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Idli Dosa Batter Ratio When making batter from scratch the rice to urad dal ratio. The usual ratio is about 3 parts rice to 1 part urad dal, but this changes with the recipe, the type of rice, and the desired consistency. The balance is important because urad dal gives the batter body and softness, rice gives it structure.
A good ratio for starting for a traditional homemade batter is 3:1 rice to urad dal.
This means you can use: 3 cups rice and 1 cup black gram
You can scale the amounts up or down, but keep the same proportion. For example, if you use a starting ratio of 3:1, you'd pair 300g of rice with about 100g of urad dal.
But the finished batter is affected by more than just the ratio. The texture can be changed by soaking, grinding, fermenting and adding varying amounts of water.
There is no single ratio that works perfectly for every recipe.
A 3:1 rice-to-urad-dal ratio is a practical starting point for a general idli and dosa batter. You can then adjust the method depending on whether you want softer idli, thinner dosa or a batter that works reasonably well for both.
Urad dal is particularly important for the batter’s structure. Using too little may produce a batter with less of the characteristic soft, aerated texture associated with fermented idli batter.
Rice, meanwhile, contributes the body and structure needed for dosa and idli. Changing the balance can therefore change how easily the batter spreads, ferments and cooks.
Easiest is to weigh both ingredients in the same unit. For instance,
Measure out about 3 cups of rice.
1 cup urad dal If you are making a larger or smaller batch, just keep the 3:1 ratio.
Soak your ingredients according to your recipe.
Then grind into a fine batter.
Add water slowly until the batter is at the required consistency.
Let the batter rest before cooking.
If you use cups or some other unit of measure, it doesn’t matter as long as you use exactly the same measuring cup every time.
Mixing measuring methods can get the proportions out of order.
For homemade idli batter, the same 3:1 rice-to-urad-dal starting ratio can be used as a general guide.
Idli batter needs enough urad dal to help produce a soft texture after fermentation and steaming. However, the final result also depends on the rice used, grinding method, fermentation conditions and batter consistency.
For this reason, do not judge the batter only by the ingredient ratio. Look at how the batter behaves after grinding and fermentation.
A properly prepared batter should have a consistency suitable for the dish you are making. A batter intended for idli generally needs enough body to sit in the idli mould rather than behaving like a very thin liquid.
This is different from a basic rice-and-urad-dal batter.
Idli recipes that use idli rava replace some or all of the rice component with rava, so you should not automatically apply the 3:1 rice-to-dal ratio to an idli-rava recipe.
The correct quantities depend on the specific recipe being followed. If your recipe is specifically based on idli rava, use its stated proportions rather than converting the rice quantity directly into rava.
The distinction is straightforward:
Primary Ratio of rice and urad dal in the rice batter
Idli-rava batter, in which idli rava is used in place of rice.
Pre-made batter - no need to work out the raw rice to dal ratio yourself.
The rice to urad dal ratio affects the way the dosa batter interacts with the pan.
The batter, heavy on rice, can give dosa its needed structure, and urad dal adds to the batter’s body and fermented character. The final consistency is also important because the dosa batter has to spread out over a hot pan.
If the batter is too thick it will be hard to spread into a thin dosa. If you add too much water it can become uncontrollable in the pan.
For best results, adjust the consistency slowly rather than adding a lot of water at once.
The batter for the idli should be able to hold its shape when steamed.
The rice enhances the body and the urad dal adds texture to the fermented batter. Grinding and fermentation also matter so just by changing the ratio you will not get softer idli.
If you are trying to improve homemade idli, look at the whole process and not just the numbers.
Also, check the soaking time, the consistency of the grind, the fermentation conditions and the thickness of the batter.
No. A ratio in a recipe is a starting point not a guarantee of a result.
There are differences in rice varieties, urad dal may be different from batch to batch and kitchen conditions affect fermentation. This is especially true in the UK where the temperature of a room can vary greatly throughout the year.
The safest thing to do is to stick to one recipe, and then make small adjustments once you know what the batter is like in your own kitchen.
Yes. If you use ready made batter, you don’t have to measure raw rice and urad dal yourself.
Suvai Idli Dosa Batter is a ready mix to make idli and dosa in your home. This cuts out the soaking, grinding and ingredient-ratio steps that are part of making the batter from scratch.
If you want an easy option, shop Suvai Idli Dosa Batter 1kg
You can also refer to our Idli Dosa Batter Guide for more general information on preparation, storage and cooking.
Do not measure the rice by volume and the urad dal by weight unless you have deliberately calculated the equivalent quantities.
Use the same measuring system for both ingredients.
If you increase the rice substantially but leave the urad dal unchanged, you have changed the ratio.
Scale both ingredients together when making a larger batch.
The ingredient ratio matters, but so do soaking, grinding, water and fermentation.
If the batter is not producing the result you want, look at the entire preparation process.
Idli rava changes the recipe structure. Do not assume that a rice-based 3:1 ratio automatically applies to a recipe using idli rava.
Follow the specific idli-rava recipe quantities instead.
A common starting point for homemade batter is 3 parts rice to 1 part urad dal. The final result also depends on soaking, grinding, water and fermentation.
A general starting ratio is 1 part urad dal to 3 parts rice. You can scale the quantities while keeping the same proportion.
A rice-to-urad-dal ratio can be used as a starting point for batter intended for both dishes, but the final consistency and preparation method affect whether the batter works better for idli or dosa.
There is no single rice-to-urad ratio that can simply be transferred to an idli-rava recipe. Idli rava replaces the rice component, so follow the quantities specified for the particular recipe.
No. Ready-made batter removes the need to measure and grind the rice and urad dal yourself.