If you received our IndianTies Mystery Letter, "The Bungle in Bangalore," you will remember Ravi loves the Rava Idli that his grandmother makes.
Making Idli at home doesn't have to be complicated! You just need a few basic tools to get started making this famous South Indian Delicacy!
Idli is a steamed cake, traditionally made out of fermented batter made from rice & lentils. The process can take a couple of days, and is not difficult, but does take pre-planning. With instant rava idli, you can make tasty idli on a weekday without too much of a time commitment.
To make idli, you will need a mold/stand to steam the idli in. You can find them at your local Indian store, or on amazon! For steaming, an Instant Pot or pressure cooker works great, but any pot, big enough to accommodate your idli mold, with a lid will work!
You might need to visit your local Indian grocery store for a few ingredients, but they are quite common and should not be hard to find.
Quick and Easy Recipe for Instant Rava Idli - Steamed Indian Dumplings
Ingredients:
1.25 cup rava (semolina/sooji)
1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp asafetida
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
Oil/ghee for greasing idli mold
1/4 tsp asafetida
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
Oil/ghee for greasing idli mold
Instructions:
Dry roast the rava, stirring continuously, for about 5 minutes, until aromatic.
Cool completely & transfer to a mixing bowl
Add yogurt, salt & asafetida and stir well
Rest the batter for about 15-20 minutes as the rave absorbs the liquid
Add water until the consistency is able to be poured, but not runny.
Add water to the bottom of your Instant pot/pressure cooker or steamer & bring water to a simmer.
Oil the idli molds
When ready to steam, add the baking soda and lemon juice to the idli batter.
Fill each compartment of the mold with the batter, do not over fill - the batter expands during steaming
Close the lid and steam for 12-13 minutes. (For instant pot leave the pressure valve open and press steam button)
After 12-13 minutes remove the idli stand from the steamer and let them cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing.
Serve with sambar, coconut chutney & ghee!