24 Responses to “Idli – How-to Videos, A South Indian Treat!”

1. jyothi Says:
   November 24th, 2008 at 8:47 pm

   hello

   very nice tips and good video of making idli, thank you very much. I have been trying to make kaju katli and idli from so many years to make it perfect but never got the right and happy result, after seeing your kaju kathli recipe i tried and i came out perfect, no hassel of making syrup etc just you have shown a perfect and easy recipe, i need to try for idli now and let you know my result.

   Please show us how to make ssamosa and motichoor ladoo, i been trying for ladu so many days but not getting that soft ladus, plsss

   [Reply]

2. Todd Says:
   January 6th, 2009 at 6:01 pm

   Thanks Hetal and Anuja!! The idli came out awesome and delicious!!

   [Reply]

3. Federica Says:
   March 23rd, 2009 at 1:07 am

   Hallo Hetal and Anuja, thank you for sharing all this wonderful recipe in a clear and simple way!
   I really love idli, it’s my favorite breakfast, but where I live idli rava or cream of rice is impossible to find. Can I substitute it with rice flour?
   (your sooji version works great!)
   Thank you in advance for your answer
   best wishes
   Federica

   [Reply]

4. priya Says:
   May 24th, 2010 at 9:58 pm

   Hi,

   I have two issues. Hope to see your reply

   1. I used whole urad and the fermented batter has smell of urad which spoils the idli taste a bit. how to get rid off that?

   2. Can I use the same batter for making dosa?

   [Reply]

   

   hetal Reply:
   May 25th, 2010 at 3:31 am

   Hi Priya,

   1. Whole urad tends to be a little more potent than daal. Your batter may have over-fermented. Unfortunately, if it has a spoiled smell, you really cannot do anything with it. If anyone else has any solution, please feel free to chime in.

   2. Many people use the same batter for idli and dosa (thinning it down a bit). However, this recipe uses idli rava which has more texture. Dosa batter is usually ground pretty fine.

   [Reply]

   

   priya Reply:
   May 25th, 2010 at 9:48 pm

   Hetal,

   Thanks for the quick reply. you are doing great

   [Reply]

5. Helie Says:
   May 31st, 2010 at 2:48 pm

   I love idlis and I am super happy to see this recipe here. My South Indians friends were experts but I never knew the method and could not get my hands on the right method too.
   Thank you so much for this. You ladies rock. You help us women so much, especially those who are in countries outside India. I do not need to call me mom anymore!!! I am sure my men also may be your viewers,after all your recipes are so wonderful.

   I have a hamilton beech blender,mainly used to make smoothies. Can I try making batter in it?I don’t have access to a grinder.

   [Reply]

   

   hetal Reply:
   June 1st, 2010 at 3:31 pm

   Hi Helie,

   Thanks…glad you are finding SMTC useful! You can definitely use your blender but be sure not to run it for more than one minute at a time. The batter is thick and will burn out the motor if kept going to long.

   [Reply]

   

   Helie Reply:
   June 1st, 2010 at 10:50 pm

   Yes, I shall take care with the motor. Thanks anyways!!!

   [Reply]

6. sowmya Says:
   September 24th, 2010 at 7:20 pm

   Could u pls tell me how to freeze the idli and dosa batter
   this would be very helpful for me and my hubby as i am going to India in two weeks.So pls do reply as soon as possible.Thanks in advance.

   [Reply]

   

   hetal Reply:
   September 24th, 2010 at 8:36 pm

   Hi Sowmya,

   After the batter has fermented, just pour it into freezer safe containers (preferably just as big as your husband needs for one time usage) and freeze them. When he is ready to use it, he can either transfer the container from the freezer to the fridge the day before to thaw or just leave it out on the counter in the morning and it will be ready to use in the evening. Alternately, he can defrost the batter in the microwave using the DEFROST button. He will have to keep stirring the batter in between so that it defrosts evenly. Make sure he does not use the COOK button.

   [Reply]

   

   sowmya Reply:
   September 26th, 2010 at 1:15 am

   Hi Hetal,

   thank u soooooooo much.Today i made ur punjabi masala too for freezing.Thank u for everything.U both r very very helpful.Thank u!!!

   [Reply]

7. sana Says:
   November 15th, 2010 at 7:37 pm

   hi guys
   I have idli rice at home. can i follow the same mothod? if not what is the propotition to urid dal & rice? plz let me know. im waiting for ur reply

   [Reply]

8. Karthik Says:
   May 8th, 2011 at 5:28 am

   Some tips from my end.

   1. Substitute one measure of idli rava with flattened rice (or poha in hindi or aval in tamil). So, that would make it one measure of idli rava and one measure of flattened rice. This makes the idlis softer.

   2. The finer you grind the urad dhal, the softer the idlis would be.

   [Reply]

   

   hetal Reply:
   May 8th, 2011 at 9:10 pm

   Thanks for the tips and suggestions Karthik!

   [Reply]

9. Madhu Says:
   May 10th, 2011 at 5:19 pm

   Hello ladies,

   I use ponni boiled rice for idlis instead of idli rawa. Sometimes I use 1:2 dal and rice proportion and sometimes it’s 1:3. I also add methi seeds to it. No matter what I do, like keeping the batter in steel container, in warm oven with light on, over night, it just does not rise.
   What am I missing?
   Please advise.

   Thanks,
   Madhu

   [Reply]

   

   hetal Reply:
   May 11th, 2011 at 2:06 pm

   Hi Madhu,

   Using the Ponni boiled rice is similar to using idli rawa so that should not be the issue. For us, sometimes it takes more than overnight for the batter to ferment, especially in colder weather. Try keeping it a bit longer and see if it changes anything. If you soak in the morning and grind at night, the batter should be ready by the next evening for dinner.

   [Reply]

   

   Madhu Reply:
   May 11th, 2011 at 6:48 pm

   Thanks for yr reply Hetal. I’ll try keeping it for longer. Sometimes I get worried about spoiling the batter if I leave it outside for longer.
   I love yr recipes and yr website.

   Thanks,
   Madhu

   [Reply]

10. Fareeda Says:
    August 14th, 2011 at 11:13 am

    Can the idli mixture be poured into a glass pie plate and steamed in the microwave.

    Thanks

    [Reply]

    

    hetal Reply:
    August 15th, 2011 at 2:39 pm

    Hi Fareeda,

    I know they have microwave idli stands but we have honestly never tried steaming in a glass plate…maybe some of our other viewers can give their feedback.

    [Reply]

11. Haritha Says:
    September 25th, 2011 at 6:06 am

    Hi Sheeta and Anuja,

    I missed getting Indian mixer/grinder when I moved to US. I am planning to buy one here for making idli/dosa batter, grind spices and make chutneys. Please let me know which the best American substitute for Indian cooking. Also, I am planning to buy some cookware. Please let me know the one that you are using.

    Thanks
    Haritha

    [Reply]

    

    hetal Reply:
    September 26th, 2011 at 5:03 pm

    Hi Haritha,

    Premier (Super G) makes a nice and versatile mixie with several sized jars and a spice grinder, too. We don’t have one set of cookware because between the two of us, we have collected many different ones over the years. There are many good brands out there (Tools of the Trade and Farberware are good and reasonably priced stainless steel ones).

    [Reply]

12. Sonal Says:
    October 31st, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    Hi Hetal,

    can i use Idli rice instead of cooked rice?

    [Reply]

    

    hetal Reply:
    November 9th, 2011 at 3:15 pm

    Hi Sonal,

    I make this recipe without the cooked rice and it works well, too.

    [Reply]

Before asking any questions, please check to see if a similar question has already been answered. This will save us time and prevent duplicate questions.

Please be respectful when posting comments. All rude and inappropriate comments will be removed.

Name

Mail (will not be published)

Website

Click to cancel reply