Ingredients:

• 1 cup millet flour (you can use any type like finger millet, pearl millet, or foxtail millet)
• ½ cup urad dal (split black gram)
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• Salt to taste
• Water as needed
• Oil for greasing the idli molds

Instructions:

Soak the Urad Dal:

• Wash the urad dal and fenugreek seeds thoroughly, then soak them together in water for about 4 to 6 hours.

Grind the Urad Dal:

• Drain the soaked urad dal and fenugreek seeds, and grind them into a smooth, fluffy batter using a little water. The batter should be light and airy.

Prepare the Millet Batter:

• In a large bowl, mix the millet flour with enough water to make a thick batter. Ensure there are no lumps.

Combine the Batters:

• Mix the ground urad dal batter with the millet flour batter. Stir well to combine and make sure the batter has a consistency similar to traditional idli batter—thick, but pourable.
• Cover the batter and let it ferment in a warm place for 8-10 hours or overnight, depending on the climate. The batter will rise and become slightly bubbly when fermented.

Add Salt:

• Once the batter has fermented, add salt and gently mix it. Avoid stirring too much to retain the air bubbles, which help the idlis rise and stay fluffy.

Steam the Idlis:

• Grease the idli molds with a little oil and pour the batter into the molds, filling each one about ¾ full.
• Steam the idlis in an idli steamer or pressure cooker (without the whistle) for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the idli comes out clean.

Serve:

• Once cooked, allow the idlis to cool for a minute, then carefully remove them from the molds.
• Serve hot millet idlis with coconut chutney, sambar, or your favorite side dish.