Eno (Fruit Salt) Substitutes — What to Use Instead

Q: Can I use baking soda + lemon juice instead of eno (fruit salt)?

Yes. Use 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1 tsp lemon juice per 1 tsp Eno. DIY fruit salt. Add right before steaming. Slightly less aggressive lift.

Q: Can I use baking powder instead of eno (fruit salt)?

Yes. Use 1.25 tsp baking powder per 1 tsp Eno. Slower lift. Works for cakes; less ideal for instant batters that need a fast rise.

Also known as fruit salt, andrews liver salt, eno fruit salt.

Eno is a self-acidifying leavener — sodium bicarbonate pre-mixed with citric and tartaric acid, so adding water triggers the CO2 release instantly. That single-stage chemistry is why dhokla batter rises in minutes rather than hours, and why most substitutes need a separate acid component to behave the same way.

2 substitute optionsExact ratio guidanceRecipe-specific notes

Reviewed by the CupOrGram Editorial TeamSources: King Arthur Baking, USDA FoodData CentralMethodology

Best First Pick

Baking Soda + Lemon Juice

Use 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1 tsp lemon juice per 1 tsp Eno for the closest replacement in most recipes.

1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice per teaspoon of Eno is the cleanest equivalent — same alkali, comparable acid load, and the lift kicks off the moment they meet the batter, just like the original.

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Quick Ratio Cheat Sheet

Baking Soda + Lemon Juice1/4 tsp baking soda + 1 tsp lemon juice per 1 tsp Eno

Baking Powder1.25 tsp baking powder per 1 tsp Eno

Excellent: 0Good: 1Moderate: 1

When the best swap works

Khaman dhokla rises identically with the soda-plus-lemon swap if you steam within 60 seconds of mixing — the reaction window matches Eno's 90-second active phase.
Instant rava idli and uttapam batters take the substitute well because the semolina and rice flour bases tolerate the slightly tangier flavour from added citrus.
Spongy patra and khandvi work cleanly — the thin batters trap CO2 from any acid-base reaction equally well, regardless of source.

When to use caution

Baking powder alone, even at 1.25 teaspoons per teaspoon of Eno, gives a slower double-action lift that misses the immediate puff dhokla needs — you get a denser, more cake-like crumb.
Recipes calling for Eno as a flavour-neutral leavener (certain instant cake mixes) suffer with the lemon-juice version because the citric tang lingers in sweet applications.
Anything where the batter sits longer than 2 minutes before cooking loses most of the lift — the substitute's reaction completes faster than commercial Eno, which contains buffering agents to slow release.

Recipe Notes

The 5g-per-sachet conversion

One Eno sachet is 5g, roughly 1 teaspoon by volume. The soda-plus-lemon equivalent is 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (about 1.2g) plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice — the smaller soda quantity reflects that pure bicarb is more concentrated than Eno's diluted blend.

Timing the reaction

Add the substitute as the last step before steaming or pouring into the mould. Soda-acid reactions peak within 30 seconds and fade by the 2-minute mark, so any delay between mixing and cooking flattens the result. Pre-heat your steamer to 100C before you start mixing.

Yogurt as built-in acid

If your dhokla or idli batter already contains yogurt (most do), you can skip the lemon and use 1/2 teaspoon baking soda per teaspoon of Eno called for. The yogurt's lactic acid provides the activating component, and the slight extra alkali compensates for the milder reaction.