South Indian food holds a special place in my heart, and nothing beats the comfort of soft, fluffy idlis made from scratch. I have been making homemade idli batter for years, and using the Instant Pot has made the fermentation process much easier and more reliable. The best part is that this versatile batter is not just for idlis; you can also use it to make delicious uttapams and dosas too!

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Idli is a soft, fluffy steamed cake made from a naturally fermented batter of rice and lentils. It is a staple breakfast or tiffin dish in South India and is loved for its light texture and wholesome flavor. Naturally gluten-free and vegan, idlis are easy to prepare with just a handful of pantry ingredients. If you enjoy South Indian flavors, be sure to try my recipes for crispy dosa, uttapam, quinoa idli, and quinoa dosa. too!

Steamed Idli's served with chutney and sambar

The secret to soft and fluffy idlis lies in perfectly fermented batter. Although I grew up in Western India, South Indian food was a regular part of our home cooking thanks to my mom. Her Idli, Dosa, and Uttapam were always a hit, and I am excited to share her tried-and-true idli batter recipe with you. I have so many fond memories of helping her measure the rice and lentils, and the joy of preparing one of my favorite childhood meals.

Idli Batter Proportions

There are a lot of variations out there with various proportions of rice and idli. My Mom always did a 1:3 urad daal to rice ratio for the perfect balance of carbs and proteins. She also adds a couple of other ingredients to enhance the texture and add nutrition!

Ingredient Notes

Idli Rice - Use short-grain, pearly white idli rice for the best results. You can easily find idli rice at most Indian grocery stores. If it’s not available, sona masoori is a great substitute. You can also use basmati rice in a pinch, though the texture may be slightly different.
Skinned Gota Urad Dal: For the best results, use whole skinned Gota urad dal, which is white and polished. This variety helps produce a smoother batter and results in whiter, fluffier idlis. While you can use regular skinned urad dal, it often contains traces of the black outer skin. These bits can affect the appearance and make the batter slightly grayish, leading to idlis that do not look as bright and white.
Poha - This is an optional ingredient, but highly recommended. Adding poha to the batter helps make the idlis softer and lighter in texture. Even a small amount can improve the fluffiness, so it’s a great addition if you want extra airy idlis.
Methi Seeds - AKA fenugreek seeds help speed up with fermentation process. If you live in warmer weather, you can skip them and still have a nicely fermented batter.
Sea Salt or Pink Himalayan Salt - Table salt, Iodized salt, and even refined kosher salt inhibit the growth of good bacteria during the fermentation process, so use whole, unrefined salts such as sea salt or pink Himalayan salt

Using a Blender Instead of an Idli Grinder

In many Indian homes, idli batter is traditionally made using a wet grinder, which creates an ultra-smooth and fluffy texture. Since I do not have an idli grinder, I use a high-speed blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix, which works well for achieving similar results. If you're using a standard blender or food processor, make sure it doesn't overheat during grinding. To prevent this, grind in smaller batches or add an ice cube to keep both the batter and the machine cool.

How to Make Idli Batter

Making Idli batter has three easy steps - soaking, blending, and fermenting. Here is steps by step photos for you:

Step 1: Soaking rice and Dal

Put the Idli Rice and Urad Dal in two separate mixing bowls or pots. Rinse them both a couple of times, draining out the water each time. Add methi seeds and poha to the rice bowl. Soak in water for 6 to 8 hours or overnight (photos 1 - 4)

Steps one through four of making idli batter

Step 2: Blending

Drain all the water out of both bowls. Firs blend Urad dal with cold water until the batter is smooth. Scrape the sides of the blender if any dal sticks to the sides of the blender, and blend again until smooth. If using Blendtec, use the smoothie function. Take out the batter in a large pot or Instant Pot insert.

Next, blend the drained rice with cold water, to make batter that is slightly coarse but not grainy. (photos 5 - 8)

steps five through eight of how to make idli batter

Add the rice batter to the urad dal batter. Add sea salt and mix well. You can use a silicone spatula or mix the batter well with your hands. If using the Instant Pot Insert, place the insert inside the Instant Pot and place a non-locking glass lid on top. Please do not use the Instant Pot lid, the fermenting process may sometimes cause overflow, leading the lid to get locked (photos 9 - 12)

steps nine through twelve of making batter ready for fermenting

Step 3: Fermenting

To ferment the batter using an Instant Pot, press the “Yogurt” (normal) function, which runs for 8 hours. Start checking around the 6-hour mark. If the batter begins to rise, you can remove the inner pot to prevent over-fermentation. Depending on the temperature in your kitchen, fermentation may take up to 12 hours. If needed, you can restart the “Yogurt” mode for another 3 to 4 hours.

Once fully fermented, the batter will double in volume and have a light, airy texture with a mild sour aroma. Idli batter typically takes 12 to 14 hours to ferment here in the USA. If it hasn't risen by then, give it a few more hours. However, fermenting too long can cause it to develop a sharp sour smell and affect the taste.

No Instant Pot? Simply cover the batter and place it in a warm spot, like the oven with the light on, for 10 to 12 hours.

steps thirteen through sixteen of the fermented idli batter

Storage

Once the batter is fermented, use it right away to make Idli, Dosa, or Uttapam. If you are prepping the batter ahead of time, you can refrigerate it for up to a week. Bring the Idli batter to room temperature by taking it out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before you are ready to cook. You can also freeze the batter for a few weeks.

Tips

Make sure to use cold water when blending rice and lentils
Blend the urad dal to a smooth consistency, while the rice batter should be slightly coarse
Use a nonlocking lid on the Instant Pot when starting the fermentation process. Sometimes, over-fermentation can cause the batter to overflow or can even lock the Instant Pot lid
If you do not have an Instant Pot, simply put the pot of batter covered in a warm place or inside the oven with the oven lights on
The water proportions for blending the batter are based on the exact ingredients I use. If you use different rice or use urad dal instead of gota urad dal, you may need more or less water

Indian Cooking 101 Essentials

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Recipe

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4.71 from 44 votes

How to make Idli Batter

Make the perfect Idli batter using just a handful of pantry ingredients and use it to make light & soft idlis as well as crispy dosas and fluffy uttapam with crispy edges

Prep Time20

Cook Time0

Soaking & Fermenting Time20

Total Time20 20

Course: Brunch, dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 8

Calories: 373kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Equipment

Recipe Video

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup urad dal skinned, gota dal
▢ 3 cups idli rice
▢ ½ cup poha
▢ 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
▢ 2 teaspoons sea salt or pink himalayan salt
▢ 2¾ cups water approx for grinding the batter

Instructions

Rinse the urad dal well and then soak in 2 cups of water for 6 to 8 hours or overnight
Rinse the idli rice well and then soak it in 4 cups of water along with fenugreek seeds and poha for 6 to 8 hours or overnight
Drain the water out completely from the urad dal and add it to a high-speed blender. Add 1¼ cups of water and blend until the batter is smooth. Take out the batter in the Instant Pot insert or in a large stainless steel pot.
Drain the water out completely from the rice and add it to the blender. Add 1½ cups of water and blend until slightly grainy. Pour the batter over the lentils batter. Add salt and mix well. You can use a silicone spatula or mix by hand.
Place the Instant Pot insert inside of the Instant Pot casing and place a non locking glass lid over it. Press the Yogurt(normal) mode and allow it to ferment for 8 hours. Keep an eye on the batter after 6 hours or so, if it starts to rise, you make want to take out the inner pot. Depending on the temperature in your kitchen, it may take up to 12 hours for the batter to fully ferment. So after the initial 8 hours, if needed you can then select the "Yogurt" mode again and let it ferment for additional 4 hours or so. Where I live it takes about 12 to 14 hours for the batter to fully ferment.
Once fermented the batter will double up its volume and will be light and airy. It will also have a slight sour smell to it. Give a quick stir and you are ready to use it.
This recipe makes 8 cups of batter which makes 32 to 36 idlis or 16 dosa/uttapam

Notes

Make sure to use cold water when blending rice and lentils
Blend urad dal to smooth consistency while the rice should be slightly coarse
Use a non locking lid on the Instant Pot when start the fermentation process. Sometimes, over fermentation can cause the batter to overflow or can even lock the Instant Pot lid
If you do not have an Instant Pot, simply put the pot of batter covered in a warm place or inside the oven with the oven lights on
The water proportions for blending the batter is based on the exact ingredients I use. If you use different rice or use urad dal instead of the gota urad dal you may need more or less water

Nutrition

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Filed Under

Indian Cooking Basics 101 Vegan Instant Pot & Pressure Cooker Lentils Rice

Comments

4.71 from 44 votes (33 ratings without comment)