Idli: South India's steamed rice and lentil cakes explained

Idli is a soft, round steamed cake made from a fermented batter of rice and split black lentils, called urad dal, and it is one of the most common breakfast foods in South India. Idli is eaten warm with sambar and chutney, and it is simple enough to make at home with an idli steamer.

What is idli?

Idli (also spelled idly, and called idli in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada) is a steamed savoury cake from South Indian cooking. It is white, pillowy and mild in flavour, a little sour from fermentation, and usually about the size of the palm of a hand.

Idli belongs to the group of South Indian breakfast dishes called tiffin. Idli is not fried and uses little or no oil in the batter, so it has a light, plain taste that suits strongly flavoured sides. The Sri Periyava Dosa Bhavan menu list records the dish as Idly.

What is idli made of?

Idli is made from rice and urad dal, soaked, ground and fermented into a batter, then steamed. Salt is the only other common ingredient.

Rice and dal are measured by volume, and families use different ratios, commonly about two to four parts rice to one part dal. The exact ratio is a matter of preference and of the rice used.

How is idli batter made and fermented?

Idli batter is made by soaking rice and urad dal separately for four to six hours, grinding them to a smooth batter, mixing them with salt and leaving the batter in a warm place for 8 to 12 hours to ferment.

1. Rinse and soak the rice, and soak the dal separately.
2. Grind the dal until it is fluffy and light, then grind the rice slightly coarser.
3. Mix the two with salt, adding water to reach a thick pouring consistency.
4. Leave the batter covered in a warm corner until it rises and smells pleasantly sour.

Natural microbes in the grains and the kitchen drive the fermentation, which makes the batter rise and gives idli its soft texture. In a cold kitchen the batter can take longer, and cooks often leave it in a turned-off oven with the light on.

How is idli steamed?

Idli is steamed in an idli stand, a stack of round-dented trays set over boiling water in a pot or cooker. Each dent is greased lightly, filled about three-quarters with batter and steamed for 10 to 12 minutes.

Test an idli by pressing a skewer into the centre, and it should come out clean. Let the stand rest for a minute so the cakes loosen, then lift them out with a wet spoon. An electric idli cooker or a pressure cooker without its weight also works, as long as steam can circulate.

How do you eat idli?

Idli is eaten hot, torn into pieces by hand and dipped into sambar or chutney. It is a meal in itself, usually two or three idlis to a plate.

• With sambar: a lentil and vegetable stew, the classic partner.
• With coconut chutney: cool, mild and creamy, a common second dip.
• With podi: a dry spice powder of lentils and chili, mixed with ghee or sesame oil, called gunpowder in some restaurants.
• As idli vada: idli served next to a fried medu vada.

The Sri Periyava Dosa Bhavan list includes an Idly Vada Combo, which puts idli and vada on one plate with the usual sides.

What is the difference between idli and dosa?

Idli and dosa come from nearly the same batter, but idli is steamed into soft cakes and dosa is spread thin on a hot griddle until crisp. Idli batter is thicker and less rice-heavy in some homes, while dosa batter is thinned with water.

Dosa and idli can come from the same fermented batter, which is why many South Indian homes make both.

What are the main types of idli?

Several idli styles exist across South India, and they differ in shape, ingredients and size.

• Plain idli: the standard round cake of rice and urad dal.
• Rava idli: made with semolina and yogurt, quicker because it needs little fermentation. It is common in Karnataka.
• Thatte idli: a large flat plate-sized idli from Karnataka.
• Mallige idli: very soft, white idli, named after jasmine (mallige in Kannada).
• Kanchipuram idli: a spiced idli with pepper, cumin and ginger, linked to the town of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.
• Mini idli: small button-sized idlis, often served in sambar.

Where does idli come from?

The origin of idli is debated. South Indian food writers trace idli to Tamil, Kannada and Telugu kitchens, and some historians have suggested that the idea of steamed fermented cakes arrived from Indonesia, while others argue idli developed independently in India.

Early references to idli-like foods appear in old Kannada and Tamil texts, but the dish in its present form with a fermented rice and dal batter is often described as having settled in its modern shape over several centuries. No single date or inventor is established.

Is idli on the Sri Periyava Dosa Bhavan menu?

Yes. The partial menu list recorded for this guide includes Idly, described as steamed rice and lentil cakes served with sambar and chutney, and an Idly Vada Combo that pairs idli with vada. Prices were not confirmed, so none are listed here.

Reviewers also mention idli with sambar among the dishes they order most, according to the Spinach guide. The restaurant is in Surrey, BC, and its hours include an afternoon break and a Tuesday closing, so check the hours and location page before you go. This guide is independent and takes no orders. See the menu page for the full recorded list.

How do you store and serve idli at home?

Cooked idli keeps in the fridge for a day or two in a sealed container and freezes well for longer. Fermented idli batter keeps in the fridge for several days, though it grows more sour with time.

• Steam leftover idli for two to three minutes to soften it.
• Cut cold idli into pieces and stir-fry them with onion, curry leaves and spices for a quick snack.
• Serve idli with fresh chutney, since stored chutney loses its brightness.

Common questions

Looking for the basics? Sri Periyava Dosa Bhavan address and opening hours are on the home page.

This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Sri Periyava Dosa Bhavan itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.