How to make Idli and dosai from the Kavuni Arisi / Black Rice 

Black Rice is also known as Kavuni Arisi in Tamilnadu which is mainly used to make sweets in Chettinad Region of Tamilnadu. Other than that, to my knowledge, i never seen anyone using the black rice for any other dishes in Tamilnadu.

Recently i have seen a lot of recipes online for making idli & dosai using the black rice, so i too got interested in trying out idli batter using the black rice. To make the batter, i have used a combination of idli rice and black rice and the result was too good. 

I didn't expect such an amazing output for the first attempt itself. The idli was so soft and spongy and the dosai also turned out  super crispy. In addition, it looks so appealing and that purple color is really eye-catching. So i was super thrilled !!  In the past three months, i made this batter for about 4-5 times and every time it turned out so good. 

Black Rice 

Black rice is rich in antioxidants and high in fiber so include them regularly to keep your diet balanced. I'm not a dietician but i strongly believe that including varieties of foods in moderation truly benefits your health. 

In addition to the health benefits, i personally love the color of this rice when it's cooked. It's so vibrant and kids would love it for sure. 

There are different types of black rice  available in the markets nowadays; some are glutinous and some are not. It's difficult to differentiate unless you're well familiar with it.  So to make the idli/ dosa batter, always use the mix of idli rice and black rice so that the idli and dosa won't be sticky. 

Making the idli/dosa batter

Black rice is a little hard to grind compared to regular idli rice so soaking it overnight helps to grind the batter smoothly without running the mixie/blender/wet grinder for a longer time.

I have used my blender to grind the idli/dosa batter, but you can use the Indian mixie or wet grinder to make the batter. 

Depending on the rice varieties, the batter color would change from mild purple to dark purple-brown. So don't worry if your batter doesn't look like mine!

For more tips on how to grind the idli batter in general or how to ferment the batter in cold temperature, do check out this post. It has tons of information and it would be really useful if you're a beginner in cooking.

Idli and Dosai

Like regular idli/dosai batter, i have used the same batter for making both the idli and dosai. Once the batter is fermented, it's good to make idli right away ! The idli would be soft and spongy. 

For the dosai, dilute the same batter with little water and make the dosai as usual, the dosai would be crispy and super delicious.

Storing the Batter

The batter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Once the batter is fermented, take the needed amount of batter for use and keep the remaining batter in the refrigerator immediately. 

Also don't mix the whole batter with the ladle once it's fermented. It will deflate the batter. Making idli with deflated batter would be hard. However the dosa would still turn out crispy.

Now, let's check out how to make Black Rice / Kavuni Rice idli dosa batter.

Kavuni Arisi Idli & Dosai | Black Rice Idli & Dosa

Preparation Time : 12 hrs | Cooking Time : 15 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Breakfast | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Kavuni Arisi Idli Batter,Kavuni Arisi Idli,Kavuni Arisi Dosai,Black Rice Idli Batter,Black Rice Dosai Batter, Black Rice Idli, Black Rice Dosai Kavuni Arisi makes a soft and spongy idli as well as crispy dosa. With one batter, you can make both idli and dosai.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Kavuni Arisi / Black Rice - 1 cup

Idli Rice - 1 cup

Urad dal - 1/2 cup

Salt - to taste

Water - as needed for grinding & soaking

Procedure

In a bowl, add the black rice, idli rice and urad dal. Wash the rice and dal well in the water for thrice and then add enough water to soak the rice and dal. Let it soak for 6-8 hrs or overnight.

Next day, discard the soaked water and then add the soaked rice and dal in a mixer jar/wet grinder, add water as needed and grind into a smooth batter. 

Pour the batter in a large bowl(make sure that the bowl is large enough and have enough room to ferment and raise the batter) and add the salt.

Mix the salt into the batter with your hand and then cover the bowl with a lid and let it keep it in a warm place for 6-8 hrs to ferment.

Once the batter is well fermented, grease the idli plate with sesame oil and pour the batter in the idli plate and steam it for 8-10 mins.

Soft and spongy kavuni arisi idli is ready.

In the same batter , add a little bit of water to dilute and make dosai like regular dosai. Delicious Kavuni Arisi Dosai is also ready.

Serve Kavuni Arisi Idli and Dosai with Sambar and/or Chutney.

Related : Side dishes for idli/Dosai

Notes:

• The batter stays well for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
• As always, take the needed batter in a separate bowl and store the rest in the refrigerator once it's fermented so that the batter stays well for a longer time.
• I didn't use any fenugreek seed for this batter, but the idli turns out so soft.

Look how spongy the idli is !! 

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How to make Barley Idli and Dosa | Breakfast recipe

Barley Idli and Dosai, a healthy and tasty breakfast made from barley, rice and urad dal. Idli & dosai is a staple breakfast/dinner food in South Indian households. 

Whenever any new grain was introduced to me, the first thing that i thought of could be whether it is possible to make idli or dosai with it ? Guess, it's a typical South Indian thing, many of us are so used to idli and dosa and can't live without it !!! 

So, this barley idli and dosa is the newest addition to our breakfast. Both idli and dosa turned out good. The idlis are so soft and spongy. Dosas are also crispy and delicious. If you haven't tried idli and dosa with barley before, do give it a try if you have barley in hands right now. 

In general, I'm not so keen on micro dissecting the nutritious value of every grain, always believing in eating as much as diverse whole food and home made !!! So if you  would like to know the benefit of barley , google will help you :-)

Related : How to make Ragi Idli and Dosa 

Given the current circumstance, almost every store in our area is out of idli rice, so i have been making idli and dosa with all types of grains that i have in my pantry like this barley, ragi and so on. 

Though I have stock of idli rice that would last for a month, the cautious level is so higher now than ever, so mindful in consuming what I have in stock with the thought of empty shelves in the stores or when it would be restocked again. 

Those who knew us personally might know how often we move from one place to another, so we're so used to living in hotels and shared accommodation for up to a month with a limited supply of grocery and cooking vessels before finding a place for us in the new city/state/country :-). 

With all that experience, I'm always a little conscious in what we consume without wasting anything, but the current situation would bring another level of awareness that will last for lifetime, I guess !!! 

Ok.,  now let 's move onto the recipe and see how to make barley idli and dosa !!!

How to make Barley Idli and Dosa

Preparation Time : 10 hrs | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 4 to 6 
Recipe Category: Breakfast | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Barley idli, Barley Dosai,Barley Dosa, Barley Idli batter, Barley dosa batter, Breakfast, South Indian Barley Idli and Dosai, a healthy and tasty breakfast made from barley, rice and urad dal. Idli & dosai is a staple breakfast/dinner food in South Indian households.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients
Barley - 1 cup
Idli Rice - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1/2 cup
Fenugreek Seed - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Water - 1 to 1.5 cups

Procedure

Previous night itself, measure and take barley, rice & urad dal  in a bowl.

Next add the fenugreek seed, wash them all thrice and soak it  in the water for overnight. Keep the bowl in kitchen counter, no need to refrigerate.

In the next morning discard the soaked water and add it all into mixie jar in batches along with water and grind it into smooth batter.

Pour the batter into the bowl and add salt, mix it well with hand.

Cover the batter with lid and let it ferment for 6 to 8 hrs in a warm place(i have kept it in oven with lights on). 

Once fermented, the batter is ready to make idli & dosa. For idli, pour the batter into idli mould and steam it for 5-8 mins.

For dosa, add more water into batter and make it as easily pouring consistency and make dosa as regular batter.

Tasty & healthy Barley idli & dosa are ready. Serve it with sambar and/or chutney & podi.

Related: Side dish for idli and dosa

Notes:

• Unlike regular idli/dosa batter, it ferments quickly.
• Barley idlis are not as white as regular idlis, it's little dull in color.
• Depends on the weather conditions, fermenting time varies.
• If you're making idli after refrigerate the batter, make sure to bring the batter into room temperature, otherwise the idlis won't be soft.
• Always take the needed batter in a separate bowl and keep the remaining in the refrigerator immediately.
• For dosa, add more water to the required batter only, don't add water to the whole batter.
• The batter stays well for 3-4 days in refrigerator, I haven't tried storing the batter more than 4 days.
  

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