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    Thinai Idly Recipe

    Last Updated On: Apr 8, 2025 by Aarthi

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    Thinai Idly Recipe with step by step pictures. This easy and healthy millets recipe is a great replacement for our rice idli. It has more nutrients and these recipes are getting very popular these days.

    Thinai Idly

    We all know millets are so much healthier for us, but have you ever thought why we have not included in our daily diet like we include rice, vegetables, meat and stuff like that. Probably the answer would be we dont know how to use them, what to do with them. I too was like that untill i planned to start a series called "cooking with millets". So far i have used only thinai / foxtail millets.  I made idli and dosai with it and simple loved it.. Make sure you check out the thinai dosa recipe too..


    Ingredients for Thinai Idly

    • Thinai / Foxtail Millet - 2 cups
    • Normal Cooking Rice - 1 cup ( I used Red Samba Rice)
    • Urad dal / Ulundu Paruppu - 1 cup
    • Fenugreek Seeds / Vendayam - 1 tsp
    • Salt to taste

    Few days back me and hubby were talking about healthy eating. We finally came to a decision that including millets in our diet atleast once a week. And immediately we went for a purchase, igot two packets of thinai, two packets of kambu and barley. This is what i could find in my super market. But still i have explore other grains too like samai, varagu.  So stay tuned for more millet recipes.

    And to say about this idli, i was quite worried about the taste of the idly. But to my surprise it turned out quite good actually. It was little denser than normal rice idlies, you have to keep in mind that it is made my millets BTW. And for best taste enjoy this idly with tomato chutney and coconut chutney.

    How to Make Thinai Idly

    1. Wash all the ingredients well in lots and lots of water.
    2. Now soak urad dal and fenugreek together, Soak rice and thinai separately. Soak all of them for 4 hours.
    3. When they are soaked, drain them.
    4. Now take a blender and add urad dal and fenugreek. Grind them till they are fluffy and foamy. Transfer them to a large bowl.
    5. Now in the same blender add in rice and thinai and grind them till they are smooth. Add water slowly while grinding them.
    6. Pour them to the same bowl where you have urad dal mix. Add salt and mix well.
    7. Now cover them and leave to ferment for 6 - 8 hours.
    8. Once they are fermented, give one final mix.
    9. Grease idli plates with oil. pour small ladleful of batter in it and steam for 7 to 10 mins.
    10. Once steamed, remove each idly with a spoon and serve it with coconut chutney ad spicy tomato chutney

    If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.

    Follow me on Instagram, Facebook,Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter for more Yummy Tummy inspiration.

    IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR ANYTHING FROM YUMMY TUMMY, MAKE SURE TO POST IT AND TAG ME SO I CAN SEE ALL OF YOUR CREATIONS!! #YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI AND @YUMMYTUMMYAARTHI ON INSTAGRAM!

    Table of Contents

    • 📖 Recipe Card
    • Thinai Idly Recipe
    • Thinai Idly Recipe Step by Step

    📖 Recipe Card

    Thinai Idly Recipe

    Thinai Idly Recipe with step by step pictures. This easy and healthy millets recipe is a great replacement for our rice idli. It has more nutrients and these recipes are getting very popular these days.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    fermenting time: 8 hours hours
    Total Time: 8 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 61kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups Thinai / Foxtail Millet
    • 1 cup Normal Cooking Rice - I used Red Samba Rice
    • 1 cup Urad dal / Ulundu Paruppu
    • 1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds / Vendayam
    • Salt to taste

    Instructions

    • Wash all the ingredients well in lots and lots of water.
    • Now soak urad dal and fenugreek together, Soak rice and thinai separately. Soak all of them for 4 hours.
    • When they are soaked, drain them.
    • Now take a blender and add urad dal and fenugreek. Grind them till they are fluffy and foamy. Transfer them to a large bowl.
    • Now in the same blender add in rice and thinai and grind them till they are smooth. Add water slowly while grinding them.
    • Pour them to the same bowl where you have urad dal mix. Add salt and mix well.
    • Now cover them and leave to ferment for 6 - 8 hours.
    • Once they are fermented, give one final mix.
    • Grease idli plates with oil. pour small ladleful of batter in it and steam for 7 to 10 mins.
    • Once steamed, remove each idly with a spoon and serve it with coconut chutney ad spicy tomato chutney

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 61kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 4g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!
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    Thinai Idly Recipe Step by Step

    Take all your ingredients

     

    This is how thinai looks like

     

    Urad dal and fenugreek seeds

     

    Rice , I used Samba Red Rice

     

    Wash them very well and soak them in water

     

    Cover and leave them for 4 hours

     

    When they are soaked

     

    First grind urad dal and fenugreek mix

     

    Grind till they are foamed up and fluffy

     

    Transfer to a large bowl

     

    Now in the same blender, add rice

     

    add thinai along with rice

     

    Grind them to a smooth paste

     

     

    Add it to urad dal mix

     

    Add in salt

     

    Mix well

     

    Cover and let it ferment

     

    Look it is fermented

     

    grease your idly plates

     

    All greased

     

    Pour it into idly moulds

     

    Place them on idly stand

     

    Cover and cook

     

    Cook till done

     

    Remove with a spoon

     

    Serve
     
     

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    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. pavithraravindar

      at

      wow,healthy round soft,sponge idlies, yummy

      Reply
    2. Dipti Joshi

      at

      Really healthy and filling breakfast option!

      Reply
    3. soulsearchingdays

      at

      Hi, I am so glad to have come across this wonderful blog of yours, believe me though I am a blogger myself I am addicted to food blogs and love quite a few of them, but I am yet to see a blog like yours , I just looooved the pictures you have put in each recipe, it shows your hardwork and love for your blog. The pictures are amazing and gives so much of clarity, even if there is no recipe written one can easily follow. Thank you for such wonderful recipes. I am going to try quite a few of them.
      take care and God bless
      http://www.soulsearchingdays.blogspot.com

      Reply
    4. Sajitha

      at

      Please tell me if I can use thinnai flour in this. If so the measurement pls.

      Reply
    5. Aarthi

      at

      @Sajitha use 2 cup of flour.

      Reply
    6. Sajitha

      at

      Using the thinnai flour it came out well.thanks. I was about to throw out
      The flour packet as it had been lying down there for months and I couldn't
      Find any use:)

      Reply
    7. Anonymous

      at

      Can you please say right proportion for 2 ppl alone.

      Reply
    8. Aarthi

      at

      @AnonymousYou can just half the recipe

      Reply
    9. Anonymous

      at

      Did you use raw rice or parboiled rice?

      Reply
    10. Aarthi

      at

      @AnonymousI used red samba rice, you can use idli rice.

      Reply
    11. Meenakshi

      at

      What modification i need to do, if i use barnyard millet ( kuthiraivaali)?

      Reply
    12. Aarthi

      at

      @MeenakshiI am not sure, but same propotion would work i think so

      Reply
    13. Geetha Mary

      at

      Hi aarthi, normally we add salt to the batter jus before cooking. Is there any specific difference in adding salt before the fermation of idli batter?

      Reply
    14. Aarthi

      at

      @Geetha MaryAdding salt to the batter makes it ferment faster

      Reply
    15. Sangeetha

      at

      Hi Aarthi,

      Have a doubt. Is Fox Millet also known as Bajra?

      Reply
    16. Aarthi

      at

      @SangeethaNo bajra is different.. it is called as pearl millet

      Reply
    17. Anonymous

      at

      For thinai, dont we have to remove the husk or the outer covering, it is said it is not good for people.

      Reply
    18. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousno it is not like that, u can use whole

      Reply
    19. Anonymous

      at

      Quinoa and thinai r same?

      Reply
    20. Aarthi

      at

      @Anonymousno they are not the same

      Reply
    21. uma.saravanan N

      at

      I used thinai like you shown in picture for kichadi already I washed out and soak for 5hours but while cooking it won't cook well and it takes more time too . And also more husk are seen can you guide me proper use of thinai how can I remove husk from it

      Reply

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