Here's what to consider when using stale batter (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
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Avoid over-fermentation of your idli, dosa batter; here’s why
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In the hope of saving time and effort in making a fresh batch of batter for easy-to-cook foods like idli and dosa, we tend to keep them in the refrigerator for too long. But is this practice good for your health? Dr Sanchari Das, a baby-led weaning expert shared that overfermentation is not good for your health besides the food losing its nutrients and smell.
“Stop using rotten/stale idli/dosa batter. According to Ayurveda, eat your food as long as the food is live (prana) to get the maximum benefit. Nowadays lots of malpractice has generated around storing big batches of idli/dosa batter for 10-14 days in a refrigerator with the hope that fermentation gets stopped. But the real truth is that it gets slightly slower and is not at all stopped leading it to get rotten/stale,” she said.
Overfermentation of batter is indeed a risk, especially in recipes that rely on the production of gases (like carbon dioxide) through fermentation for leavening, such as in bread or certain types of pancakes, said Dr Nirupama Rao, nutritionist, Rejua Energy Centre, Mumbai.
Yeast-Based Batters: In yeast-based batters like bread dough, overfermentation can occur if the dough is left to rise for too long. The yeast consumes all the available sugars, and the dough becomes overinflated, losing structure and flavour.
Baking Powder/Soda Batters: In batters that use chemical leavening agents (baking powder/soda), overfermentation can result from excessive gas production before baking. This can lead to a batter that collapses and produces undesirable textures.
According to Dr Das, there is a “great difference between eating fresh fermented and stale/rotten food”. “The good fermenting bacteria in big numbers is unacceptable for human consumption. It can lead to acid reflux, indigestion, stomach infection too,” she added.
Clinical dietitian Garima Goyal also mentioned that this batter should be consumed within 24 hours of its full fermentation and not anytime later. “If the batter is over-fermented, it may either be too thick or too thin. Either way, the texture of the food cooked will be undesirable. Supposing the dosa batter is over-fermented and too thick, the dosa will be hard and spongy and if the batter is too thin, it will be hard to fold that dosa and unpalatable to taste too. The batter is of no use if you don’t get the desired food texture.”
Using stale batter can affect your digestion (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
How to know the batter is rotten/stale?
*Foul smelling
*Too much sourness to taste
*Oil-like thin film deposited over the batter
According to Goyal, causes of overfermentation include:
– The temperature used to ferment was too high.
– Too much salt was added to the batter.
– The batter wasn’t refrigerated post-fermentation.
Dr Das further said that although some practices like putting mustard oil on top and changing the storing utensils are practiced, none is so fruitful as a fresh batter.
So, what is your takeaway?
Prepare a fresh batter, ferment it overnight, and consume it within the next 24 hours to get the best results, Goyal mentioned.
To avoid overfermentation
Dr Rao said:
*Check the dough or batter periodically during fermentation. It should double in size for most recipes. Once it has reached this point, it’s usually time to move on to the next step.
*Set a timer to keep track of fermentation time. This helps prevent forgetting about the dough or batter and letting it over-ferment.
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FAQs
Over-fermented batter can result in idlis, dosas, or uttapams that are denser, flatter, and less fluffy. The delicate spongy texture that idlis are known for may be lost. Dosa and uttapam can become more rubbery and less crisp.
What happens if idli batter is over fermented? ›
The proliferation of excessive fermenting bacteria is unsuitable for human consumption and may result in acid reflux, indigestion, or even stomach infections. To ensure optimal results, it's advised to use the batter within 24 hours of complete fermentation.
What to do if idli batter does not ferment? ›
If the batter doesn't ferment – then first just wait for a few more hours for it to rise and ferment. But if the batter has not risen or fermented after 18-24 hours (traditional method) & 12-14 hours (Instant Pot), then just give up on making idlis with this batch, and use batter for dosas instead.
What causes fermentation in idli dosa batter? ›
The fermentation of idli demonstrates a leavening action caused by the activity of the heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium, L. mesenteroides. As far as is known, this is the first record of a leavening action produced exclusively by the activity of a lactic acid bacterium.
Should idli batter be covered for fermentation? ›
For fermentation, place a trivet inside the steel insert of your Instant pot. Then keep the idli batter bowl on the trivet and cover the IP with a plate and not with the lid. Ensure your pot is not too hot from your earlier cooking otherwise your batter will have the flavour of cooked urad dal.
How to fix over fermented dosa batter? ›
To reduce sourness in the batter,you can mix rice flour in water and add this mixture to the batter. Over fermented batter emanates unpleasant smell. Hence you can prepare dishes like kuzhi paniyaram and uttapam using sour batter. When you add chopped onions in these dishes,it will counteract sourness in the batter.
Can we eat dosa batter without fermentation? ›
For those unable to ferment batter or have fermented foods , when you don't have enough time on hands a quick solution would be soak ingredients for 5 hours , grind to batter , make dosas immediately ! A better way would be to soak overnight , grind early morning , enjoy a breakfast of crispy paper dosa with ghee .
Does salt slow down fermentation of idli batter? ›
Salt: During winters, skip adding salt to the idly batter as salt retards the fermentation process. It is better to use rock salt or sea salt. I always use rock salt in the idli batter. Fermentation time in cold winters: In winters, keep the batter for a longer time to ferment, like 14 to 24 hours or more.
Can we add curd in idli batter for fermentation? ›
Add yoghurt while making the batter according to the taste and keep aside for fermentation. If you like to eat sour then use sour yoghurt, while if you do not eat sour then use sweet and fresh yoghurt. When you mix the batter with yoghurt, the fermentation process becomes quick and thus the Idlis become softer.
Can you make idli with unfermented batter? ›
If the batter has not fermented within this time, you can give it an extra 3 to 4 hours but any longer and the batter will start to get overly sour and will also have an unpleasant smell. In this case, instead of making Idlis, I would recommend using the batter for dosa or uttapam.
Amount of water doesn't matter to softness. If you see a thick and yellowish layer of batter on the top, it's gone bad. You shouldn't be using such batter for making Dosas or Idlis.
What happens if urad dal is more in idli batter? ›
– If your idlis are too flat, it could be due to two reasons. One, there's too much urad dal in the batter and two, the batter is too watery. Even if you end up adding too much urad, if your batter is thick, the idlis will be fine but too much water will create flat idlis and there's really no way to fix this.
How to ferment dosa batter immediately? ›
There are many methods for quick fermentation.
- Add a spoon of sugar.
- Add some puffed rice while soaking.
- Add some hot water while grinding.
- Wrap the utensil with a shawl or blanket.
- Add little soda for quick fermentation. ( this is my last choice)
Consuming over-fermented dishes can lead to digestive discomfort. The increased sourness and altered microbial composition in the batter might be hard on the stomach for some people.
Does urad dal help fermentation? ›
However, urad dal is indispensable when natural fermentation is desirable. The latter is primarily responsible for the soft and spongy texture of the finished product.
What to do if idli becomes hard? ›
The most important reason for hard idlis is the due to insufficient amount of urad dal and inadequate water used for grinding. If u find ur idlis are hard,add more dal and use more water while grinding the batter. Add enough water while grinding itself.
Here's what to consider when using stale batter (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
Using stale batter can affect your digestion (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)