Steamed, pillow-soft rice and urad dal cakes from Tamil Nadu, eaten every morning with chutney and sambar. The batter is soaked, ground and fermented overnight, which is what gives idli its lightness.
Soak rice and dal
Rinse the idli rice and the urad dal separately, then soak them in plenty of water with the fenugreek seeds for six hours.
Grind to a batter
Drain the rice and dal, then grind the dal first to a light, fluffy paste, and the rice to a slightly coarse batter, adding water a little at a time.
15 minMix and ferment
Combine both batters with salt, mix well with your hand, and leave it to ferment in a warm spot for eight hours or overnight until it has risen and turned bubbly.
Grease the moulds
Grease the idli mould cavities with a little oil and spoon in the fermented batter, filling each cavity about three-quarters full.
Steam the idlis
Place the mould in a steamer over boiling water and steam for twelve minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
12 minRest and unmould
Let the idlis rest for two minutes, then unmould them gently with a wet spoon.
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