How to make Idli/Dosa batter / How to make soft idlis

How to make Idli/Dosa batter / How to make soft idlis:

        Making of Idli/ Dosa Batter seems to be a easy one but many would say that the idlis wont come soft and spoongy. After my marriage i too wont get soft idlis using this batter. Now i get soft and spoongy idlis and every one ask how it is like that. Here i want to say one thing that i learnt this making of idli/dosa batter  from my mil. She taught the simple tricks how to get soft idlis. Each and every thing is to be noted to get a spoongy idlis. Now let us see how to make the batter. The measurement may vary for each and every family . I use to measure in the ratio of 5:1 and some may use in the ratio of 4:1 (ie., 5 cups of idli rice and 1 cup of urad dhal). Here i am using the ratio of 5:1.

     

 Ingredients:

1. Idli rice - 5 cups ( Here i use Roja Brand Idli Rice)
2. Urad Dhal - 1 cup ( udhayam Brand)
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp

  Method:

• Wash the rice for 2- 3 times and soak it in a container.
• Wash the urad dhal and fenugreek seeds and soak in a container.
• The rice and urad dhal should be soak for 3 hrs.(i usually soak the rice at 4 pm and start to grind at 7 pm)
• First grind the urad dhal and fenugreek seeds. Add water in 1/2 cups first and then add by sprinkling, Use your hands to clean the sides of the grinder, so that the urad dhal in the sides of the grinder also get grinds.
  
  
  
  
• Sprinkle water in intervals . Grind for 30 minutes . Now You can find the volume of the grind dhal would have been increased to 10 times. For checking the right consistency i use the trick , you too can try that. Sprinkle water in a container and add one spoon of batter , now rotate the container , the batter will also rotate , now notice that the batter should not sticks to the container, this is the correct consistency (ie., the batter in butter consistency).
  
  
  
    
• Now switch off the grinder and tranfer to the box.
• The reason why we are grinding the urad dhal first is to rest the urad dhal for little fermentation process while grinding the rice.
  
• Now add the rice and add 3 cups of water and grind . Check the grinder walls and swipe with the hands so that all the rice gets grind.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Check the consistency , the batter should be soft enough while touching with the fingers.
• Switch off the grinder and add the urad dhal batter and mix well with hands. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Now transfer to the container to store.Now itself check the consistency of batter it should be in the idli batter consistency not too watery and not too thick. Leave it undisturbed for at-least   8 hrs. 
• I usually take this at morning 6 am.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Now add salt and mix it well.

Tips for soft Idlis:

• First add water to the idli steamer and allow it to boil.
  
  
  
  
• Meanwhile add the batter in the idli moulds and arrange in the position that the top idli mould plate should be in alternate ways. Here you can see some holes in the moulds these holes help the idli to be steamed using the water vapour. So the holes of the bottom plate should face the idli moulds for steaming. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Close the lid. After 10 min check the idli by running the spoon in it . If the idli is cooked we cant see any batter left in the spoon.
  
  
  
  
• Switch off the stove and allow it to cool.
• Now our soft idlis are ready.