Instant Mixed Dal idlis require no rice or fermentation. Made in a spoonful of oil its a healthy, high protein meal and ideal for those avoiding rice as well as diabetics controlling the intake of high glycemic food.
After my extremely popular Mixed Dal Dosa-No Rice No Fermentation became the most viewed and tried recipe on my blog, I knew I had to try instant idlis with only dal and no rice and no fermentation. It was on my mind for some time when one of my readers queried about wanting to make idlis out of the dosa batter. I told her to put some Eno and steam it. She replied back within a day with pictures of beautifully steamed idlis. She had followed through by adding the Eno and gotten perfectly soft idlis!
Of course, me being me, couldn’t just settle for plain idlis. I wanted to add tarka to the batter for more flavor. These idlis are so flavorful,you can actually eat these plain,straight from the steamer! I also wanted to avoid the orange masoor dal as it imparts a slight pinkish/orangish hue to the batter. That hue is perfect when you are making dosas which are meant to be golden brown but not in idlis which should be whitish.I kept the same batter as the dosa, just replaced the Orange Masoor dal with the Arhar/toor dal. You can definitely make dosas from this batter,before adding the tarka and uttapams after adding tarka.
The idlis turned out super soft and tasted heavenly with Coconut Chatni (with frozen coconut) and Sambar. Some of the other dishes from the south Indian cuisine on my blog are
Daliye ka Dosa/Cracked Wheat Dosa
Saravana Bhavan Style Tomato Onion Chatni/Kara Chatni
and
Aloo ki sabzi for dosa/potatoes for dosa.
Here is the written recipe followed by the step by step pictorial one-
Mixed Dal Idli-No Rice No Fermentation
Equipment
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1 large bowl
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1 idli stand
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1 large pot or steamer
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1 measuring cups and spoons
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1 small pan
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup White Urad Dal
- 1/3 cup Yellow Moong Dal
- 1/3 cup Arhar/Toor Dal
- 1/3 cup Chana Dal
- Salt as per taste
- 1 1/2 tsp Eno/Fruit salt divided
- Water as needed for grinding
for Tarka/Vaghar
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp White Urad Dal
- 3 Green chilies chopped
- 10-12 curry leaves torn
Instructions
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Wash all dals together till water runs clear and soak overnight.
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Grind the dals with some water till smooth(Don’t add too much water, just enough to make a smooth batter)
for Tarka/Vaghar
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Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan.
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Add Mustard seeds and urad dal and cook till Urad dal turns golden(You may have to cover the pan as mustard seeds will crackle and splutter)
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Add chopped green chilies and curry leaves and stir.
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Add the tarka/vaghar to the dal batter
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Add salt and water as needed.
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Grease the idli molds with oil and put a large pot with about 3/4 inch water to boil,for steaming.
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In ONLY HALF THE BATTER,add 3/4 tsp Eno/Fruit Salt, you will see the batter froth.
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Mix well and put about 1 tbsp in each idli mold/cavity.
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Steam IMMEDIATELY(with lid on) for 15 minutes on medium for soft fluffy idlis.
Notes
Here is the step by step pictorial recipe-
Wash and soak all dals overnight
The dals will double, rinse,drain and grind to a smooth batter
Ingredients for tarka(tarka is optional)
Start the steamer
In hot oil, add mustard seeds and Urad dal, cook till dal turns golden. Add curry leaves and green chilies and stir and remove
Add tarka to the batter. Add salt and water if needed to thin out batter
In half the batter add Eno/fruit salt
Batter will start frothing immediately,mix well
Fill about 1 tbsp in each idli mold,( they will expand) and steam for 15 minutes.
Enjoy with coconut chatni and sambar
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Aanchal
Rupa
Can we let the batter ferment without adding eno/fruit salt?
Aanchal Gupta
Hi Rupa, since this is an instant idli recipe, I didn’t ferment the batter, instead used Eno. You could try fermenting it, though I have never made it that way.Please let me know how it turns out without eno and with fermentation.
Gayathri Rajesh
Yes…I tried the same with dash of lemon instead of eno.. and fermented it…..
It was quite spongy and fluffy………
Aanchal Gupta
Hi Gayathri,so happy to know that the idlis turned out soft,spongy and fluffy.Glad to know that you tried without Eno and instead fermented the batter. Thanks for the feedback.
Deepti
How did you ferment the batter? I never had success without yeast.
Aanchal Gupta
Hi Deepti, I ferment the traditional dosa batter by placing a red chili on the batter and putting in the oven overnight with oven light on. Keep batter away from the light, otherwise the heat from the light starts cooking the batter. We just want some indirect heat. Has always worked for me. I have explained it in my Brown Rice dosa and Daliya dosa post. Never used yeast.
sp
can we skip urad dal for making idli because people suffering with rumythoid ortharitis cannot take
Aanchal Gupta
Hi, I haven’t tried without Urad dal, so not sure how it would turn out
Shruti
Have you tried without chana dal? Does it turn out ok? Also can this idli be given in kids tiffin or it tastes and stays soft only when it is hot? thank you
Aanchal Gupta
Hi Shruti, yes it can be made without Chana dal. Replace with any other light colored dal. It stays soft even later. If I have to eat later, I usually wrap in a wet paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds to a minute. Comes out like freshly made.
Vidya
Hi Aanchal, You mean to say you kept a Chilly inside the batter or on a plate that covers the batter?what does it do really?How long for plz. plz provide bit more detailed steps for me as I have not done this yet
Aanchal Gupta
Hi Vidya, this recipe requires no fermentation. So no need to keep a chili on top of the batter. For batter that requires fermentation, placing a chili on top of the batter overnight helps to ferment quickly. I do it for the brown Rice dosa and Daliya dosa but not for the mixed dal dosa/ Idli as they are instant recipes and don’t need fermentation.
Vidya
Hi Aanchal, thanks. I wanted to know is it inside the batter or on a plate?plz clariify
Aanchal Gupta
Hi Vidya, place chili on the batter directly, and set aside for fermentation.
Lavina
Can we use baking powder or baking soda instead of eno?
Aanchal Gupta
I have not tried with baking soda and baking powder so can’t say how idlis will turn out. Eno gives best results without any after taste.
Dhanashree K
High protein and low carb idli recipe! Unexpectedly soft output, love all your recipes di.
Aanchal Gupta
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback. So happy to hear that you loved the hi protein low carb idlis.