Sponge idlis, also known as "khushboo idlis" in certain parts of Tamil Nadu, are renowned for their exceptionally soft and spongy texture, making them ideal for both children and the elderly. Interestingly, the origin of the name "Khushboo" remains a mystery to me.

This recipe offers a delightful variation from the usual idlis, making it worth trying with different ingredients.

The traditional Khushboo idli recipe primarily utilizes castor seeds with minimal or even no udad dal. Although I've sampled this variation, I refrain from experimenting with castor seeds due to the controversy surrounding their toxicity. Some individuals may find it unsuitable for consumption even in small quantities.

One notable advantage of this batter is its versatility—it yields not only incredible porous sponge idlis but also fluffy dosas. The resulting dosas are so porous that they resemble those made with yeast, making this recipe my preferred choice for crafting sponge-like, plump idlis and soft, spongy dosas.

INGREDIENTS :

KHUSHBOO IDLIS ( BATTER GROUND IN MIXIE )

The way i prepare :

INGREDIENTS

4 cups idli rice
1 cup udad dal whole ( keep soaked dal  in fridge if using mixie to grind batter ) remember to use the soaked water of udad dal to gind .

1/2 cup sabudana ( javarsi )/ sago 
4-5 castor seeds, available in native medical shops , but i did not use, as we dont like the taste of castor seeds….dont worry guys, this is optional, i didnt use any . If you do want to try, go ahead 
as authentic kushboo idlis batter preparation use these seeds ..
soak it separately if you want to try ,  after removing the outer skin and grind along with rice and sabudana

I got the most amazing soft pillowy idlis without using the castor seeds and also without grinding in wet stone grinder as i need very small qty of batter .I find grinding in a stone grinder makes no sense as i need small batch , so i prefer to grind in mixie itself . .

METHOD :

1. Soak rice and dal separately after washing few times in clean water for 5 hours
soak javarsi/sago also separately.

2. First grind udad dal to a very smooth thick butter like batter
if using mixie , as i have done , use chilled water from fridge to grind batter and add very little , use chilled water of the soaked udad dal so dont drain it
as you want udad dal batter to be very thick, absolutely velvetty smooth
we use cold water as mixie shouldnt become hot after grinding udad dal, remove to a vessel.

3. Next grind the rice and sabudana together also to a very smooth batter
batter should be thick and not like dosa batter.

4. Remove and mix both batters, add salt also , it wont interfere with fermentation due to humid weather
mix well , and allow to ferment overnight or during day ..for upto 6-8 hours, batter should not be over fermented
it gives a sour taste .

5. For best results, use a thin cotton cloth to layer the idli moulds and pour thickly the batter on each mould a little more than usual so that a nice big round idli is steamed .So these idlis are more rounder and bigger, almost small ball like.

Using cloth to steam idlis gives amazing results and these idlis will stay soft all day long. With the same batter we can also prepare soft spongy dosas .