How To Make Dosa

Idli · from the same batter

Idli from the same batter, soft every time.

The batter that makes a crisp dosa also makes a soft idli, as long as you do the opposite of what dosa needs: do not thin it, do not beat it, and do not spread it out. Fill the moulds, steam, and wait.

45 gBatter per idli
≈22Idlis per batch
10–12 minSteam
5 minRest

The batter

Use the plain dosa batter, which is 4 : 1 idli rice to urad dal by weight, exactly as it comes out of fermentation. A full batch (500 g of dry grain) gives about 1 kg of batter, which is roughly 22 idlis.

Batter per idli · 45 g, about 3 tablespoons
Thin it · no. It should fall off the ladle in a thick ribbon
Stir · once, gently. Beating knocks out the air that makes idli soft
Best · at peak rise, within 12 hours of fermenting. Older batter makes denser, sourer idlis
Dosa batter vs idli batterMany kitchens grind idli batter slightly coarser than dosa batter, like fine cream of wheat. If you mainly make idli, grind the rice 5 minutes less. The batter will still make good dosas.

Steaming

  1. Heat the steamer

    Pour water into the steamer or pressure cooker base to a depth of 3 cm, well below the lowest mould. Bring it to a full boil.

  2. Grease and fill

    Brush each mould lightly with oil. Take batter from the top of the container first, where it is lightest. Fill each mould three-quarters full, which is about 45 g.

  3. Steam

    Put the stand in, cover it, and steam over medium-high heat. If using a pressure cooker, remove the weight or whistle. Idli is steamed, not pressure cooked.

    Steam · 10–12 min from when the lid goes on
    Heat · medium-high, steam escaping steadily
    Ready whenA toothpick pushed into the centre of an idli comes out clean, and the tops are matt and spring back when pressed.

  4. Rest, then unmould

    Turn off the heat and leave the stand in the steamer, lid off, for 5 minutes. Unmoulding hot idlis tears them. Dip a spoon in water, run it around the edge of each idli, and lift it out.

    • Hard, dense idlisBatter under-fermented, over-thinned or stirred too hard. Check it doubled, and do not add water.
    • Flat with a dimpled topBatter over-fermented, or too thin. Use it within 12 hours of rising.
    • Sticky insideUnder-steamed. Give it 2 minutes more, and check with a toothpick.
    • Stuck to the mouldsNot greased, or unmoulded too hot. Rest 5 minutes and use a wet spoon.

    Can I use the same batter for idli and dosa?

    Yes. A fermented batter of 4 parts idli rice to 1 part urad dal makes both. Use it unthinned for idli, and thinned with 40 ml of water per 500 g for dosa.

    How long do you steam idli?

    10–12 minutes over boiling water, with the lid on and the pressure cooker weight removed, then 5 minutes resting before unmoulding.

    How do you store leftover idli?

    Refrigerate them in a closed container for up to 3 days, and steam them again for 3 minutes to reheat. They also freeze for a month.

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