Leftover Rice Idli | Cooked Rice Idli 2023

A bowl of steaming Idli Sambar is comfort food, not just for South Indians, but a lot of people all across India. Personally, for me and my family too, it is a nutritious breakfast every weekend. This is a special recipe of Leftover Rice Idli or Cooked Rice Idli. You can use the rice that is left from your day’s lunch or dinner, and make these fluffy idli. You’ll be amazed with the taste and texture as its going to be similar to the Idli that is made traditionally in South Indian homes.

About Leftover Rice Idli

As much as I love the authentic, traditional idli, I even love experimenting with the idli batter. Since the time I came across the recipe of a Leftover Rice Idli in one of the cookbooks I was reading, I had been making it regularly at home. There were times I also did variations and made idli with different lentils, soybean and ragi (finger millet) as well.

The method of making Leftover Rice Idli is similar to that of making the regular Idli. The difference in the ingredients and their proportion is what makes it uniquely textured type of idli.

Steamed rice makes the idli ultra soft and very light. You’ll literally feel like you’re eating the fluffiest blobs of cotton!

I also add some idli rava (cream of rice) in the recipe. Idli rava is made with idli rice or parboiled rice and not the regular white rice. So keep a note of this when making the recipe. If you do not have idli rava, swap it with idli rice.

Essentially, you have to use cooked rice which is of the same day to make this recipe. So, if you know that you’ll have some rice left, then soak some urad dal and idli rava for a few hours before proceeding with the batter. In case you have a batch of day old refrigerated cooked rice, you can use that as well to make these.

However, you can’t use the same batter to make dosa as they don’t really turn out well. In case of any leftover batter, use it to make paniyaram.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Leftover Rice Idli
Make Batter

1. First prep by rinsing 1 cup idli rava separately in a bowl with water. Soak idli rava in enough water for about 4 hours.

Similarly rinse ½ cup cup urad dal (husked black gram) in water a few times. Soak urad dal in a bowl filled with enough water for 4 hours.

Before grinding the ingredients, drain the water from the soaked idli rava. Take portions of the idli rava in your fist and squeeze it tightly to remove any extra water. Add this squeezed portion of the idli rava to the mixer-grinder or a sturdy blender.

Work on portions of rava this way and add them to the mixer-grinder or blender. Drain all of the water from the urad dal. Add the soaked urad dal to the blender.

Next add in 1 cup cooked leftover rice (I used cooked sona masuri rice). Add about 8 to 10 tablespoons of water at intervals and grind to a smooth and fine batter.

The batter has a thick to medium-thick consistency and should be flowing. If the batter looks very thick, you can add some more water while grinding.

2. Pour the batter in a pan and stir in some rock salt as required. Cover and let the batter ferment overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.

Since the temperatures are not the same everywhere, the fermentation time will vary and be more. If the batter has not increased in volume, allow it to ferment for some more hours.

Make Leftover Rice Idli

3. Grease the idli pans with some oil and pour the batter in the moulds. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes in an idli steamer or electric cooker or the Instant Pot adding water as needed.