Fermented Ragi Idli Recipe
Discover the fool-proof method of making soft, fluffy fermented Ragi Idli using ragi, lentils, and poha. A nutritious and light South Indian breakfast for all ages.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Ragi Flour
- 1 cup Idli Rice/Parboiled Rice/Broken Rice
- 1/2 cup White Split or Whole Urad Dal
- 1/4 cup Channa Dal/Bengal Gram
- 1/2 cup Flattened Rice/Poha
- 1 tbsp Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 tsp Rock Salt Rock salt is required for fermentation
- Salt to taste
- Oil/Ghee As required for greasing
- 250 ml Water or as required
Instructions
Soaking the Ingredients
- Take 1 cup idli rice/parboiled rice or short grain rice and 1/2 cup poha in a bowl. Wash it well. You can also make idli with basmati rice.
- Now, wash 1/2 cup white split or whole urad dal, 1/4th cup channa dal and 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds 3 to 4 times.
- Soak rice, poha, lentils and fenugreek seeds together for just 2-3 hours in a large bowl adding enough water.
For Batter
- Drain the water. Now add the contents in a jar with little water and grind the batter. Depending upon your jar capacity you can grind the batter in 2 or 3 batches. Add little more water if required. Don’t add too much water in one go. Add little at a time.
- Once the batter is smooth, empty the contents from the jar into a large steel bowl.
- Add roughly 1/2 cup of water to 1/2 cup ragi flour and make a smooth consistency batter. Make sure there are no lumps.
- Mix Ragi batter with rice and dal batter till it completely incorporates.
- Add 1 tsp rock salt. Cover the bowl with a lid and keep the batter in a dark warm place for 9 hours.
- The batter will double and become fluffy and airy with bubbles. Now add some more salt if required and give a gentle mix before making the idlis. Do not mix rigorously or you will loose the airiness of the batter.
For Cooking
- Bring water (roughly 3" above) in an idli maker to boil. Grease idli moulds with oil/ghee. Fill in the cavities.
- Steam the idlis in an idli maker for 10 or 11 minutes. After, you switch off the gas wait for a minute or two to open the steamer. To check if idli is cooked, insert toothpick at the centre. It should come out clean and shouldn't be sticky.
Notes
- The batter consistency should be thick and at the same time should have flowing consistency. The batter also becomes thin after fermentation.
- The time of fermentation will depend upon the temperature of the place you are at. If it is hot and humid, the batter will ferment in 8 hours. In winters batter might take more than 12 hours to ferment. In winters, keep it in a warm place, probably in a preheated oven and wrap the bowl with a warm cloth to speed up the fermentation process.