I used to be terrified of the idea of fermenting foods. It seemed like a process that had to be done in a lab. But people around the world have been fermenting foods for millennia–perhaps even farther back than written language. So if their relatively primitive dwellings were sufficient, I’m sure even our most humble of home kitchens is perfectly suited for this.

Fermentation transforms foods that are tough on the body’s digestive system, like lentils, legumes and grains, into gut-friendly ingredients. The diverse microflora in fermented foods digest these foods into nutrients that our bodies can absorb more readily. The benefits don’t end there. The process of fermentation has several other side effects that support our overall immune system.

This post outlines the simple process of making traditional, baker’s yeast-free fermented idli batter. Idli is an old-world Indian, steam-cooked bread that has endless modern-day possibilities. All you need to make this batter are four ingredients (including water), a largish bowl, a blender and a warm place for the batter to ferment. Oh. And a plate or lid to cover the bowl during fermentation.

Once you master fermenting idli batter, feel free to check out other types of traditional, baker’s yeast-free fermented batter (like handvo) in later posts. They each have endless possibilities. 🙂