The Idli Project
Jowar Idli
Ingredient Innovations

Jowar Idli

also called Sorghum Idli

A fermented, gluten-free idli built entirely on sorghum and urad dal - no rice, no compromise on lift.

South Indian - millet revival

Image: Sizzling Tastebuds - Jowar Idli · Blog photo · small "Sizzling Tastebuds" text at the bottom

A gluten-free idli that swaps rice entirely for sorghum (jowar), paired with the standard whole urad dal. Unlike most millet idlis - which rely on instant lift from curd and Eno - jowar idli is properly fermented, which gives it a softness and faint sourness that close cousins like ragi idli don't share.

The technique is straightforward: soak both grains separately, grind only the urad dal, fold in the soaked jowar rava un-ground, and let the batter ferment overnight.

The Recipe

Yield · ~12 idlis

Effort profile

Soak4–6 hours
Ferment8–12 hours
Steam12–15 minutes
Steps6

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

Soak5hFerment10hSteam14mSteps6

Ingredients

Batter

  • 1½ cups jowar (sorghum) rava / cracked sorghum
  • ½ cup whole skinned urad dal
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. 1.

    Soak jowar rava and urad dal separately in water for 4–6 hours.

  2. 2.

    Drain and grind urad dal to a smooth fluffy batter using minimal water.

  3. 3.

    Drain the jowar rava and mix it (un-ground) into the urad batter by hand.

  4. 4.

    Cover and ferment in a warm place 8–12 hours until risen with bubbles.

  5. 5.

    Stir in salt; pour into greased moulds and steam 12–15 minutes.

  6. 6.

    Rest 5 minutes before unmoulding.

Serve with

gheecoconut chutneytomato thokkusambar

Notes

Gluten-free and vegan. Fermented batter keeps two days in the fridge. The jowar rava is folded in un-ground for texture.

Adapted from cookshideout.com.