Fermented Idli Batter (Rice and Urad blend)

Print Recipe

Fermented Idli Batter (Rice and Urad blend)

Four Ingredients. Five Steps. Fermented goodness is easier than you may think!

Prep Time15 mins

Resting Time16 hrs

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: allium free, gluten-free, Low FODMAP, no commercial yeast, oil free, plant-based, vegan

Servings:

Calories: 131kcal

Ingredients

1 cup urad gota or split urad lentils (matpe lentils)
1.5 cups long grain rice (substitute whole quinoa or buckwheat groats
1/3 cup thick or thin Poha (flattened rice)
2 cups water

Instructions

Combine the urad lentils and long grain rice in a large bowl and rinse thoroughly. Soak in about 5 cups of water for 6-8 hours. I allow it to sit overnight.
Remove 2 cups of water from the soaked rice/urad mixture and discard the rest. Rinse and strain the mixture.
Add 1/3 cup poha (flattened rice) and the 2 cups of water saved earlier to the mixture (substitute fresh water if needed). Blend into a cake batter-like consistency with a fine, gritty texture.
Transfer the batter back to the large bowl and cover with a lid. Allow to ferment for 6+ hours, stirring periodically to aerate.
Once fermented you can use it immediately, or store it for later use. If you're storing it, package the batter in a lidded container being sure to fill it only 2/3 of the way. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in a freezer for ~3 months. Add salt to taste before use.

Notes

The soaking process is necessary for proper fermentation. Do not bypass or accelerate this step as it will dramatically increase the fermentation time.

Having too thick of a batter will increase fermentation time. If after blending your batter you realize more water is needed to achieve the desired 'cake batter' consistency, stir the water into your mixture using a spatula. Using the blender for this step could result in a more 'finely' ground texture than is undesirable.

Fermentation timing depends on several factors including moisture levels and ambient temperature. On average, whether I use an Instant Pot or not, this batter ferments in 12 hours. However, there have been a few instances when I've taken shortcuts in my soak time, or had a thicker batter that normal and it has taken as long as 30 hours. In general, I recommend stirring the batter every 8 hours or so to aerate it.

If you get a little heavy handed with the water and have a runny batter, don't throw it out. Proceed through the fermentation step as planned. After fermentation, transfer the batter to a container that is taller than it is wide, cover with a fitted lid and store it in the fridge. The excess water will separate in about 4-6 hours (or overnight) and you can pour it off at that point...leaving you with a batter that is totally usable.

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