Both idli and dosa are made from rice and lentils. "Idli" is a type of savory steamed cake and "Dosa" is a crepe. They have originated from the southern part of India but are now very popular breakfast items almost everywhere in India. Idli and dosas are best served hot with sambar (lentil based vegetable stew) and chutneys. Ease of making and light on the palate have made them popular and can be served at any meal of the day including lunch and dinner.
Jump to:
- Perfect ratio for idli dosa batter
- Making the dosa and idli batter in Vitamix
- Can you make idli dosa batter in a food processor?
- Why not to use instant pot to ferment idli batter?
- How to ferment dosa batter in oven?
- What to do if idli batter is not fermented?
- How to use the idli dosa batter?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Perfect ratio for idli dosa batter
Key to good idli or dosa is its batter. If the batter is perfect they turn out truly awesome. And the key to a good batter is the ratio of dal (lentil) and rice. I use
I experimented with various proportions of dal and rice and have settled at 1:4 ratio. A higher ratio of dal gives a dominating taste of lentils. Hence, using the 1:4 ratio of dal and rice eliminates that taste, idlis are softer and dosas also turn out nice and crispy.
You can also make the batter using idli rice and urad dal. The ratio of 1:3 for urad dal and idli rice works fine as well.
Making the dosa and idli batter in Vitamix
Vitamix is one of the best blenders suitable for Indian cooking and it can grind idli, dosa and other batters to a very fine and smooth consistency.
To make the batter, first wash and soak the urad dal and sona masoori rice (1:4 ratio) in water for 10-12 hours. If you are using idli rice then use ratio of 1:3 for urad dal and idli rice.
Soaking dal and rice for a long helps in fermentation, especially in cold weather. They can be soaked and ground separately however, to keep things simple I grind both together along with salt and 1.5 cups of cold water in Vitamix.
Cold water is used so that the batter does not get warm during grinding in Vitamix. The "Smoothie" setting of Vitamix works best and the batter is ready in a couple of minutes.
Update: Incase, your Vitamix does not have the preset settings for frozen desserts, smoothies and soups, you can manually start from 1 and gradually increase upto 10 (highest). Grind the batter for a total of one minute with 40-45 seconds on setting 10.
Can you make idli dosa batter in a food processor?
Idli dosa batter is very fine and smooth. Only a powerful blender can grind dal and rice to the required consistency. Food processors cannot grind the idli dosa batter to a fine smooth consistency and the batter will still have coarse particles of dal and rice.
Why not to use instant pot to ferment idli batter?
Before the idli dosa batter is ready for use, it must be fermented for 12-14 hours. Nowadays there are recommendations for using the instant pot to ferment the idli-dosa batter.
I have tried and do not recommend this method at all. I kept the batter in the Instant Pot on sealing position after selecting the "Yogurt" setting overnight. The pot was about one third filled. To my horror, all the lights on the instant pot were lit with a C6 error message, the next morning.
And to make things worse, the lid was locked as well. I was scared and panicking as I was worried that the fermentation would continue and with no outlet, inside pressure would keep increasing.
How to open locked instant pot with dosa batter inside?
I was frantically searching for a solution online and the only recommendation I could find was to contact the customer support. I did contact them but got a standard response timeline of 24 hours.
Lucky for me, all this while my hubby was trying to somehow release the pressure through the two blocked valves. It took him close to an hour of shaking, poking and sucking to release the pressure so that the lid can be opened. We were very relieved and the only silver lining was that the batter was well fermented.
Yes, my instant pot still works fine but the above experience made me look for a better and less risky process of fermentation.
Should you use instant pot lid for fermenting idli dosa batter?
If you are thinking, covering the instant pot with a lid would solve this problem, it comes with its own risk and I have read about many incidents where batter has overflown into the instant pot which would be a really messy and frustrating situation to deal with.
How to ferment dosa batter in oven?
The good old oven works well for fermentation, especially in cold weather. Put the batter in a big glass or stainless steel container (less than half full), and cover it with a lid. Leave it in the oven for 12-14 hours.
In cold weather turn the oven on "warm" mode for 10 minute and then place the batter container in it for fermentation with a closed lid. After 12-14 hours, the batter will rise and will be bubbly and light. It will increase in volume and that means it has fermented well.
What to do if idli batter is not fermented?
Just in case if the idli batter has not fermented or has risen less, turn the oven on "warm" mode for 5 minutes and leave the batter inside for another hour or so. If you do not have the time, add about a teaspoon of fruit salt (Eno) and mix the batter, it will be ready to make idlis.
How to use the idli dosa batter?
This batter can be used for making idli, dosa, and uttapam. For making idli, the batter must drop freely but it should not be runny. Using 1.5 cups water while grinding usually works well and I have never had to add any water later for idlis or dosas. But if needed, you can add some water to get the desired consistency.
The idlis can be steamed in an idli stand for about 10-12 minutes. Add a little water if you are making uttapam (pancake version). Batter can be refrigerated for 4-5 days.
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📖 Recipe
Perfect Idli Dosa Batter in Vitamix
Equipment
- Convection Oven
Ingredients
Instructions
- Wash the rice and urad dal and soak for 10-12 hours.
- Discard the water and put the soaked dal and rice in vitamix. Add salt and 1 ½ cup cold water.
- Select the "Smoothie" setting in vitamix and let it complete the cycle.
- Transfer the batter into a clean bowl, cover it and place it in the oven for fermenting.
- Start the oven on "Warm" setting for 10 minutes and then turn it off.
- Leave the batter in the oven for fermentation for about 14 hours.
- Batter is ready for making idli or dosa.
- Mix the batter well before using. Add water if needed.
Notes
- Soaking dal and rice for long (10-12 hours) helps in fermentation, especially in cold weather.
- You can also make idli dosa batter with idli rice (1 ½ cup), urad dal (½ cup), cold water (1 ½ cup), 1 teaspoon salt.
Deb says
Hi, do you use 1.5 cups of water for both the 1:4 and 1:3 ratios? I’m planning to use 1:3 with idli rice and can never get the water/consistency right. Thanks!
Alpa Jain says
Hi Deb
1:4 ratio is for sona masoori rice. 1:3 ratio is for idly rice. Yes, I use 1.5 cup water for both. They both turn out perfect with these ratios. Once fermented, if you want to adjust the consistency you can add 1-2 tablespoon water. Hope this helps.
Regards
Alpa
Tejaswini says
Vitamix smells like burning i got e320 new.any suggestions?
Alpa Jain says
Hi Tejaswini,
Does it smell like burning when you make the batter or just otherwise? You can check this link on Vitamix and it looks like the burning smell in a new Vitamix is normal - https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/owners-resources/product-support/faqs/service-returns-troubleshooting
Hope this helps.
Regards
Alpa
SHRADDHA MADHANI says
Really soft and yumm !!!
Sejal says
Which vitamix do you use? I am thinking of purchasing one but only if I can use it for both batter and general use. I wondered if only certain models would work.
CulinaryShades says
Hi Sejal, I have an older model (6300) which may not be available now. I believe the newer models will be equally good or even better. From personal experience Vitamix works great for batter, smoothies and general blending.
Vidhi says
Idlis looks soft n fluffy…will surely give it a try!!
Meena says
Looks Yummy😋....
CulinaryShades says
Thankyou
Sundar says
For the idly/dosa batter in Vitamix,
What exactly is the smoothie setting? How long do u run it (or does it run)?
Mine has speed dial from 1 to 1o and a side pluse switch. I tried around 4 to 5, problem is batter gets very warm to borderline hot
CulinaryShades says
Hi Sundar,
Depending on the Vitamix model, you may have preset settings for smoothies, soups and frozen desserts. If you don't have the presets, you can manually increase the speed from 1-10. Smoothie setting runs about a minute starting from low to max (10) and it runs at the highest (10) for about 40-45 seconds. You can try increasing the speed gradually and let it run on speed 10 for about 40-45 seconds. Please ensure that you use cold water and all the water needed for the amount you are making. Running Vitamix at lower speeds like 4-5 will not make the batter fine, also it will take longer and will heat up the batter. Hope this helps.
Regards
ALpa
CulinaryShades says
Thankyou