Quinoa Idli  Recipe – Sharmis Passions

Quinoa Idli is a healthier version of idli made with quinoa instead of rice for making idli. The idlis come out fluffy and light with nice texture. This quinoa idli can be relished with sambar, chutney or idli podi and works well for breakfast or dinner.

Quinoa Idli is a healthier version of idli made by replacing major portion of rice with quinoa in the regular making of Idli. Quinoa Idli is a delight for people on diet, diabetics as it does not add as much calories as the regular Idli. Quinoa Idli is relished with sambar, chutney or idli podi.

About Quinoa Idli

Quinoa Idli is made by combining quinoa, rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds. Quinoa adds nutrition and all the ingredients bind together well and makes the idli soft.

This idli batter is made by grinding quinoa and rice together, then mixing with ground urad dal and fenugreek seeds. This batter is to be fermented for 8 hours to rise and become fluffy. The idlis steam cook till they are done and comes out soft and spongy.

Fenugreek seeds helps the fermentation process, you soak and grind separately each ingredient to reach perfect consistency. The quinoa and rice batter id grind together till smooth. The urad dal and fenugreek batter ground till fine and smooth.

The fermentation takes 8 hours and the batter rises and becomes light. The texture becomes fluffy and spongy from fermentation. When you steam cook them they come out soft inside. The idlis stay light and not heavy like regular ones because of quinoa.

I love making idli batter using millets, and I prefer making these quinoa idli for breakfast as well as for dinner options.

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Quinoa Idli Ingredients

• Quinoa – I used quinoa as main ingredient. It replaces major portion of rice and adds nutrition.
• Idli rice – I used idli rice. It helps bind ingredients and make idlis fluffy.
• Urad dal – I used urad dal. It bring fluffiness and helps idlis rise during cooking.
• Fenugreek seeds – I used fenugreek seeds. They add flavour and help in fermentation process.
• Salt – I used salt to taste. Add based on your preference.

How to make Quinoa Idli Step by Step

1.Soak rice and quinoa together for at least 3-4 hours. Rinse well and grind until smooth. Sprinkle water as and when it sticks to the sides, but sprinkle and add. Do not add more. Takes 30-40 minutes for grinding.

2.Soak urad dal and fenugreek seeds together for 2 hours, rinse well and grind to a smooth batter. I used my grinder which works best but you can do in mixie too. It takes around 30 minutes.

3.Transfer both the batters to a tall container big enough to hold the batter after fermentation. Add salt to it. Mix well.

4.Close with lid and set aside for 8 hours for fermenting.This is how the fermented batter will look after 5 hours. Mix well. The batter will be thick.

5.Grease your idli plates with oil, take a laddle full of the batter and pour into the mould.

6.Steam cook for 10 minutes or until a spoon or inserted inserted into the idlis comes out clean with sticking. Then its done. Switch off. Remove the idli plates, dip a spoon in water.

7.Using the spoon remove the idlis. Transfer to hot box

Serve hot with chutney and sambar!

Expert Tips

• Soak properly – I soaked quinoa and rice together for 3 to 4 hours. Both should be soft enough to grind smooth.
• Grind smooth – I grind both batters till completely smooth. Add water slowly and only when batter stick to sides. Don’t add too much water.
• Separate grinding – I grind quinoa-rice batter and urad dal-fenugreek batter separately. This helps each reach perfect consistency and texture.
• Ferment properly – I fermented for 8 hours in closed container. The batter will rise and become thick and fluffy.
• Grease idli plates – I greased plates with oil before pouring batter. This help idlis come out easily without sticking.
• Check doneness – I insert a spoon into idli after 10 minutes. If it comes out clean thats the right stage to stop cooking.

Serving and Storage

Serve this hot with sambar and chutney or idli podi. They taste best when freshly steamed. You can store leftovers in container at room temperature for one day. 

FAQS

1. Can I use regular rice?

Idli rice work best for fluffy texture. Regular rice might work but idlis does not come out as soft and fluffy.

2. What if batter does not ferment properly?

Make sure container is in warm place. Fermentation needs warm temperature to ferment properly. Try in warm corner or use oven light.

3. Can I reduce soaking time?

Soaking for 3 to 4 hours is minimum. Shorter soaking time make grinding difficult and batter not smooth.

4. How long can I keep the batter?

Fermented batter stays good for 2 to 3 days in refrigerator. After that it starts to spoil so better to make idlis fresh.

5. Can I make without fenugreek seeds?

You can skip fenugreek but it help fermentation. Without it fermentation might be slower so better to add.

If you have any more questions about this Quinoa Idli  Recipe do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .

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