A set of perforated metal plates, each dimpled with shallow round moulds and stacked on a central rod, that sits in a tightly covered pot over boiling water to steam idli, the fermented rice and lentil cakes eaten for breakfast across South India. The plates are greased, filled with batter and steamed for ten to twelve minutes; the holes in each plate let the steam reach every tier. Also called an idli stand or idli maker; some models are a complete pot with the stand built in.
A stand with four plates of four moulds makes sixteen idli at a time, which is why it exists as a tool in its own right rather than a tray in an ordinary steamer. Variations hold mini idli or the flat moulds for dhokla.