The Idli Project
Bread Idli
Ingredient Innovations

Bread Idli

Pantry-quick idlis built from crumbled bread and curd - start to finish in 45 minutes, no soaking, no fermentation.

Pan-Indian - pantry quick

Image: Pexels - Indian dumplings with herbs · Pexels License · generic clean idli; bread idli looks identical to a regular idli

A pantry-quick idli when there's no batter waiting in the fridge: crumbled bread bound with curd and rice rava, given lift by a pinch of baking soda right before it goes into the steamer. White or whole-grain bread both work - the crusts come off so the texture stays even.

Often dressed up with a tempering of mustard, curry leaves and red chillies for "masala bread idli". Forgiving and fast - useful late-night cooking.

The Recipe

Yield · ~16 idlis

Effort profile

Soak4–5 hours
Ferment8–10 hours
Steam8–10 minutes
Steps6

Each axis is scaled against the longest example in the archive.

Soak4h 30mFerment9hSteam9mSteps6

Ingredients

Batter

  • 4 slices bread (white or whole-grain), crusts removed
  • 1 cup idli rava / rice rava
  • 1 cup thick sour curd
  • 1½ cups water (adjust)
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch of baking soda
  • Oil for greasing

Method

  1. 1.

    Grind bread to coarse crumbs; transfer to a bowl.

  2. 2.

    Add idli rava, salt, and curd. Mix.

  3. 3.

    Add water gradually to a regular idli-batter consistency.

  4. 4.

    Cover and rest 20–30 minutes.

  5. 5.

    Just before steaming, stir in baking soda - the batter should turn frothy. Pour immediately into greased moulds.

  6. 6.

    Steam 8–10 minutes on medium; rest 5 minutes; unmould.

Serve with

coconut chutneysambarmilagai podi

Notes

A fragrant tempering of mustard, curry leaves and red chillies can be folded in for "masala bread idli". Add the soda only at the moment of steaming - not earlier.

Adapted from hebbarskitchen.com.