Directions: 1.In a separate bowl, soak urad dal and fenugreek seeds with enough water overnight. 2.Take a separate bowl, rinse the cream of rice for atleast 2-3 times (rinsing is very important to get nice white idli’s) and soak it with 2 cups of water overnight.

3.The next day, drain the water from the soaked urad dal and keep it aside. We will use 1 cup of this water for grinding the soaked urad dal. 4.Now grind the soaked urad dal and fenugreek seeds with 1 cup of water to a smooth paste.

Pour it out into a stainless steel pot big enough for it to have room for the batter to ferment and rise.5.Now squeeze out the cream of rice and add it to the urad dal batter. 6.Mix and whip the batter well with your hands (make sure to use your hands for mixing, as it helps in fermentation).

7.Cover it with a lid and keep the batter in a warm place and allow it to ferment overnight. 8.The next day the batter would have fermented and risen well.

9.Now add salt to the batter, mix well and add in water, slowly, till the batter is of dropping consistency. 10.Now to prepare the idli’s, lightly oil the idli trays with spray cooking oil or regular oil.

11.Prepare Idli steamer by pre-heating water to a boil. 12.Now spoon a ladle full of the mixture on to the idli trays.Stack up the idli plates in alternates, by avoiding one directly over the other, giving the idli’s, a space to rise. Place the idli stand into the steamer.

13.Place a tight lid on the steamer / pressure cooker (see notes). Make sure there is a vent for the steam to escape, so if you are using a pressure cooker to steam the idli’s, do not put the whistle (very important).

Steam the idli’s for exactly 10 - 12 minutes or more on low to medium heat, till a tooth pick inserted in the idli’s come out clean. Switch off the flame. 14.After 5 minutes, remove idli’s from the trays by scooping them out with a spoon.

15.Enjoy them hot with sambar, idly podi or any chutney of your choice!!!

Notes: 1.Make sure there is a vent for the steam to escape, so if you are using a pressure cooker to steam the idli’s, do not put the whistle (very important). 2.Suppose, if you don’t have a steamer, but you have a idly stand,

You can use any tall stock pot with a tight fitting lid to steam the idli’s. Another alternative is to use a electric rice cooker, but make sure your idly stand fits into it. 3.You can also prepare dosa’s using this batter!