Method:

Soak the urad dal and fenugreek seeds together in enough water for 3 hours. Soak the rice in a separate bowl with enough water for 3 hours.

Blend the Urad dal and fenugreek together in a mixer till batter is smooth and fluffy, add little water, as it requires. (The batter consistency should be thicker than dosa batter).

Blend rice into a smooth batter, add this to the prepared urad batter, combine the urad paste and rice paste together in a container, cover it and keep aside to fermentation for overnight. ( keep in a warm place).

{TIPS: If you live in a cold region / winter season add salt after preparing the batter before fermentation OR Add 1/2 tsp of cooking soda and mix the batter after preparation of the batter and keep in a warm place by covering the container, the taste of idli will not change and you get a smooth Idli OR add 1 tbs of curd after grinding before fermentation.}

Next morning, stir the fermented batter, add salt and cooking soda (optional) mix well.

Take an idli steamer/pressure cooker, add some water at bottom of the pan, keep in a low flame.Grease the idli mold with oil, pour the batter into the mold with a spoon or ladle. Keep the idli mold in the steamer/ pressure cooker cover the lid, if you are preparing the idli in a pressure cooker remove the weight/whistle from the lid cover a steel glass. Steam it for 10-12 min in a high flame.

When it is done remove the idli mold and carefully remove the idli in a flat spoon ( Don’t overcook as it becomes hard).

Serve hot with sambar /chutney and vada.

Tips –

Another version to make Idli –

Quantity to serve 2 person –

Boiled rice (kusulakki) – 1 cup

Urad dal – 1/2 cup

Methi seeds – 1/2 Tsp

Method –

Soak urad dal and methi together and soak rice separately for 4 to 5 hr.

Grind soaked urad dal to a super fine paste by adding water, then grind soaked rice to a fine paste combine together to idli batter consistency, keep it to ferment overnight. Follow the same procedure as shown above.