The problem of sour idli batter is common, especially in those seasons when the climate conditions include high temperatures and humidity. Though fermentation is important in making soft and fluffy idlis, there are instances where fermentation is taken too far, and the batter ends up smelling strongly sour and tasting the same. Many individuals would end up discarding such batter, considering it beyond help. However, that is not the case as it can be salvaged using easy techniques which do not require a lot of time. Such tips would enable the use of the batter without losing too much quality in terms of taste and consistency.
Simple kitchen tips to fix sour idli batter instantly
There are a number of simple solutions that can be quickly applied to save the sour batter for making idlis without any wastage. Such solutions take into account the aspects of enhancing the taste and flavor of the batter along with altering its texture. There is no need to throw away the batter.
Add a pinch of sugar or jaggery to balance the sour taste
The fastest way to rectify the sour batter is by adding a little bit of sugar or jaggery to it. The addition of sugar or jaggery doesn’t make the batter taste sweet, but it aids in balancing out the excessive sourness.A little pinch will suffice to bring about a change in the taste and scent of the batter.
Use semolina or rice flour to adjust texture and taste
Another useful tip is the use of semolina/rava or rice flour in the batter in small amounts.This serves two purposes: making the batter more acceptable and thickening the dough. It makes the idli dough a bit tougher or the dosa dough crispier. This is especially useful in cases where the batter is too thin and sour.
Mix the sour batter with the fresh batter for better results
If you happen to have some freshly made batter at home, adding some of that sour batter to the fresh one could go a long way in ensuring that there is an overall balance of flavour.It minimises the overly sour taste, bringing back a neutral taste to your dish.
Add ginger and green chilli paste to mask the sourness
One kitchen trick that can help is to add some ginger and green chilli paste.It does not make the dish less sour, but it will hide the taste of sourness. This method works especially well when cooking uttapam or dosa rather than simple idlis.
Why idli batter turn sour due to over-fermentation
The fermentation of the idli dough occurs because of the presence of helpful bacteria and yeast. This helps to create a soft dough and a slightly acidic taste for the idlis. However, over-fermentation takes place when there is too much fermentation time and heat. This makes the dough smell sour and have a sour taste. The environment plays a major role in controlling the rate of this process.
When to still use sour batter instead of fixing it
At times, instead of fixing the batter, there is always an alternative to try and utilize it differently. The slightly sour batter is ideal for the preparation of crisp dosas, paniyaram or uttapam.These are dishes that will always come out with a good flavour compared to the idlis prepared using a batter with too much fermentation. Therefore, all one needs is the correct method of handling and preparing such batter. The sour batter used for idlis is not necessarily a bad batter, but rather, it is the way one prepares the batter.A very simple ingredient, such as sugar, semolina or fresh batter, will easily restore the flavour of the batter.
