Growing up in Punjab, I'd never even heard of idli — we were parantha people! It was only after my wedding, in Odisha, that I ate fresh, homemade idli, dosa and chakuli every single day. So when I came back to Delhi, I started making idli too… and that's when the trouble began. Sometimes my batter smelled too strong. Other times it wouldn't ferment at all. But whenever I ate my Odia sasu ma's idli, it was always pure, soft and fresh — with no off-smell. So I finally asked her the secret. Her answer was just one word: idli rice. If your idli batter always smells, or your idli turns out hard and flat, this post is for you. Let me share exactly what I learnt. Why Does Idli Batter Smell? That strong, sour, "off" smell in idli batter usually comes down to two things: 1. The rice you use. Regular raw rice doesn't ferment as cleanly as idli rice. Idli rice is a short-grain parboiled rice made specifically for idli — it gives a cleaner, more reliable fermentation ...
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