Sweet Idli Recipe
These sweet idli are soft, fluffy, and colorful: a playful twist on the classic South Indian steamed cake. Made with milk powder and vanilla for a light, gently sweet flavor, they steam up into perfectly pillowy little cakes and can be made in any color you like with a drop of food coloring. A fun and unique dessert that comes together in just minutes. Also try my Purple Sweet Potato Steamed Cupcakes, Steamed Coffee Cupcakes, or Chinese Steamed Buns.
Sweet Idli Recipe / Steamed Cake No egg, No butter, No oven
Colourful eggless sweet idli cakes made with milk and milk powder, steamed in small moulds and coated with shredded coconut. The video specifies 5 minutes of steaming per batch; allow additional time when making several batches.
Dietary note: Contains dairy. This recipe is not vegan.
Equipment
- Idli moulds
- Steamer pot with lid
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (100 g) Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup (30 g) Milk Powder
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) Milk
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) Vegetable Oil
- 3/4 cup (100 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp (4 g) Baking Powder
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Food Coloring (Gels)
- Shredded coconut for coating
Instructions
- Whisk the sugar, milk powder and milk together in a bowl. Add the vegetable oil and mix.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
- Divide the batter into four portions and mix a different food colouring into each portion, as shown in the video.
- Oil the idli moulds and spoon in the coloured batter.
- Heat water in the steamer pot over medium-high heat. Set the filled moulds over the water, cover, and steam over medium heat for 5 minutes per batch.
- Remove the cakes from the moulds and coat with shredded coconut. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Video
Notes
Steam each batch for 5 minutes over medium heat, as shown at 1:46 in the video. This is a per-batch time, not the time for all the batter. The full cooking and total times are left unset because they depend on how many moulds fit in your steamer. The existing 15-minute preparation time is an estimate.
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