Idli Sambhar

Ingredients:

Idli rice                 -3 cups
Whole urad dal     -1 cup
Fenugreek seeds   -1/2 tsp
Water                    -As required
Salt                       -To taste


Method:

Wash and soak rice separately and urad dal + fenugreek seeds for  5 hrs at least.
Grind urad dal first. Drain all the water from urad dal, put it into the grinder and start it. Add 1/2 cup water and grind for 4-5 minutes. Add 1/2 more cup of water. Stand near by and use the plastic spatula to wipe the dal every time, ensure no dal or fenugreek seeds gets stuck to the side walls of the grinder container.
After 4-5 minutes,add 1/4 cup of water and grind for 10 minutes, for every 4 minutes or so, sprinkle water as needed. The batter will be light, fluffy and have micro bubbles when seen keenly.
Collect the urad dal batter in a big container, which should be enough to hold the raising fermented batter the next day.
Now drain the water from the rice. Add 1/2 + 1/2 cup water in between while you add all the soaked rice little by little. Grind for 4-5 minutes and again make sure no whole rice stuck in the sides of the grinder container. Use the spatula. Add 1/2 more cup of water and grind till it is smooth or a little coarse. Grind until the rice batter is smooth.
Transfer this rice batter to the urad dal batter and add salt and mix well with your hands.
Keep closed in a warm place for fermenting minimum of 12-14 hrs. I soak around 6.00am in morning,grind around 12.00PM lunch time and keep it over night and make idly for the morning breakfast.
To check the fermentation, it should be foamy and raised a lot. A well fermented batter gives,soft and tasty Idli/Dosa. If batter is heavy and not fluffy and light, then idlies also will turn hard. If you are not going to make idlis after fermentation just keep it refrigerated to avoid over fermentation ,resulting in sour idlis.
For making idlis, grease the Idli plate  with oil(preferably coconut oil) . Heat the Idli pan with 1 cup of water and allow the water to boil.
Pour 3/4 the ladle of idli batter to the idli plates and steam it for 9-10 minutes.
If you want to check out whether it is done, just wet a fork and insert it in a idli, if it is not sticky just switch off the flame and take the idli plate out.
After a few seconds dip a spoon in water and carefully take out the idlis and transfer them to the serving plate. Do not take out when the idlis are hot as it will not come out properly.
These idlis will stay soft for many hours and never get dried. Just cover it properly if you going to eat it later.
My kids love to eat Idli with Sambhar and some times just the ketchup.