Dal Idli (No Rice)
Jan 06, 2021
Dal Idli (steamed cakes) made with 2 types of lentils! This recipe uses no rice making the idlis more protein packed. Also vegan and gluten-free.
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Want to avoid rice and still have idli? Try this Dal Idli made with lentils!
This idli is made with urad and moong dal only making it more protein packed than the regular idli.
Idlis are so comforting, aren’t they? I can pretty much have them everyday. I especially love them for breakfast or lunch.
And because I love them so much I also make them often. Traditional idli is made with rice and dal and there’s nothing that beats a classic.
But I do love to experiment with them like last year I shared with you guys Quinoa Idli and today I am sharing these Dal Idli.
Dal=lentil so these idlis are made with lentils only. Very simple recipe which needs only 2 main ingredients, which are the two types of dals!
If you are trying to avoid rice or just want to include more protein in your diet then these idlis are perfect for you.
These Dal Idlis
✔are made with 2 types of lentils only.
✔no rice!
✔are vegan and gluten-free.
✔make a protein rich breakfast/lunch option.
These idlis were pretty light on the stomach, I had like 4 for lunch with sambar and didn’t feel as heavy as I do after eating 4 regular idlis.
I steamed some as it is and to some I added carrots and chopped cilantro. If you want to add veggies, you can simply top the batter with them or you can also mix-in the veggies along with the batter and then steam.
Honestly, we loved the plain idli more. But topping the idlis with veggies might be a good way to include some veggies in your diet. You can even add some chopped chilies for spice.
Ingredients
The main ingredients for this idli are the two types of lentils.
Urad dal gota (whole dehusked black gram): I always use urad gota for my idlis and dosa. In my personal experience, I have had better results when using gota rather than using split dhuli urad dal (dehusked urad dal).
Moong dal dhuli (split & dehusked mung beans): this is the second lentil used in the recipe and this recipe uses twice the amount of moong dal compared to the urad dal.
Methi seeds: whenever making idli or dosa batter, it’s a good idea to add some methi seeds (fenugreek seeds). They help in the fermentation process.
Salt: you can use either rock salt (sendha namak) or regular salt will also work. Ideally rock salt is preferred since iodine in regular salt can interfere with the fermentation process but I have made this recipe using regular salt too and it worked just fine.
These are the only 4 main ingredients in the recipe. The fifth is water and some veggies are optional. You can add them if you want while steaming the idlis but totally optional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use any other dal?
So this recipe has been tested with the mentioned lentils only. But you can use urad dal dhuli in place of gota, should work absolutely fine.
Also for the moong, moong chilka and green sabut moong should also work.
Can I make dosa with this batter?
Yes, I have made dosa using the same batter. They don’t come out super crispy but you can make a good simple dosa with this batter.
I don’t have an Instant Pot, so how do I ferment the batter?
That’s no issue at all. I use the yogurt setting on Instant Pot because it gives me consistent results.
You can just place the batter inside the oven (with oven lights on and oven off) overnight for the batter to ferment. Alternatively, if you live in a place where it’s very warm, you can simply leave the batter on the kitchen counter to ferment.
Should I add salt in the beginning or later when the batter is fermented?
I would say it depends on where you live. I live in a cold place so I add salt before fermentation as that helps in fermentation.
If you live in a warm place, you can add salt to the batter before fermentation.
How would I know the batter is fermented?
Just drop some batter into a small bowl filled with water. If the batter floats, means it’s done. If it doesn’t float, it means it needs more time.
How much time it takes for the batter to ferment?
It depends on where you live. In cold places it might take 14 hours or even more during winters. In warm places, it might ferment in 5-6 hours only.
Method
1- Start by soaking the two dals- moong dal dhuli and urad gota along with 1/2 teaspoon methi seeds for 5-6 hours in enough water (around 3 cups). After it has been soaked for 5 to 6 hours, drain the water using a strainer.
2- Now, transfer the soaked dal to a blender and add around 1 cup water. Blend to a smooth paste. You can use any blender you have, I use my Blendtec and run it on the soup mode for 30-40 seconds.
3- Transfer the blended dal to the steel pot of your Instant Pot. Add salt (especially if living in a colder place, skip if you live in a warm place) and then using your hands mix the batter nicely for 1-2 minutes. The mixing by hand also helps in fermentation.
4- The batter should have a nice pouring consistency. I added additional 3-4 tablespoons of water here to reach this consistency. Remember a thick batter will not ferment.
5- Cover the Instant Pot with a glass lid (not using the regular lid here in case batter over-ferments and then locks the lid) and press the yogurt button. I set it for 13 hours on yogurt mode “normal setting”. The fermentation time will depend on where you live.
If you don’t have an IP, simply put the batter into the oven with lights on overnight.
6- After 13 hours, my batter was fermented as it was quite frothy and had bubbles on top. If your batter hasn’t fermented even after say 12-13 hours and it looks very thick, my advise would be to add some water make it nice pouring consistency and set it to ferment for additional 2 hours, it should ferment.
7- To check if the batter has fermented, you can always drop some batter into a bowl of water- if the batter floats, it means it’s aerated and fermented and you are good to make idlis.
8- You can either steam in a regular steamer for 10-12 minutes or use the IP.
To steam in the Instant Pot- add 1.5 cups water to the steel pot of your Instant Pot and press saute while you fill the idli molds. Grease the idli molds with little oil and then fill then with the batter. The water in IP must be little simmering now. Press cancel button and place the idli stand inside the pot. Close the lid and press the steam button and select time to 13 minutes with the pressure valve in venting position.
You will have to use an external timer of 13 minutes since the IP doesn’t count when the valve is in venting position. Once 13 minutes are up, unplug the IP and let the pressure valve drop down on it’s own. Then remove the idli stand from the pot and let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then remove the idlis from the mold.
Serve Dal Idli with sambar and chutney!
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Dal Idli (No Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 cup urad dal 100 grams, I use urad dal gota (whole deshusked black gram)
- 2 cups moong dal dhuli 210 grams, split & dehusked mung beans
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds methi
- 3/4 teaspoon salt regular or rock salt (sendha namak)
Instructions
- Start by soaking the two dals- moong dal dhuli and urad gota along with 1/2 teaspoon methi seeds for 5-6 hours in enough water (around 3 cups). After it has been soaked for 5 to 6 hours, drain the water using a strainer.
- Now, transfer the soaked dal to a blender and add around 1 cup water. Blend to a smooth paste. You can use any blender you have, I use my Blendtec and run it on the soup mode for 30-40 seconds or on smoothie mode for 60 seconds.
- Transfer the blended dal to the steel pot of your Instant Pot. Add salt (especially if living in a colder place, skip if you live in a warm place) and then using your hands mix the batter nicely for 1-2 minutes. The mixing by hand also helps in fermentation.
- The batter should have a nice pouring consistency. I added additional 3-4 tablespoons of water here to reach this consistency. Remember a thick batter will not ferment.
- Cover the Instant Pot with a glass lid (not using the regular lid here in case batter over-ferments and then locks the lid) and press the yogurt button. I set it for 13 hours on yogurt mode "normal setting". The fermentation time will depend on where you live.If you don't have an IP, simply put the batter into the oven with lights on overnight.
- After 13 hours, my batter was fermented as it was quite frothy and had bubbles on top. If your batter hasn't fermented even after say 12-13 hours and it looks very thick, my advise would be to add some water make it nice pouring consistency and set it to ferment for additional 2 hours, it should ferment.To check if the batter has fermented, you can always drop some batter into a bowl of water- if the batter floats, it means it's aerated and fermented and you are good to make idlis.
- You can either steam in a regular steamer for 10-12 minutes or use the IP.To steam in the Instant Pot- add 1.5 cups water to the steel pot of your Instant Pot and press saute while you fill the idli molds. Grease the idli molds with little oil and then fill then with the batter. The water in IP must be little simmering now. Press cancel button and place the idli stand inside the pot. Close the lid and press the steam button and select time to 13 minutes with the pressure valve in venting position. You will have to use an external timer of 13 minutes since the IP doesn't count when the valve is in venting position. Once 13 minutes are up, unplug the IP and let the pressure valve drop down on it's own. Then remove the idli stand from the pot and let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then remove the idlis from the mold. Serve warm with sambar!
Notes
- You can use urad dhuli dal in place of gota, it will be fine. Also moong dhuli can be substituted with green moong. It should work even though I have not tested the recipe with these replacements.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent recipe and worked like a magic for this diabetic. Grew up eating idlis (rice+urad) but after diabetes diagnosis, stopped eating them as it shot up my glucose levels whenever I ate them. Have been trying a few no-rice idli recipes but none this good – tasted almost like the original and with idli powder ate 4/5 of them without my glucose levels going crazy! Thank you very much. Will check out other recipes!
glad to know 🙂
Manali, this recipe was just AMAZING! I can’t believe these idlis are lentil only. They’re so soft and delicious! Couple questions – do you have any suggestions on how to get the idlis out of the molds with minimal damage? And is there anything we can add into the idlis for a little more flavor in the idli itself? Thanks so much for this awesome recipe.
Hi Abhilasha, glad you liked the idlis. Grease your idli molds with oil before adding the batter. Then also let the idli sit for 5 minutes after steaming and then use a butter knife to carefully remove them. You can add veggies like grated carrots, cilantro etc. to these idlis. Make a tadka of Mustad seeds, hing, ginger, curry leaves and add that to the batter after it has fermented and before steaming.
How many carbs in one idli
please consult a nutritionist, these are just automatic calculations done by a plugin and a rough estimate only.
Can you freeze the batter? If so, should it be done before or after fermenting?
I have never fermented the batter but I would, I would do it after fermenting
Tried this recipe and came out perfect!
glad to know Anu!
hey, great recipe! just wanted to know the serving size- 103 kcal is for how many idlis?
nutritional info is just an estimate calculated automatically by a plugin. It divided the total calories by the number of servings I enter which in this case is 1 idli. This is 100% accurate so please consult a nutritionist for accurate numbers.
Is the calories and nutrition content for per serving or per idli? If by serving, can you also share how many idlis per serving?
nutritional info is just an estimate calculated automatically by a plugin. It divided the total calories by the number of servings I enter which in this case is 1 idli. This is 100% accurate so please consult a nutritionist for accurate numbers.
Perfectly followed the recipe and the idles turned out to be awesome.
What is the process of refrigerating the fermented batter? How long can it stay? I pack this for my son and he only eats 3-4 idili per day so that’s how much I wanted to make each day fresh
this batter stays okay for 3 days in the fridge
Should you add water to fermented batter before pouring into the idili vessel?
Also, if it’s not fermenting should you add eno and if so how much?
I do not add water afterwards for idlis in this recipe. Try 1/2 teaspoon of eno for 1 cup of batter and see.
The first time I made it, I halved the quantity (1 cup moong daal and 1/2 cup urad) the and it came out great but the next time I made half of that so 1/2 cup moong daal and 1/4 cup urad (because a lot of it went to waste) and it didn’t come out right…
Do I need to change timings?
timing should remain same and does not depend on the quantity. Maybe the fermentation wasn’t right? What was the problem may I know?
Did not ferment (15 hours). I soaked it fur 6 hours before blending. It was thick pouring consistency
maybe the batter was too thick this time and that’s why it didn’t ferment? there can be several reasons as to why batter doesn’t ferment from temperature to dals being old to consistency of the batter.
How long does the cooked idili keep? Should it be refrigerated and if so for how long?
couple of days, yes refrigerate leftover.
If you wanted to half the quantity, would the times still remain the same?
the fermentation time? Yes it will
Such a fool proof recipe! I used IP for the first time and the batter fermented really well. I did the water test too. So happy to get a nicely fermented batter!! Thanks so much for covering all aspects of getting a good fermented batter.
glad it helped Pooja!
Hi there! I have made so many of your recipes and now you are my go to. Most recently my partner Prashant and I enjoyed your Tawa Paneer recipe so much, one of his favorite paneer dishes ever! I so appreciate your work in sharing your cooking!
I am making this idli and I have followed the recipe exactly. After 13 hours in the Instapot on “yogurt” setting my idli batter is very light and airy and frothy but VERY pungently smelling! I gave it a stir and put the batter covered in the fridge to hopefully halt fermenting process as it smells quite funky. I have not tasted it. I have not made any other idli recipe before so I wanted to check and see if this is normal or not – any advice?
fermentation does have a peculiar smell of it’s own but it shouldn’t smell funky. If it does then maybe it has gone bad or over-fermted. I would suggest making an idli and taste it and see. Maybe you needed less time for fermentation where you live.
This was a great recipe Manali, We are making this at least twice a week, a great source of protein for vegetarians!! Thank you!
glad!