, so I only use 1-2 Tablespoons of water).

Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat, drizzle a few drops of oil, then ladle the batter onto the pan and spread it a little to make an even disc. Cook for 30-45 seconds, till the bottom is golden brown.

Sprinkle with diced tomatoes, onions and/or green chilis, and chopped cilantro, then flip and cook the other side for 30 seconds. Serve uttapam with sambar.

To Make Uttapam:

Step by step process to make Idli Dosa Batter at home! This no fail recipe will make sure you master the technique in no time!

Idli Dosa Batter

urad dal

fenugreek seeds

idli rice (800 grams)

sendha namak (rock salt)

Rinse the urad dal under running water. Then soak the dal in enough water (2-3 cups) for around 5 to 6 hours.  Add 1 teaspoon methi seeds to the dal while it&#x27;s soaking.

Rinse the rice under running water until water turns clear. Then soak the rice in enough water for around 5 to 6 hours, same time as the dal.

After 5 to 6 hours have passed, drain the water from the dal.  Transfer the dal to the blender (or any grinder that you use).

Add 1.25 (10 oz) to 1.5 cups (12 oz) ice cold water and grind the dal to a fine paste. I use my blendtec and press the smoothie or soup button usually.Transfer the ground dal to the steel pot of your Instant Pot (if using IP to ferment the batter) or to any other large container.

Now drain the rice and add it to the same blender along with 1.5 (12 oz) to 2 cups (16 oz) ice cold water. Grind rice to a smooth paste. The amount of water will depend on the type of rice/dal you use.  So, start with lesser amount and add more water as needed.

Now, transfer the  ground rice to the same pot as the dal. Add sendha namak (rock salt) to the rice and dal mixture.

Now, start using your hands and mix the salt and the batter together for 1-2 minutes using your hands. Mixing by hands help in fermentation process.

The consistency of the batter should be free flowing, but it shouldn&#x27;t be runny. 

Now cover the pot with a glass lid (if using Instant Pot) or with any other lid if using regular container. The reason I use glass lid for fermenting the batter in Instant Pot and not it&#x27;s regular lid is because the batter may overflow and that can lock the lid. So it&#x27;s better to use a glass lid.

If using Instant Pot for fermentation, now press the Yogurt button. Increase the time to 12-14 hours. The time will depend on where you live. Here it takes around 12-14 hours for the batter to ferment.If not using an Instant Pot, cover the container and place in an oven with lights on (especially if you live in a cold place). If you live in a very warm place, then simply keep the batter on the counter to ferment.

After 14 hours, my batter was well fermented. It had increased in volume and was frothy and bubbly. To check you can also drop a small drop of batter in a bowl with clean water. The batter should float which means it&#x27;s fermented. If not then it needs more time for fermentation.You can now use this idli dosa batter to make soft idli and crisp dosa!

To make idli: grease idli plates and then fill them with the batter. Steam in a steamer for 10 to 12 minutes on high heat or in an Instant Pot for 13 mins with pressure valve in venting position (with 1 cup water in the pot to generate steam).Please note that when IP is in venting position, it doesn&#x27;t display the time, so use an external timer.Cool for a minute or two and take idlis out of plates. Serve with sambar and coconut chutney.Also make crisp dosa with the same batter!

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Idli Dosa Batter Recipe

Idli Dosa Batter

Top 2 idli dosa batter recipes from across the web

The most viewed idli dosa batter recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Idli Dosa Batter Recipe

Idli Dosa Batter

The most viewed idli dosa batter recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine