285 calories for 1 cup of  Idli Batter, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrates 61g, Protein 8.8g, Fat 0.6g. 

See how to make idli batter recipe | idli batter for soft idli | thick idli batter | sour idli batter | with 25 amazing images. 

Use this how to make idli batter recipe to make soft idlis. This is a 100% tried and tested idli batter recipe made hundreds of times by one of our team from South India.

Typically idli batter is made in South Indian homes once or twice a week. If you store the idli batter in the fridge for more time, it can turn extra sour. Hence the idli batter is made twice a week. With the same idli batter you can make sada dosa at home. So your idli batter can be used to make masala dosa, uttapamand appes.

South Indian breakfast or South Indian dinner is made using idli batter. To make dosas from idli batter, you need to add a little water to adjust the consistency. NOTE that you cannot make idlis from dosa batter as dosa batter consistency is very thin. See our dosa batter recipe to make dosas.

Is  Idli Batter healthy?

Yes and No, depends who is eating it. Idli batter is made from parboiled rice, urad dal, sour curds and Indian spices. Idli batter is mainly used for making idlis and dosas.

Let's understand the ingredients of khatta dhokla.

Urad Dal : 1 cup of cooked urad dal gives 69.30% of folic acid of your daily requirement of folate.  The folic acid in urad dal helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. Being rich in Phosphorus it works with Calcium to build our bones. See here for 10 super benefits of urad dal. 

Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Seeds) : 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds soaked overnight and consumed early in the morning on an empty stomach is a remarkable cure to control blood sugar levels for diabetics. Fenugreek seeds have been known to benefit the heart by way of reducing cholesterol levels in the blood. Fenugreek seeds have long been suggested to enhance breast milk production to lactating mums. A teaspoon of fenugreek seeds swallowed with half glass water is also a very well-known home remedy for diarrhoea. See detailed benefits of fenugreek seeds methi seeds.

What's the problem ?

Parboiled Rice (Ukda Chawal) : Parboiled Rice is also known as ukda chawal. The parboiled rice is made with the rice grain soaked, steamed and dried with the hull and finally the hull is removed. In the process of steaming water soluble B Vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin and niacin from the bran integrate into the grain, thus making parboiled rice superior to white rice. A smart option to use parboiled rice effectively would be to combine with a pulse to get a high quality protein. A cereal-pulse combo like in case of idli (parboiled rice with urad dal) would serve as a complete protein comprising of all the 9 essential amino acids that your body requires. And then to make up for the fiber, add veggies to your idli and serve it with coconut chutney. However, parboiled rice is high in carbs and thus not recommended for weight watchers and diabetics. Read is white rice and parboiled rice good for you?

Is Idli Batter safe for diabetics, heart and overweight individuals?

The issue of Idli Batter is that it uses 2 cups of rice and only 1/2 cup of urad dal in the batter. Hence the carb levels are high. So you may snack on a few pieces at best as this is a steamed Gujarati snack. Make sure you cut your carb levles during the meal and have some vegetables or dal. 

Is Idli Batter safe for healthy individuals?

Yes, Idli Batter is safe. Idli Batter is a fermented food which is easy to digest. Fermentation of foods increases the bioavailability of nutrients which helps the body to assimilate more nutrition. The microorganisms break down the complex protein, carbohydrates and fat efficiently thereby helping to assimilate more nutrients from the food. The bioavailability of proteins and Vitamin B content also increases.