Ragi Idli

Soaking rice and lentils

1. In a bowl, rinse the rice a couple of times. Then add 1 to 1.5 cups water and set aside.
2. Rinse ¼ cup thick poha once or twice and add to the rice. Mix well. Cover and keep aside for 4 to 5 hours.
3. In another bowl take urad dal and fenugreek seeds. Rinse for a couple of times and soak both the urad dal with the fenugreek seeds in 1 cup water for 4 to 5 hours.

Making ragi idli batter

1. After 4 to 5 hours, drain the urad dal and add in a grinder jar.
2. Grind the urad dal and methi seeds till you get a smooth and fluffy batter. Add water in parts while grinding. I used a total of ½ cup water for grinding the urad dal. Take the urad dal batter in a bowl or pan.
3. Next drain the rice & poha and add them to the same grinder jar. Depending on your jar capacity, you can grind the rice in two to three batches. For the first round I added ½ cup water and for the next round I added ¼ cup water. So overall I added ¾ cup water for grinding rice.
4. Grind the rice grains till smooth or a fine granular consistency in the batter is also fine.
5. Pour the rice batter in the same bowl having the urad dal batter.
6. Mix both the batters very well.
7. Now add 1 cup ragi flour and ½ cup water. You can adjust the water amount here depending on the consistency of the batter.
8. Mix very well with a spoon or with your hands. Break the lumps if any. Mix to a smooth batter. A bit of handwork is required while mixing the ragi flour with the idli batter.
9. Cover the bowl or pan with a lid and let it ferment overnight or for 8 to 9 hours or more depending on the temperature conditions in your city. The batter will increase in volume and double up.
10. If the batter does not increase in volume, then just add ¼ teaspoon baking soda in the batter. Mix very well and then proceed to steaming the ragi idli.
11. Add salt and mix very well. I added salt the next day due to it being a cold season here. In a warmer climate, add salt before you keep the batter for fermentation.

Steaming ragi idli

1. Grease the idli moulds with oil. Pour the batter in the idli moulds.
2. Before placing the idli stand, add 2 to 2.5 cups water in an electric cooker or steamer or pressure cooker. Bring this water to a boil.
3. Then place the idli stand in the hot water. For an electric cooker and steamer cover with its lid and steam. For pressure cooker, remove the vent weight/whistle from the cooker and secure the lid tightly on the cooker.
4. Steam ragi idli for 12 to 15 minutes. Depending on the equipment you have used, it may takes less or more time. 
5. A tooth pick inserted in the center of the ragi idlis should come out clean and not be sticky. Allow a standing time of 1 to 2 minutes. 
6. You can steam the ragi idli in batches. The leftover batter can be refrigerated and you can make dosa or uttapam.
7. Dip a spoon or butter knife in water and slid them through the idlis. Remove and place the ragi idli in a warm container like a casserole.
8. Serve ragi idli with coconut chutney and veg sambar. 
9. For kids you can also serve with a mix of thin coconut milk and jaggery. Simply dissolve the jaggery with thin coconut milk and serve with the nachni idli. For flavor you can add some cardamom powder to this solution.