Idli and dosa recipe: South Indian breakfast at home in Poland

Idli are small, fluffy steamed rice cakes, and dosa is a thin, crisp pancake cooked on a pan. Both come from the same fermented batter of idli rice and hulled urad dal (black gram, sold in Polish shops as black lentils). In South India they are a breakfast, served with sambar and coconut chutney. If there is no South Indian restaurant near you, the batter is easy to make at home.

Which rice to use for idli

The batter needs idli rice, a short-grain parboiled rice. It ferments well and gives soft idli that do not stick. Jasmine or basmati rice gives a poorer result. In Telugu, rice is biyyam, so recipes and packs from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana say idli biyyam. Coarsely ground idli rice is sold as idli rava. In Polish shops the pack is labelled "ryż do idli". Telugu Foods and India Gate both sell idli rice.

The second ingredient is hulled white urad dal. It makes the batter light and airy. On Polish labels look for "soczewica czarna połówki łuskane" with "urid dal" or "urad dal" beside it. More about the kinds of dal in types of dal.

Idli and dosa batter

Ingredients (makes about 24 idli or 12 dosas):

• 3 cups idli rice,
• 1 cup hulled white urad dal,
• half a teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi),
• 1½ teaspoons salt,
• cold water for grinding.

Method:

1. Rinse the rice and the urad dal separately, several times. Add the fenugreek to the urad dal.
2. Soak both separately in cold water for 5 to 6 hours.
3. Drain the urad dal and blend it with a little cold water into a smooth, fluffy paste.
4. Drain the rice and blend it separately. The rice batter can be slightly grainy, like fine semolina.
5. Combine both in a large bowl, add the salt and mix by hand for a minute.
6. Cover the bowl and leave it somewhere warm for 8 to 14 hours. The batter should nearly double, show bubbles and smell slightly sour.

A Polish flat in autumn and winter is often too cool for a quick ferment. Put the bowl in the oven with only the oven light switched on, or near a radiator. In summer the kitchen counter is enough.

Idli recipe

1. Stir the risen batter gently. Do not add water: idli batter should be thick.
2. Oil the idli moulds and fill them three-quarters full.
3. Pour water into an idli steamer or a large pot with a steamer insert and bring it to the boil.
4. Put in the moulds, cover and steam over a medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Insert a toothpick: if it comes out clean, the idli are done. Wait 5 minutes and lift them out with a wet spoon.

Dosa recipe

1. Take out part of the batter and thin it with water to the thickness of double cream.
2. Heat a cast-iron or non-stick pan. Sprinkle water on it: if a drop sizzles and steams, the heat is right.
3. Pour a ladle of batter into the middle and spread it thinly with the back of the ladle in a spiral from the centre outwards.
4. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil or ghee over the edges and the middle.
5. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the underside is golden and crisp. A plain dosa does not need turning.
6. Fold the dosa in half or roll it up. For masala dosa, put a spoonful of potatoes cooked with onion, mustard seeds, turmeric and curry leaves on it before folding.

Keep the batter in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. It gets more sour every day, which suits dosa well.

Where to buy idli rice and urad dal in Poland

Idli rice is on the page idli rice Telugu Foods 1 kg, and in a larger pack as India Gate idli rice 5 kg. White urad dal is for example urid dal split Udhaiyam, and a steel steamer with moulds is the idli pot with 8 plates. Little India has shops in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk and ships orders online.