rava idli recipe | how to make rava idli | instant semolina idli

rava idli recipe | how to make rava idli | instant semolina idli with detailed photo and video recipe. simple and healthy south indian idli recipe made with semolina or sooji batter. it is an ideal morning breakfast recipe and can be prepared without the hassle of grounding and fermenting the batter. it is made with spices and savoury and hence can be eaten as it is, but tastes great with a dip of chutney or sambar.

rava idli recipe | how to make rava idli | instant semolina idli with step by step photo and video recipe. south indian recipes are generally popular for their steamed and clean breakfast recipes. it is either dosa or idli which covers the most of the breakfast recipes offerings. one such easy and simple idli recipe is rava idli recipe which is not only tasty but also quick and easy to make it.

idli recipes are very common in my house and i make it frequently for breakfast and also for lunch boxes. i try to make different types of idli recipes and hence it does not make a monotonous morning meal. having said that, rava idli or semolina idli is very consistent in our weekly menu. perhaps because this recipe does not require previous day preparation and also no overnight fermentation. this is a huge bonus for me, as i have to take extra pre batter early morning, add some eno salt to make it puffy followed by steaming it in the idli stand. that’s it! an healthy and tasty idli is ready within no time.

anyway, the mtr style rava idli recipe is very easy and simple, yet you need to take some precautions while making it. firstly, i would strongly recommend using coarse rava or sooji for this recipe. avoid using fine semolina as it may end up with a chewy textured idli. secondly, do not use baking soda to hasten the fermentation process and use eno salt as its alternative. baking soda reacts with indian spices, especially with turmeric to produce orange coloured dishes. lastly, these idli’s can be made without any idli stand and you can use steel cups or plates to shape it and steam the idli’s.

finally, i would like to highlight my other easy and simple idli recipes collection with this post of rava idli recipe. it includes recipes like idli with idli rava, thatte idli, bread idli, idli with cooked rice, semiya idli, suji idli, ragi idli, oats idli, idiyappam and sabudana idli recipe. in addition, i would like to highlight my other similar and popular recipes collection like,

• dosa recipes collection
• breakfast recipes collection
• instant recipes collection

rava idli video recipe:

recipe card for semolina idli recipe:

how to make rava idli with step by step photo:

1. firstly, in a kadai heat 3 tsp oil and splutter 1 tsp mustard, ½ tsp jeera, 1 tsp chana dal, pinch hing and few curry leaves.
   
2. now add 1 chilli, 1 inch ginger and saute for a minute.
   
3. further add 2 tbsp carrot, ¼ tsp turmeric and saute for 2 minutes.
   
4. keeping the flame on low add 1 cup rava and roast well.
   
5. roast for 5 minutes or until the rava turns aromatic.
   
6. cool the rava completely and transfer to a bowl.
   
7. furthermore, add ¾ cup curd, 2 tbsp coriander and ½ tsp salt.
   
8. mix well forming a thick batter.
   
9. now add ½ cup water and mix well forming a smooth batter.
   
10. rest for 15 minutes or until the rava absorbs water.
    
11. mix well and add water as required, to form an idli batter consistency batter.
    
12. grease the idli plate with oil and place cashews in the centre.
    
13. just before steaming add a ¼ tsp eno (fruit salt) and mix well till it turns frothy. alternatively, add a pinch of baking soda.
    
14. pour the batter immediately into the idli plate. do not rest the batter.
    
15. steam the rava idli for 13 minutes on medium flame.
    
16. finally, serve instant rava idli with coconut chutney and sambar.
    

notes:

• firstly, avoid using eno / soda if serving for kids.
• also, roast the rava on medium flame, else the idli will turn sticky and hard.
• furthermore, you can also prepare the batter before in hand and store in a fridge. remember just before steaming add baking soda / eno.
• finally, steam the instant rava idli on medium heat to get the soft idli.

faq’s for rava idli recipe

why does my instant rava idli turn chewy?

always use coarse rava or bombay rava for this recipe. using fine rava or chiroti rava may end up with chewy textured idli. do not attempt with thick rava too, you may not get the desired texture of idli.

why does instant rava idli turn orange in color?

as rava idli is an instant one and does not require grounding and any fermentation process, eno is added with curd to fasten the fermentation process. if baking soda is used instead of eno to hasten the process, baking soda reacts with indian spices especially with turmeric, and produces idli which is orange in color.

how to get soft fluffy idlis?

using eno helps to get soft idli. the batter should be neither too thick nor thin but medium and smooth. adjust the batter by adding curd and water. do not make the batter too watery or runny as idlis might break. curd and eno are the key ingredients to make soft and fluffy idlis. an alternative to the curd, buttermilk can also be added. add eno to the batter just before steaming idlis and not on beforehand and mix until it turns frothy and then steam idlis. else they will not turn fluffy. steam the idlis on a medium flame to get soft idlis. do not keep the flame on high.

what if i don’t have an idli stand to steam idlis?

idli stand is not necessary to steam idlis. instead of an idli stand, you can use small steel cups or katoris, plates to steam the idlis.

what makes my rava idli turns sticky and sometimes hard?

always roast the rava in a low to medium flame until it turns aromatic, else the idli may turn sticky and hard. roast the rava in a good amount of ghee or oil. there should be enough ghee or oil to coat the rava. else they may turn sticky. using ghee gives a good flavor to the idlis. rest the rava batter for about 30 minutes as rava nicely absorbs water. the more you rest the batter, the tastier idlis are. also, steam the instant rava idli on medium flame. else idli turns hard.

what are the other variations in instant idli?

there are many variations like plain rava idli, vermicelli rava idli, vegetable rava idli, moong dal idli, bread idli, poha idli, oats idli, stuffed idli, ragi idli, and many more.

with what the rava idlis are served?

rava idli can be served as it is, as it contains spices and herbs. serving rava idlis with coconut chutney, red chutney, chutney powder, potato sagu or sambar makes it even tastier.

can we preserve the rava idli batter?

rava idli batter can be preserved for the next day when it is stored in a refrigerator. but remember to keep the batter for the next day before adding eno to it. once eno is added, it cannot be preserved. so take a proportion of rava batter in a bowl, preserve it in the refrigerator, add eno to the remaining batter, and steam idlis. the batter stays good for a day when kept in the refrigerator. as curd is added to the batter, do not preserve it for more than 2 days as they may turn sour and you might get sour idlis.

is roasting of rava necessary?

roasting of rava is necessary. else it may turn sticky. ultimately it depends on the quality of rava. some rava does not require roasting. but to be on the safer side it’s always good to roast rava on a low flame till they are aromatic.

why sometimes rava idli becomes crumbly and sometimes dry?

if you add more eno than the required amount to the rava batter and steaming it, turn the idli crumbly. if the batter is too thick and contains less water, idli turns dry. if you steam the idlis for a longer time also makes the idli get dry.

what happens if we skip eno in the rava idli?

eno is a very important ingredient to make the idlis fluffy. skipping eno makes the idlis flat. do not add too much eno as they crumble. do not rest the batter after adding eno for a longer time. steam the idlis immediately.