Rava Idli is my favorite and I have been enjoying amma’s rava idli since my childhood days. Seen her making rava idlis with so much ease and perfection, I adapted her recipe and it works like a charm. I just could not wait anymore to share this tasty, porous Rava Idli Recipe.
About Rava Idli
Rava Idli is a popular South Indian dish made by steaming a batter of sooji, curd along with vegetables and eno fruit salt or cooking soda. Rava Idli is known to be invented by MTR hotel. Later they started making Rava Idli in many hotels in Bangalore. Also known as Sooji idli or Suji ka idli this idli is so soft and tastes good with a side of chutney and sambar. I love tomato chutney the best. Suji in Hindi translates to rava or semolina or cream of wheat or granulated wheat. Traditionally idli is made by soaking lentils, rice then grinding to a batter and fermenting it. The batter is poured in idli mold to make idli. This process is very lengthy and time consuming so to change our routine and to have some change in the regular menu you can make this instant rava idli which eliminates the soaking and grinding part completely. Rava Idli is a steamed wonder of sooji / rava that is perfect for making the dinner special and when the family is bored with routine menu. Even the idli pan would get excited by seeing a different mix in it ! Rava is supplemented with veggies and curd to make Rava Idli is healthy and tasty. Rava Idli is a great combo with different chutneys and idli podi mixed with oil. Rava Idli finds its place in our dinner menu at least once a month! Rava Idli does not need resting time like idli and dosa batter, which gives us the advantage of preparing rava idli anytime – yes its instant!
Rava Idli Video
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Secret for Restaurant Style Rava Idli
Rava Idli is made at home with curd so that rava does not get to an solid chunk! You can even replace curd with buttermilk.However at restaurants, to make Rava Idli more porous they add baking soda or eno fruit salt. Baking soda / Fruit salt will evaporate in the process of steaming leaving minute pockets of vacuum which makes the rava idli porous & soft. So adding baking soda / eno fruit salt is optional based on your preference but the texture sure makes a difference if do not use eno fruit salt or soda.
Rava Idli Ingredients
Rava / Sooji / Semolina – I have used fine rava or upma (hard wheat / semolina) for making rava idli. Make sure to roast rava even though the packet instruction say it is roasted. Curd – Curd is added for fermenting rava and give the idli its taste. Spices – Use a pinch of turmeric powder if you prefer. Rava Idli needs a simple tempering with urad dal, chana dal, mustard seeds, cashews, hing and oil. Vegetables – I have added carrot which make rava idli healthier, tastier and colorful. Adding carrot makes idli more soft. Eno fruit salt / Cooking soda – Adding cooking soda / eno fruit salt is optional but to get a fluffy porous texture like in hotels it is mandatory.
How to make Rava Idli Step by Step
1.Heat 2 tablespoon ghee – add around 10 cashews fry until golden, remove to a bowl and set aside. 2.In the same ghee add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds let it splutter. 3.Now add 1/2 teaspoon urad dal and 1/2 teaspoon chana dal. Saute for few seconds. Add 1/4 teaspoon hing. 4.Add 1 teaspoon green chillies finely chopped, 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped and 1 tablespoon curry leaves finely chopped. Saute until dals turn golden brown. 5.Add 2 tablespoon grated carrot. Saute for a minute until it shrinks. 6.Add 1 cup sooji (rava). 7.Saute for 3-5 minutes. 8.Transfer this to a mixing bowl. 9.Add 1/2 cup curd and 3/4 cup water along with required salt. 10.Mix well to form a batter that is pour able but thick just like our idli batter consistency. Leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes. 11.Now add 1 teaspoon eno fruit salt. If you don’t have it then add 1/4 teaspoon cooking soda. It will start to bubble. 12.Mix gently, do not over mix for a long time. Adjust with water if the batter is too thick. 13.Now grease the idli mold with ghee, add fried cashews. 14.Pour the idli batter into the holes. 15.Get the idli steamer ready – Add enough water to the steamer and let it start to boil. 16.Add the idli plates to the steamer. 17.Close and cook covered for 10-12 minutes. 18.Check by inserting a toothpick in the center if it comes out clean then it is done. Switch off. 19.Remove the idli plates and let it rest for 5 minutes. Now dip a spoon or ladle in water. 20.Remove using the laddle for easy demoulding. Remove the idlis and place it inside hot pack. Repeat to finish the batter. 21.Rava Idlis are ready! Serve Rava Idli hot with sambar, chutney or idli podi.
Expert Tips
Make sure you don’t allow the batter to rest after eno / soda is added. The idlis expand a bit so do not overfill while adding batter to the mould. Do not let the batter wait for long after eno fruit salt is added. Add to idli mould as soon as possible and steam it. Always let the idlis rest once steamed for 3-5 mins before removing it. You can sprinkle little water over the idlis for easy clean demoulding. You can use eno fruit salt for best results likes the ones we get in restaurants. It gives a more porous texture. But baking soda does a good job too. You can even add green chilli paste for spice level instead of chopped green chillies.
Serving & Storage
Serve Rava Idli hot with any type of chutney and idli podi as side dish! Drizzle ghee over the idli before serving to make it more appetizing. For later use, store the batter in refrigerator & make Rava Idli fresh when you need them.
1.Is it mandatory to add cooking soda or fruit salt?
No it is not mandatory. Cooking soda or Eno fruit salt is added to make Rava Idli fluffy, porous, soft and to get a restaurant texture. Still you can get a soft rava idli without adding them but the texture will vary.
2.Do I need to allow the batter to rest like idli & dosa batter?
No – We need not allow the better to rest like idli & dosa batter. This gives us the advantage of preparing rava idli anytime and when we run out of idli dosa batter.
3.Do I need to roast rava?
Yes we need to roast rava. Roasting rava in ghee / oil gives the idli a light texture without sticking or making it clumpy. Roasting also gives a great flavor to rava idli.
4.Can I use buttermilk instead of curd?
Yes you can use buttermilk instead of curd. But keep an eye on the measure as it may not be the same.
5.Can I replace eno fruit salt / baking soda with baking powder?
No you can’t replace baking soda with baking powder, both are completely different. Use eno fruit salt or cooking soda or baking soda. If you have any more questions about this Rava Idli Recipe do mail me at [email protected]. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube and Twitter . Tried this Rava Idli Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
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