Millet Quinoa Idli

 With an increased popularity of millets in general and the desire to have more whole grain options to our usual idlis made with white rice and urad dhal, these idlis are just what you are looking for. 

I usually have more luck experimenting with various grains for dosas but not as much with idlis. They can be quite finicky and I follow a trusted approach that I have perfected over the years to get consistently soft idlis. So, this is a combination that I was trying for dosas and while mixing the batter to make them, the consistency seemed perfect for idlis that I immediately did a trial batch and was super pleased with the results. Since then, I have made these a few times. You can vary the type of millets used but if using ragi, please don't skip the quinoa - it definitely adds to the texture of the final product. 

This turns out great in a wet grinder or blendtec blender. 

MILLET QUINOA IDLI - makes about 20 idlis and 10 to 12 dosas 

Ingredients:

Whole Ragi (finger millet) - 1 cup, rinsed thoroughly
Proso/Kodo/Little millet - 1 cup, rinsed thoroughly
Quinoa - 1 cup, rinsed thoroughly
Urad dhal (whole, white) - 1/2 (Half) cup, rinsed thoroughly
Salt - 1.5 to 2 tsp (or to taste) 

Method: 
1) Soak Millets and Quinoa together for about 4-6 hours or overnight. 

2) Soak Urad Dhal in cold water for same duration (I usually refrigerate it so the urad dhal batter is fluffy and doesn't get overheated when grinding). 

3) First grind urad dhal , adding cold water little by little till fluffy. 

4) Next grind the Millets and Quinoa with salt to a smooth batter. 

5) Combine the two thoroughly with your hand in a whipping motion and allow to ferment overnight in a warm place (same as idlis) . Refrigerate the batter when done.

6) When you are ready to make the idlis, grease the idli plates with oil/ghee and pour the batter and steam cook for about 10 minutes or till done and serve with chutney/sambar of choice. 

NOTE: If using a wet grinder, for the above quantity, you can start grinding the urad dhal and after 15-20 minutes add the soaked millets and quinoa as well and grind everything together till smooth (instead of doing it separately).