Instant Homemade Idli Mix Flour recipe made with rice flour, urad dal and poha (flattened rice). The idlis made with these instant idli mix are soft, fluffy and goes very well with coconut chutney or sambar.
This recipe roughly gives 480 grams of instant idli mix flour. After preparing you can store in an air-tight jar. You can only prepare idlis with this mixed flour. The dosa made from this idli mix flour was soft but not very crisp and at times were sticking to the pan.
The texture of these instant idlis is like the fermented ones. But the taste is not like the fermented idlis. Though idli made from an instant idli mix flour are a savior on busy days. Do use sour curd for preparing the idlis. With sour curd, there is a hint of sourness in the idlis. You can also use buttermilk.
take all the three main ingredients before you proceed – 2 cups rice flour, ½ cup urad dal and ½ cup thick poha. Heat a pan on a low to medium flame. Then lower the flame, add the urad dal. I have used organic unpolished urad dal. If using regular urad dal from the market, then rinse it a couple of times. The spread the lentils on a plate or tray and let them dry naturally or in the sun. If keeping in the sun for a few hours, then you don’t need to roast urad dal. Roast urad dal on a low flame for about 2 minutes, stirring often. Urad dal is roasted just to get rid of some moisture from them. Then add the poha .
Mix very well and roast for a minute on low flame. Switch off the flame and immediately remove the pan from the stovetop and let this mixture cool down. You can also cool this mixture on a separate plate. Then add everything in a grinder jar. Grind to a fine powder. Keep a large plate or tray or pan and place a sieve on it. Take the ground flour in the sieve (channi) and sift it. Some urad dal grits will be there. You can add them to your dals or discard.
Add 2 cups of rice flour and ½ teaspoon salt. I have used fine rice flour. You can also use slightly coarse rice flour. Even puttu flour can be used. Both white as well as red rice flour can be used. Mix very well.
The idli mix flour is ready to be bottled. With a spoon, add the idli mix flour in a jar. Seal tightly with a lid. Use the homemade idli mix flour to make soft and fluffy idlis when required.
To prepare the idli from 1 cup of idli mix flour, use the following proportions:
1 cup of homemade idli mix flour
⅔ to ¾ cup water to make a thick flowing batter
¼ cup sour curd/dahi/yogurt
½ teaspoon fruit salt or eno
