
Ramaserry style Idli podi recipe with rice as main ingredient, step by step pictures recipe.
I always look forward for different podi recipes for idli. I can live with idli and podi. Whatever the side dish I make for idli dosa, my choice will be always podi and I finish with it. I make it only for my sake as both Aj and Vj doesn’t eat idli or dosa with just podi. Aj off late loves podi for dosai, but big no for idli. So it’s just for me, that means never take risk of trying other recipes as it is a project for me. Once I tried a recipe, it became a flop and it was a punishment for me to finish that podi.
Usually idli podi has major dal ratio and traces of rice in the regular idli podi recipes. In this recipe, rice is in major ratio.

Few days back my BIL sent me the video of Rakesh’s Kerala Ramaserry episode of sutralam suvaikalam show. Though I had seen the video earlier when it was telecasted, I was more keen about the idli and never noticed the podi recipe they shared in the video. BIL told it would be sure nice, as it is different from the usual ingredient, mainly rice. I had only a tbsp of podi in stock so perfect time for me to try it. I tried the very next day itself and shared in my Instagram stories too.
My mom always adds rice to her idli podi, but very less. She says it is for giving that ‘nara nara’ (coarse) texture. So I assumed the podi has to be coarse. But Rakesh pointed out, the podi’s texture has to be fine like a talc. I then again powdered more finer. Believe me, it makes a lot of difference in terms of flavor too. So do grind to fine powder. Also this is meant to be eaten with coconut oil, rather than sesame oil.
Ramaserry style Idli podi
Ingredients
- 1 cup Parboiled rice
- ¼ cup Urad dal
- 14 Red chilli
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp Asafoetida
- 1 tsp Oil
- Salt – as needed
Instructions
- First dry roast rice in medium flame until it turns slightly golden. Set aside.
- In the same pan, add few drops oil, add methi seeds, once golden and pops, add cumin and give it a stir. Set aside.
- Add remaining oil, roast red chillies, black pepper for a minute.
- Add urad dal and asafoetida. Roast until urad dal turns golden.
- Cool down the ingredients.
- Powder all the ingredients except rice.
- Add rice and grind until its a fine powder.
Notes
- Make sure to cool down the ingredients before grinding.
- As we are grinding it to a fine powder, it may get heated, so give some cooling time in between.
- You can swap the rice and urad dal quantities for a different taste.
- The original recipe uses vaal milagu/kuru milagu, but I used regular pepper as I didn’t have, also not sure how everyone would have access to it.
- You can add curry leaves, jaggery to this too.
Ramaserry style idli podi step by step pictures:
- First dry roast rice in medium flame until it turns slightly golden. Set aside.
- In the same pan, add few drops oil, add methi seeds, once golden and pops, add cumin and give it a stir. Set aside.
- Add remaining oil, roast red chillies, black pepper for a minute.
- Add urad dal and asafoetida. Roast until urad dal turns golden. Cool down the ingredients.
- Powder all the ingredients except rice.
- Add rice and grind until its a fine powder.
Serve with virgin coconut oil, idli. I just made Ramaserry style idli podi using my regular idli batter over my idiyappam mesh lined with idli cloth (pour a ladle of batter and spread like a thick dosa and steam).

Very new Idli Podi… Would love to try it… The Idli looks awesome too…
Raks do you have picture or vedio of how to cook this idli? I really love it …..want to try
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Yes, I do have pictures. Can you mail me at [email protected] so that I can send it to you?
Raks, podi done tastes v nice
Waiting for the idli podi batch to get over to try this…very innovative..do you have video of this idli too?