Perfect Idli Dosa Batter In Vitamix

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 has made them popular and can be served at any meal of the day including lunch and dinner.

Perfect ratio for idli dosa batter

The 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 dal (lentil) ratio and rice. I used sona masoori rice and deskinned urad dal as it works for both idli and dosa.

I experimented with various proportions of dal and rice and settled at a 1:4 ratio. A higher percentage of dal gives a dominating taste to 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.

Any of the models like Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender, Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series, Vitamix 5200 Blender, or any other model will work well for making batter.

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 the 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.

In case, your Vitamix does not have the preset settings for frozen desserts, smoothies, and soups, you can manually start from 1 and gradually increase up to 10 (highest). Grind the batter for a total of one minute with 40-45 seconds on setting 10.

How to ferment idli dosa batter?

Before the idli dosa batter is ready for use, it must be fermented for 12-14 hours. Depending on where you live it can be as easy or difficult to ferment the dosa batter.

Fermenting dosa batter in cold temperatures is always challenging. In warm places, you can just leave the batter on the counter and it will ferment in 10-12 hours or even sooner.

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 minutes 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.

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 of 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). The batter can be refrigerated for 4-5 days.

FAQ

Top tip

• Soak the rice and dal in warm water for at least 12 hours to help with the fermentation process.
• To ferment in the oven, turn the keep warm setting on for 5 minutes and then turn it off. Place the batter in a bowl covered with a lid in the oven for about 12-14 hours.
• Avoid using an instant pot for fermenting as the lid can lock the instant pot and make it difficult to open. Covering the instant pot with a glass lid is a better option but has a risk of batter spilling in the instant pot after fermentation.

Don't forget to check out these Vitamix recipes

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• Watermelon Soda
• Sambar
• Coconut chutney

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