Idly has long been hailed as one of the healthiest South Indian breakfast staples — light, steamed, and easy to digest. But today, the way it is prepared and consumed is making it lose its original health value, slowly pushing it toward the junk food category.
Traditional idlies were made from parboiled rice and urad dal, fermented overnight, and steamed fresh. This process enhanced gut-friendly bacteria and made nutrients easily digestible. However, many modern kitchens and eateries now use polished white rice with minimal amounts of dal, instant idly mixes, and chemical leavening agents to speed up fermentation. These shortcuts reduce the protein and fibre content and increase the glycaemic load — making idly more like a refined carbohydrate than a balanced meal.
Pairing it with oily chutneys, vadas and poor-quality sambar further adds to the unhealthy transformation. What was once a wholesome meal is now becoming a high-carb, low-nutrient breakfast when prepared without care.
Still, idly doesn’t have to be unhealthy. With the right ingredients, it can be restored to its original nutritious form. By using whole grains or millets instead of polished rice, and fermenting naturally, we can bring back its lost value.
Healthy Idea: Change Junk food to Healthy Breakfast.
Replace white rice with foxtail millet or brown rice and maintain proper fermentation for a nutrient-rich, low-GI idly.
Recipe: Millet Idly
Ingredients:
- Foxtail millet – 1 cup
- Urad dal – ½ cup
- Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Water – as required
Method:
- Soak millet, dal, and fenugreek separately for 4–5 hours.
- Grind dal until fluffy; millet slightly coarse.
- Mix, add salt, and ferment overnight.
- Steam for 10–12 minutes.
Approximate Nutritive Value (per 2 idlies):
- Energy: 140 kcal
- Protein: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fat: 1 g
- Fibre: 2.5 g
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While idly is slowly shifting toward the “junk food zone” in modern diets, the real problem lies not in the dish itself but in how we have changed its preparation and the way we eat it. Portion size, ingredient quality, and accompaniments all play a major role in determining whether your breakfast is truly healthy or unintentionally harmful.
One of the biggest changes today is the high dependency on instant idly mixes. These commercial mixes often contain acidity regulators, baking soda, preservatives, and flavour enhancers to mimic fermentation. Although they offer convenience, they compromise nutrition. Natural fermentation not only increases B-vitamins but also reduces anti-nutrients, making idly gentler on the stomach. When this step is skipped, the glycaemic index rises, causing quicker spikes in blood sugar levels — especially concerning for individuals with diabetes or prediabetes.
Another issue is the decreasing urad dal ratio, which reduces the essential amino acids and iron content in the batter. Urad dal provides high-quality protein and supports good muscle health, especially important for children, pregnant women, and older adults. A low-dal idly becomes primarily a source of simple carbohydrates, providing energy but lacking satiety and long-lasting nourishment.
The side dishes we pair with idly have also evolved. Coconut chutneys made with too much coconut and no roasted gram, hotel-style sambar thickened with refined flour, and the common habit of adding ghee podi can easily double or triple the calorie count of a meal. A breakfast intended to be soft, light, and gut-friendly can suddenly become heavy and fat-rich.
Even the practice of eating idly outside early morning hours affects digestion. Idly is best consumed fresh and warm, but many people now eat it reheated or after long storage, which reduces taste and quality.
However, the beauty of idly lies in its versatility. You can enhance its nutrition effortlessly by adding ingredients like moong dal, oats, red rice, quinoa, or kambu to the batter. These variations improve the fibre content, support better blood sugar control, and keep you full for longer. Choosing accompaniments wisely — such as vegetable-rich sambar or tomato chutney — also makes a significant difference. With these thoughtful changes, idly remains a nutritious, wholesome, and comforting breakfast choice.
