Idli / dosa batter (ready-made)
इडली बैटर · ಇಡ್ಲಿ ಹಿಟ್ಟು · இட்லி மாவு · ఇడ్లీ పిండి
Pantry
Idli, dosa, paddu, kotte kadubu — the everyday base a great many south Indian breakfasts start from rather than end at.
What to know
Sold already fermented and usually already salted, so taste before adding any. Fresh batter is idli-thick and needs loosening for dosa; batter a few days old is sour and thin, which suits a dosa and makes a flat, tight idli.
- Choosing it
- Buy it cold and check the pack is not domed — a swollen packet has over-fermented on the shelf and will taste sharp rather than sour.
- Storing it
- Refrigerated, four to five days, getting sourer each day. Let it come to room temperature before use; batter straight from the fridge sets sluggishly and steams unevenly.
- If you cannot get it
- Try: idli rice
Measures
- 1 cup ≈ 240 g
Cups here are the Indian 200 ml cup, not the 240 ml US cup — a common reason a recipe does not work. Weigh where you can; the grams are the figure we cook to.