Idli, dosa batters made with heritage rice gaining popularity

Through our social enterprise, we aim to share knowledge on native ingredients, food systems and encourage people to stay healthy and be more mindful of how we live and what we eat. Through our venture Better Batter, we sell different dosa, idli, adai and pesarattu batter that’s made with organic ingredients sourced from single source farms. We procure rice from the Spirit of the Earth,” says Deepa Ramachandran of Better Batter.

Better Batter’s products include thooyamalli plain idli dosa batter, thooyamalli ragi idli dosa batter, thooyamalli carrot batter, thooyamalli beetroot batter, thooyamalli spinach batter, mapillai champa (red) plain idli dosa batter, mapillai champa ragi idli dosa batter and Arcot kichili champa adai batter. “All these rice varieties have various nutritional properties and I think they are not promoted well. Mapillai champa is a red rice variety from Tamil Nadu — this fibrous rice helps keep the mind and body alert. It is high in fibre, calcium and strengthens the immune system. So, it was our first choice when creating the recipe for a red rice idli-dosa batter. We also have two lentil variety batters — adai and pesarattu. Adai is a protein-rich breakfast dish — it’s got the right mix of rice and lentils. The dish is diabetic and heart-friendly and is a great source of fibre and iron. Pesarattu batter is made by blending overnight soaked whole green moong beans with thooyamalli rice, fresh ginger, cumin seeds, green chillies and asafoetida. It is an excellent source of fiber and protein. We wanted people to include traditional rice varieties in their daily meals. Though there is an awareness of the goodness of heritage rice, more people should buy it. All our batters are ready to cook, naturally fermented, preservative-free, ground fresh on order, rich in plant-based protein, gluten-free and organic,” she adds.

By sourcing vegetables and other ingredients from single-source farms, they also support and promote sustainable organic farming. “We are also planning to add poongar rice in our batter. It is one type of traditional rice and resembles mappilai champa rice. It has more minerals than other types of rice,” Deepa says. Better Batter has a weekly delivery model and has also started subscriptions.

Food blogger-author Uma Raghuraman uses hand-pounded rice to make idli or dosa batter. “There are a lot of heritage rice varieties in our country and most of them have high nutritive properties. We can use them to make the batter and it will be a wholesome meal. Unlike before, now many are using heritage rice varieties in their meals. That said, it might not be easier for some people to suddenly shift to other rice varieties. It is an acquired taste for some rice varieties,” says Uma.