How to make soft idli?

Idli is one of the most popular food of South India. Most of the days in a week, the breakfast would be idli's. It is served with a varieties of chutneys, sambhars and idli milagai podi. Making soft and fluffy idli's is really a big deal. Some tips on making soft idli's.

Rice - 4 cups

urad dhal - 1 cup

Fenugreek (methi seeds) - 1 tsp

salt (kosher salt preferably)

• Soak the rice and urad dhal separately for about 4 hrs. 
  
• Add methi seeds to urad dhal and soak it. 
  
• Do not wash the urad dhal thoroughly. This will wash away the yeast, that helps in fermentation. Grind urad dhal first finely.
  
• Then grind rice little coarse.
  
• Always add cold water when you grind the ingredients. This is because the appliance you use (mixi or grinder) gets heated, and as a result, the batter will not be suitable for fluffy idli's.
  
• Then add the salt and mix it thoroughly until everything blends well. 
  
• Adding kosher salt helps in fermentation.
  
• Keeping the batter in aluminium container. The container should have enough room to hold the fermented batter. 
• Then place it in a warm place like oven and let it ferment overnight.
  
• When the batter is fermented, do not add water to it. To make idli's, the batter should not be watery. It should be little thick and full.
  
• Grease the idli stand with oil. Steam in a cooker ( with out weight ) for 15mins ~.
  
• To check, if the idli's has been cooked, just touch (carefully) the steam for a second, in your hand and smell it. If you smell the idli it means, done!

 I use the same proportion for making idli and dosa. Only the consistency differs. For idli, the batter should be little thick. So I take some portion of the batter and have it for idli and the rest, I would add little water to it and keep it for making dosa's.

Soft idli's and crispy dosa's!! yum!!