Having grown up eating the Kerala style idly, I was always intrigued by the grainy texture of the idlies we ate in various parts of Karnataka. And after moving to Bangalore, I fell head over heels in love with them – Bangalore darshnis are absolutely the best place to try idly in my experience. My personal favourite joint is SLV at Ragi gudda.

So if you are in love with Bangalore idlies like I am, this recipe is dedicated to you.

Ingredients:

1 cup idly rava (this is not the usual rava. Idly rava is made by grinding parboiled rice)
1 cup black gram/ urad dal (traditionally, this would be ½ cup)
¼ cup beaten rice/ poha or cooked rice (optional)
¼ tsp fenugreek/ methi seeds
water, oil, salt as needed

Equipment:

Food processor/ wet grinder/ Mixie
Idly moulds
Steamer

Recipe:

Soak the idly rava in sufficient water. Separately, soak the dal along with methi seeds.

Let these soak for 4-8 hours.

Soak poha for 20 min in just enough water to cover it.

Drain the dal and reserve the water. Grind it along with the poha/ cooked rice, using the reserved water to bring it to a smooth, thick batter consistency.

Mix the batters with the idly rava. Place this batter in a large vessel as it will rise.

Cover with a cloth or a lid and let it ferment for about 8-10 hours.
This process works great in summers, but if the room temperature is under 25°C, the results can be a bit disappointing. To counter this, you could place the vessel with the batter inside a casserole, warmed up pressure cooker or pre-heated (40°C) oven.

Mix the batter, add salt.

Prepare the steamer. If you are using a pressure cooker, remember to remove the vent, pour about an inch of water inside, and bring to a boil.

Smear oil on the idly moulds to prevent sticking. Pour the batter into them and steam for 10 min. For best results, let the idlies rest for another 5 minutes before you take them out of the moulds.

Serve hot with chutney and sambar.

Note: The batter can be refrigerated upto 3 days.

Tips: I know we all love to wash the rice and dal to remove any chemical residues, but this also washes off the precious bacteria that help in the rising process. I’ve seen better results when I don’t wash the rice and dal. Use organic ingredients to skimp on the chemicals.