Idli and Dosa

2c. idli rice, washed
1c. urad dal, washed

Place the idli rice and urad dal in separate glass bowls. Cover generously with warm water and allow to soak for at least 4 hrs. Drain off extra water before blending.

In a blender, grind idli rice. Add about 1/4c. water at a time until the consistency is pourable but still slightly thick (think pancake batter). Grind for a few minutes to get a smooth batter. Pour into a large mixing bowl.

Now grind urad dal in the blender, adding water little by little to get a thick pourable batter. You do not need to wash or rinse the blender in between grinding idli rice and urad dal.

Add ural dal batter into the mixing bowl with idli rice batter. Stir and cover with a tea towel or cheese cloth. Place batter in the oven to ferment. I usually put the bowl on the top rack in my oven and leave the oven light on. Do not actually turn the oven on. The light should keep the oven warm enough for fermentation to happen.

Idli batter is ready when it has risen by about 50% and has a slight sour/fermented smell. This usually takes 12 hrs, but the longer you leave it in, the better it will taste! Add 1/2- 1tsp salt and stir.

I usually make idli on the first day, and then use the leftover batter to make dosas the next day.

Enjoy with chutney, milapodi, and sambar.