Steamed Rice and Lentil Idli
Pillowy steamed rice cakes from a naturally fermented batter. Serve with coconut chutney or sambar.
By Vegan Cook. Published 1 August 2026
Ingredients
Serves 4.
- 300 grice (idli rice is ideal, but any short or medium-grain white rice works)
- 100 gurad dal (split black gram, a pale skinless lentil sold at Indian and Asian shops); it gives the batter its lift
- 1 tspfenugreek seeds (small amber seeds sold at Indian and Asian shops), optional
- as neededwater
- 1 tspsalt
Cookware
- Idli stand or plates
- Steamer or pressure cooker
- Wet grinder or blender
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Soak
Rinse the rice, and separately rinse the urad dal with the fenugreek seeds. Soak the dal and fenugreek in one bowl and the rice in another for 4 to 6 hours. Keeping them separate matters, because they grind to different textures.
- 02
Grind
Drain. Grind the dal to a light, airy batter and the rice to a slightly grainy one, adding a little fresh water as needed. Fold the two together with the salt, mixing well with your hand.
- 03
Ferment overnight
Cover and leave in a warm spot for 8 to 12 hours, until the batter has risen and smells pleasantly sour. This natural fermentation is what makes the idli soft and fluffy, so give it time. In a cold kitchen it may take longer.
- 04
Steam
Grease the moulds of an idli steamer (a special tray with small rounded cups; if you do not have one, use small greased heatproof bowls or a greased egg-poaching tray set inside a covered pot). Spoon in the batter to fill each cup, and steam over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- 05
Serve
Rest for 2 minutes, then loosen each idli with a wet spoon and lift out. Serve hot, usually with sambar or coconut chutney.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.