plain Idly - The idli, also romanized 'idly' or 'iddly', is made by steaming batter — traditionally made from pulses (specifically black lentils) and rice — into patties, usually two to three inches in diameter, using a mold. To prepare the classic idlis, two parts uncooked rice to one part split black lentil are soaked until they can be ground to a paste in a heavy stone grinding vessel, the attu kal. This paste is allowed to ferment overnight, until about 2-1/2 times its original volume. In the morning, the idli batter is put into the ghee-greased molds of an idli tray or 'tree' for steaming. This typically has several metal trays in tiers on a central support, with three or four round indentations per tray. These molds are perforated to allow the idlis to be cooked evenly. The tree holds the trays above the level of boiling water in a pot, and the pot is covered until the idlis are done, in 10-25 minutes, depending on size. The idli's pancake-like cousin is the dosa.