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One of the primary steps while making idli or dosa at home is to make the batter. In order to achieve soft idlis and crispy dosas, it is important that your batter has the right consistency and ferments to perfection. This can be achieved while being mindful during the grinding process. Much like how whipping and beating are important to making the fluffiest cake, similarly, grinding ingredients in the right way is crucial to making idli and dosa.
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There are a few tips that can help you prepare the coarse batter, which would help you make fluffy idlis and crispy dosas. From grinding speed to the proportion of ingredients, every little step matters because it will affect the taste and texture of the dishes you are planning to make. Follow this quick guide to become an expert in cooking South Indian staples.
Quality Of Ingredients
Before anything, you need to check the quality of the ingredients you are planning to use to make the idli-dosa batter. Just because you will grind the ingredients and ferment the batter does not mean the quality of rice or lentils can be compromised. Parboiled idli rice and skinless split urad dal are the best varieties to use for the batter. They will ensure the texture of the best is perfect.
Proportion Of Ingredients
Next comes the proportion of dal and rice. The most widely accepted ratios are either 3:1 or 4:1 for rice and dal. If you add more rice or dal, it will affect the texture. You need the batter to be a little coarse. It will add texture to the idli and spread easily on a pan while making dosa. If the balance between the quantity of rice and lentils is right, you will witness that the dish will come out well.
Soaking Ingredients
Before you pour the ingredients into the grinder, soak them. Unlike pressure cooking, where you can wait for a couple of extra whistles for the ingredients to cook, you need to soak the ingredients so that they can easily blend. Soaking also makes the ingredients soft which adds to fluffiness and creamy texture. It also ensures that the batter ferments nicely. You must soak urad dal and rice in separate bowls for at least 4-6 hours.
Use A Wet Grinder
Instead of a blender, you must use a wet grinder to blend the ingredients. It will help to achieve a smooth texture of the batter without heating up the mixture, which can impact the process of fermentation. If you have a high powder blender at home, you can use that to combine the ingredients and make a smooth batch of batter for idli and dosa.
Add Water In Small Quantities
If you think that you will add an entire glass of water in the beginning to blend the ingredients, you might end up with a runny batch of batter. It is always a better idea to add water gradually while making sure that the batter achieves the desirable consistency. If you add less water while grinding, it will affect the consistency, texture, as well as fermentation process.
Time Of Grinding
How long you grind the ingredients will make a difference in the texture and fermentation of the batter. While you are grinding, you must ensure that the dal has a smooth consistency. It should be fluffy. However, the consistency of the rice batter should be coarse, just like the texture of semolina. You should grind dal and rice separately and mix them later.
Mixing And Fermentation
After combining blended urad and rice, make sure that the batter is not too runny or thick. Do a spoon test by dipping it in the batter. If the spoon’s back is well coated, the batter has the right consistency. You can also add a small amount of salt to the batter and keep the container in a warm space where the temperature remains between 25°C to 32°C. After 8-12 hours of fermentation, you can make idli or dosa.
