The Ultimate South Indian Idli & Dosa Batter Guide
An Aattu Kallu or Rubbu Rolu, fixed in my Grandma’s old kitchen, brings back so many memories.
Wet grinding dosa/idli batter used to be, at the least, an hour long process. During my Grandma’s lifetime itself, around the late 80’s, the wet grinder made its way into many south Indian kitchens. It has undergone some major renovations, to be in the current form.
Like in many families, my weekend meal prep included making dosa/idli batter. When refrigerated, this batter can be used to make idli/dosa for the whole week. Here is the ratio of urad dal / idli rice for making the batter.
✨ 2-in-1 Batter for Dosa and Idli ✨
⏱️ Prep Time: 45 mins⏱️ Fermenting Time: Overnight or 7-8 hours🔥 Cook Time: 10 mins
📌 Ingredients
1 cup whole white urad dal
3 1/2 cups of idli rice
Optional 2-3 tablespoons of poha or flattened rice
Optional: 1 tablespoon of fenugreek or methi seeds
Water to wash and soak the ingedients
Salt as per taste
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
Soak ingredients: Wash and soak the dal and rice separately, for 7-8 hours or overnight. You can add the fenugreek seeds and flattened rice (optional) to the idli rice while soaking in ample amount of water.
Grind to batter: Using the wet grinder or mixer grind the soaked urad dal first. Then grind the soaked rice while adding adequate amount of water. Mix the two batter in the end with hand. The heat from the hand is said to give a good start to fermentation.
Fermentation:Fermentation is the key for the batter. Make sure to ferment for 7-8 hours, inside an oven (doesn’t need to be warm), with the light on, for colder places in winter.
Add salt: Do not add the salt before fermentation. Add it just before making the dosa or idli batch.
💡 Chef’s Note: Keep in a warm place like an over with light on, during winter, for good fermentation.
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