IDLI RECIPE WITH CASTOR SEEDS / KOTTAIMUTHU IDLI RECIPE

May 27, 2025
By Mary Anthony
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IDLI RECIPE WITH CASTOR SEEDS / KOTTAIMUTHU IDLI RECIPE

IDLIS are traditional SouthIndian breakfast [ healthiest nutritious breakfast ] made with fermented rice + dal batter in different ratios. Served with sambar + chutney + molgapodi [gunpowder ].
It is also a great combo for SouthIndian non veg gravies.
Idli with sambar is a complete meal .
You can always experiment with different ingredients like ragi ,millets ,bajra etc.
It is a healthy food as it is steamed.
A great souce of carbohydrates and proteins.
Fermentation enhances vitamin B.
Idli contains only 65 calories.
Idlis are light for digestion.
It fights gastric problems.

NOTE

As per Wikipedia – Raw castor bean is toxic . Also, castor seeds or oil can be allergic to some people. The hull [ outer hard covering ] contains a deadly poison called ricin.

Castor beans, sometimes used in traditional therapies, contain ricin one of the most toxic substances known.

If you are scared about ricin poisoning, then don’t try .

Castor seeds are also used in traditional medicine.

Castor seeds are traditionally used in idli batter for ages in Tamil Nadu without any problem.

Adding castor seeds makes the idli fluffy and spongy idlis . You can buy castor seeds in seeds shop or in ayurvedic stores. It is also available online .

Castor seeds are mostly used in the batter which is grinded using stone grinder. In grinder we take more quantity of rice , compared to mixie. When more rice is used , there are chances for the idlis to become dry .Adding these seeds keeps the idlis soft for a long time. These seeds are used by road side idli shops and hotels .

I first tried these idlis in a road side small shop in Tamil Nadu, when asked for secret behind their soft idlis , they told me that they add castor seeds

Addition of castor seeds to idli not only makes soft idlis with good texture, but also adds to the daily laxative component to relieve you from constipation.

Alternative for kotta Muthu / castor seeds – Use 1 tsp castor oil. Castor oil can be used in idli batter, particularly in the context of “khushboo idli,” a type of sponge idli. Some recipes recommend using castor oil as a substitute for castor seeds in “khushboo idli, a type of sponge idli when the seeds are difficult to source.

Ingredients [ using mixie ] 1 cup 250 ml

1 cup whole white urad dal
3 cup Idli Rice [We can also use 4 cup rice , but the texture will differ ]
3 or 4 castor seeds (brown outer shell removed)
Methi seeds – 1 tsp
Poha / murmura – 1 cup [ instead of this we can use 3 tbsp sabudana ]

NOTE – Crack open the hard covering of the skin and use the white seeds inside. Wash the seeds well before use .

For grinder we can use 4 to 6 cup rice .

METHOD

Wash the rice + poha or murmura or sabudana until the water runs clear. Soak in enough water and leave aside for 4 hours.

Once the rice has been soaking for 3 hrs , wash the urad dal + methi seeds + castor seeds and soak it for 2 to 3 hrs.

Add the soaked urad dal to a mixie jar and grind into smooth batter adding little water . When you take a little batter and rub between fingers, it should be smooth and flowy. As the urad dal grinds, it will rise and turn fluffy.

Transfer the urad dal batter to a large container and set aside.

Now add the soaked rice and grind rice to a smooth batter too .

Once done, add this to the urad dal batter and top off with some salt.

Mix well with clean hands , so that the rice and dal get combined well.

Now beat the batter well for few mins . Beating batter aerates it.

The consistency should be fluffy and the batter should fall down easily from your spoon as you mix it.

Keep the batter aside for 8 to 12 hrs depending on temperature for fermentation.

After fermentation give a gentle mix .

Pour into greased idli moulds and steam for 10-12 mins for super soft and spongy idlis.

Once the idli is cooked, take out and wait for a minute. Dip a spoon in water and un mould the idli.

NOTE – Its better to use cloth for steaming than direct moulds.

I use a wet, pure cotton cloth (steamer cloth/ kaada cloth / hosiery material ) to line the idli plate. In that case, just sprinkle little water to moisten the steamed idli cloth and invert over a plate.

Peek the cloth off the idli to take out. Store in a hot pack until serving.

You can also prepare dosa , appe / paniyaram, uttapam with the same batter.

NOTES –

Same batter can be used for dosa /uttapa /appe.
Use murmura instead of poha.
Wash the rice and dal in several water before soaking to get white idlis.And use the clear soaked water to grind, it helps in fermentation .
Add salt before fermentation helps in fermentation .
MEthi seed also helps in fermentation .add less for idli and more for dosa ,as it gives nice aroma while roasting the dosa.
If uisng mixer for grinding , then use cold water .
Instead of hands use beater for mixing the batter before fermentation.
Use good quality of dal .
To get fluffy urad dal batter .keep soaked urad dal in fridge for 1 hr .
if batter is not fermented well we can add Baking soda or eno to the batter , before steaming.
Try using whole urad dal instead of splitted ones .
Use warm water to soak to reduce soaking time if running short of time .
Don’t over steam the idlis .
The batter should not be very thick Or thin.
Use hands to mix the batter.
During winter it may take more time for fermentation.
When the batter becomes thin you can use it for making dosa OR adjust by adding rava or rice flour .
The consistency of batter becomes little thick after fermentation.
Some use cooked rice for soft idlis .
If you grind more in quantity you can store the batter in the fridge but for storing don’t ferment .Ferment it when u require it.
If you want to demould the idli fast then just hold the idli mould upside down below the running tap.
For mini idlis we get idli moulds with small compartments.
If you don’t have idli vessel steam it in a plate like dhoklas …steam , cut and eat .
Avoid over fermentation to avoid sour idlis.
Once the batter is well fermented ,then store in fridge else it becomes sour .
Boil the water before placing the idli stand in the steamer.
Don’t remove the idlis when it is hot.
While grinding urad dal keep adding water little by little to make the batter lighter and fluffy.
Fluffy urad dal batter results in fluffy idli.
The urad dal batter should have air bubbles.
If you put a drop of urad dal batter in water,it should float.
Grind the dal and rice separately.
In colder regions keep the batter in the oven with lights ON for fermentation.
A fist full of poha or even sabudhana soaked together or cooked rice or murmura with rice results in soft idli.
Don’t use aluminium vessels to store the batter.
While grinding in mixer ,don’t overload .If grinding a big quantity , give mixie a resting time – else the batter also becomes hot as we grind it .
Flat idlis means too much of urad dal .
Soak rice and dal separately ,also grind it separately.
Wash and rinse the dal and rice well until water runs clear.
Consistency of batter is important – if watery then idlis will be flat and sticky ,also the batter should not be very thick. It should be of medium thick flowing consistency.
Always use a steamer for steaming – don’t use microwave for making idlis.
Some add sour curd to the batter in cold weather to help in fermentation .Also we can add bread slices in batter while grinding in cold weather .
If you have old fermented batter,add it to the fresh batter for quick fermentation – the old batter acts as starter culture. [try storing little old fermented batter in the fridge.
After steaming .let it rest for few minutes before demoulding.
If storing fermented batter ,the next day use it for dosa and after few day use it for appe.
Before placing the mould in the steamer the water should be hot .
Idli batter can be frozen for more than a mnth -thaw it by keeping it in fridge for 24 hrs.
Use batter at room temperature.
If the batter is very watery the dosas will stick to the pan – add rice flour and adjust.
In cold weather use ¼ tsp baking soda .
Also adding baking soda gives white idli.
If the batter is not fermented well ,use eno.
In colder regions – preheat the oven @ 200 * F , off the oven and place the batter inside the oven for fermenting .
Sometimes in cold regions it takes 2 days for fermentation .