Rava idli recipe with step by step photos – one quick, easy and instant idli recipe which was missing on my space. Being an Idli and Dosa lover, I never say no to the different idli varieties out there.
Rava idli gets made at home when we want some quick and easy idlis. So I make the idli batter within some minutes and when the idli is steaming I prepare the coconut chutney.
To make rava idli, no grinding and fermenting is required. The idlis are made with rava which is also known as sooji or fine semolina (cream of wheat). This is my version of making instant rava idli. I have not added any grated vegetables or boiled peas in the idlis. If you want you can easily add them. Just boil the peas beforehand and also keep ready the grated veggies.
You can use both Fresh or sour curd to make the idli. This recipe of rava idli is different from the Idli made with rice rava. whereas this one uses wheat rava or cream of wheat. The other one uses rice rava or cream of rice.
It goes well with coconut chutney and sambar. I had served the rava idli with coconut curry leaves chutney.
How to make rava idli
1. Heat 2 to 3 tsp oil or ghee in a pan. Add 1 cup rava (cream of wheat) and roast till they become aromatic and change color. Keep on stirring often when roasting them. Remove the roasted rava in a mixing bowl and keep aside.
2. In the same pan, heat 1 tsp oil and fry 10-12 cashews till light golden. Remove and add the fried cashews to the rava in the mixing bowl.
3. In the same pan, add 1 tsp oil more and heat it. Crackle 1 tsp mustard seeds. Then add 1 tsp chana dal, 10-12 curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida. Fry till the chana dal becomes golden.
4. Add this whole mixture to the roasted rava along. Add ½ cup curd/yogurt & salt along with ½ inch chopped ginger and 1 chopped green chili.
5: add ¼ to ½ cup water or as required and make a batter that is neither thick nor thin in consistency. Keep aside covered for 20-30 mins. After 20-30 minutes, if the rava idli batter looks thick, then add a few tablespoons of water to get a medium consistency. Rava absorbs water and so the batter might thicken after 20 to 30 minutes. If the curd is thick, then also you may need to add more water.
Steaming rava idli
6. Just before steaming, add a pinch of baking soda in the batter and mix well. You can also add ½ to ¾ tsp eno/fruit salt in place of baking soda. Pour the idli batter in greased idli moulds. I do not prefer the soapy smell of baking soda, hence I have added a pinch. You can add up to ¼ tsp of baking soda if you are fine with it.
7. Steam the rava idli in an electric cooker, steamer or pressure cooker for 10 to 12 minutes or more till a toothpick inserted in the idlis come out clean.
8. Remove them from the mould and Serve the steaming hot rava idli with idli podi or with your favorite coconut chutney.
Rava Idli
INGREDIENTS
ingredients for rava idli
- 1 cup rava (sooji or semolina or cream of wheat)
- ½ cup curd - fresh or sour (yogurt)
- 1 generous pinch baking soda * check notes
¼ to ½
cup water or more - add accordingly and as required to get a medium consistency batter - which is neither thick nor thin.- 1 green chili, chopped
- ½ inch ginger, finely chopped
- 10 to 12 cashews, chopped
- 2 to 3 teaspoons ghee or oil for roasting the rava
- 1 teaspoon oil for frying the cashews
- salt as required
for tempering
- 1 to 2 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon chana dal (split and husked bengal gram)
- 10 to 12 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
INSTRUCTIONS
roasting rava
- Heat 2 tsp ghee or oil in a pan.
- Add the rava (sooji) and roast in the ghee or oil till they become aromatic and change color.
- Keep on stirring often when roasting them.
- Remove the roasted rava in a mixing bowl and keep aside.
making tempering for rava idli
- In the same pan, heat 1 tsp oil again and fry the cashews in the ghee.
- Remove and add the fried cashews to the rava in the mixing bowl.
- In the same pan, add 1 tsp oil more and heat it.
- Splutter mustard seeds. Then add chana dal, curry leaves & asafoetida. Fry till the chana dal become golden.
making rava idli batter
- Then add this whole mixture to the roasted rava.
- Add curd (yogurt) along with chopped ginger, green chilies and salt.
- Add water as required and make a batter which is neither thin nor thick.
- Keep aside covered for 20-30 minutes.
- After 20-30 minutes, if the batter looks thick, then add a few tablespoons of water to get a medium consistency. Rava absorbs water and so the batter might thicken after 20 to 30 minutes.
steaming rava idli
- Heat water in a steamer, electric cooker or pressure cooker.
- Just before steaming, add baking soda in the batter and mix well.
- Pour the batter in greased idli moulds.
- Place the idli stand in the electric cooker, steamer or pressure cooker.
- Steam the idli for 10 to 12 minutes or more till a toothpick inserted in the idlis come out clean.
- Remove them from the mould and serve the steaming hot rava idli with idli podi or with your favorite coconut chutney and sambar.
NOTES
- You can easily add upto ¼ tsp of baking soda. Since I don't like the soapy aroma of baking soda, I have added a generous pinch.
- You can also add eno or fruit salt in place of baking soda. Add ½ to ¾ teaspoon of eno or fruit salt.
Thank u for the superb recipe mam
welcome shalini and thanks for this super feedback on rava idli.
Very nice recipe
I will try
Excellent recipe. Easy to follow. Steps very clear. Made my family very happy to eat fresh unfermented breakfast.
Love your karma tip 🙂
thanks a lot rukshna. glad to know. happy cooking.
Nice recipe. I tried it
thanks.
Good
Hello madam
First of all a big thank you for being a great reference point for people who are trying to find their way in the world of cooking.
I have tried so many of your recipes and I never came here to thank you when it all went well!!! Today I am here to seek your inputs to get better in the art of cooking.
I tried this recipe and the idlis came out hard. I saw the photos on your post here and the idlis I made did not look so different but looks can be so so deceptive.
I guess that I did not add enough water but I am not so sure as cooking does not come naturally to me. Invariably I try to follow the recipe to the minutest of details and usually the results are excellent. There are always exceptions ….
If you can provide some inputs I would be so very grateful.
Thanks once again
thank you joseph for this detailed comment. the idli has become hard due to less water in the batter and your guess is correct. you can easily add 1/4th to 1/2 cup water depending on the quality of rava and the consistency of curd. if the curd is thick, then more water will be required. i have updated in the post also.
i will update this rava idli post with better pictures and make it more detailed in some time. the batter has to have a medium consistency. for a soft texture, 1/2 teaspoon of eno or 1/4th teaspoon of baking soda can also be added. hope this helps.
welcome and happy cooking.
Hello
I tried your recipe but mine were breaking
While taking it out from the mould .
I used eno
I had taken them out after cooling
Please suggest
did you add more eno. adding more eno can make the idli crumbly. breaking could also be due to more water in the batter, but in the case the idli would be sticky too. hope this helps.
Medam plz tell ur app info…in google play store
we do not any app for now.
In microwave how much time is given for idli
will take approx 3 mins for mini rava idli and approx 5 mins for medium-sized rava idli. but do keep a check. otherwise idli can become hard.
Thank you dassana. You have become a household name in India. Hope to see a cookbook or two from you soon. I would order a signed copy. I visit your website during happy days to bake a cake, surprise my kids with something out of the box. I visit your website on the sad days just to let go off the tension and cook something relaxing and beautiful. And it’s on those days I say a prayer for you and click on all the ads on your website hoping to give back something to you who so selflessly gives out to all who visit this site. You are shaping a whole new generation of good cooks. God bless your work.
i am so touched by reading your comment sudha. it almost brought tears to my eyes. hopefully, i do plan to work on a cookbook this year. let me see if i can manage. also there is no need to click on all the ads. trust me your love and prayers will bring more peace and prosperity in my life. wish you all the best.
Hi Dassana,
It’s very rare that I go wrong with dishes made fallowing your recipes.Today I made rava idli with onion tomato chutney and both came out excellent! Thank you for such good work.You are a saviour when it comes to veg recipes 🙂
Hi Dassana, this is Sara hope you are in a good state, Let me tell you, your recipes are amazing, you explain it in a very easy way, you make it so easy for us to understand the best part is that you show in pictures step by step which no other person does.. Thanks alot for sharing your amazing delicious recipes. I love Veg Recipes of India 🙂
yes i am good sara. hope the same for you. thanks for the sharing your views on the presentation of the recipes. i am glad that you are liking the recipes. stay blessed and happy cooking.
Hi Mam,
This blog is so insipring. Can we totally avoid soda in this receipe please? What’s the impact? Pls let us know
thanks. you can skip soda. but the idlis won’t be fluffy and light. they will be soft but with a slight denseness in them.
These idlis turned out great. I tripled the recipe and added just 1/4 tsp baking soda to the tripled recipe. The idlis fluffed up nicely. My husband and kids loved these soft and yummy idlis and kids wanted to packed it in their school lunch box too. Next time, I plan to add grated carrots and other veggies.
The rava idlis I had tried to make in the past have never come out well and even the ones I have eaten outside were not to my taste. I would never have tried to make rava idlis if not for the fact that all recipes I have tried from your site have turned out so good. After using many recipes from your site, I have started to like so many dishes which I didn’t use to like earlier. And that has made me more adventurous in cooking and trying dishes which I had an aversion too.
You really have magic in your fingertips to bring forth the best with ingredients. Keep up the great work.
thanks deepa for this detailed comment. this recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. of course you can add some grated veggies. it tastes very good with some grated carrots, capsicum and peas.
usually whenever we have a dislike for some dish, its because we have not got the correct taste and flavor of that particular dish. had we eaten the dish the way it is made, one would not have a dislike or aversion. i knew someone who had an aversion to thai curries. but when i made it, he really liked it and said it was different than what he had eaten. if the recipe is made correctly and rightly with the correct method and technique, then the aversion or dislike won’t be there as you will get to have the authentic and real taste of the dish.
its the blessings of the goddess that gives the magic and helps me to create good recipes ????
Thank you very much for the recipe. The idlis came out very well. I took a short cut by roasting rava along with the tempering. Thank you once again.
Welcome Rohini. Nice to know this.
Very soft and deliscious idlis. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I made it in the microwave and apart from it being very slightly crumbly, it was perfect.
Welcome Shruti. Glad to know this. Thanks for your positive feedback on rava idli.
Thank you for this recipe… The rava idlis came out really well.. One of those rare days when my son completed his tiffin and also told me he liked it… made my day!!! 🙂
welcome priya. nice to know that your son liked the idlis. thanks for sharing.
Hello, simple recipe, the rava idlis came out well! I added 1/4 tsp baking soda to the batter.
Thanks Binu. Good to know this.
tried this and it came out awesome !
I didn’t expect this much of softness with an instant idly not to forget that too with sooji coz my oats instant idly with cracked wheat always turns out awesome but when I substitute cracked wheat with sooji NOPE ..
Thanks for the wonderful recipe
Welcome Shobana. Rava Idli turns out soft, if made properly. Glad to know that you liked this idli recipe.
Very Excellent recepie rava idli
Thanks Rambabu
Hi Dassana,
How are you??Wanted to ask that is it fine to add eno/baking soda when making this rava idli for 4 yr and 1.5 year old kids . I had sooji at home so got interested to make this idli but when I saw eno…i stopped there itself and didn’t go ahead with the recipe coz there’s no point in going through it if its not useful for kids…btw…why do we add eno??
teena, i am good. eno or baking soda is added to give some porousness, lightness and softness in the idlis. otherwise the idlis become dense and slightly hard. since i have made rava idlis without adding eno or baking soda, i know how the texture is. since the batter is not fermented overnight there is no leavening happening in it. for the leavening action to happen eno or baking soda is used. if eno is your concern, then you can still skip it but the idlis will have some denseness in them.
Hi Dassana,
Last night I Just kept the mixture ready… Morning I added curd and followed ur
instructions.
Rava idli turned out super delicious… Thanks for the recipe… I made tomato chutney and peanut chutney too..
Appreciate your effort.
Thanks
Welcome Vidya. Glad to know that you liked the rava idli recipe and they came out super delicious.
Hi dasanna
Pls help my idly dint turn soft wat could have gone wrong
dipica, could be due two reasons. one is less water in the batter and second reason is baking soda/eno not fresh. you can also try increasing the baking soda than what is mentioned in the recipe. hope this helps.
I loved your recipe for instant rawa idli. I often make them in breakfast. They turn out really well as they are soft and fluffy. Thank you for this time saver and delicious idea.
Welcome Aarti. Thanks for your positive feedback.
Hi
This post comes really late but I cant thank you enough for your recipes .I have been using your site past 4-5 yrs probably more after my marriage because I get bored with routine food very soon and like making experiments,everytime I do a google search and there your website comes up in the list first .Whatsoever be the reason my food with your recipes have always turned out good.I follow your post dedicatedly with respect to measurements too.Its so much fun cooking and knowing that it wont fail because your recipes are always tried and tested ones .Even my yesterday s attempt at Rava Idli came out tasty and my hubby who said I dont want to eat Rava Idli , ate it admiring it that its so nice and soft.
Thanks Once Again and Keep your recipes coming.
Welcome Supriya. Thanks for sharing this awesome feedback. Glad to know that recipes are helping you in cooking.
You are doing an absolutely fantastic job at guiding all curious cooks Dassana Amit ???? All your recipes are easy to follow and explained in the most simplified manner even for amateur cooks. Keep up the great job ????????
Thanks Betty for your kind words and positive feedback. Loved reading your comment.
Idlis turned out very nice ????????
Thanks Sweta
Hi Dassana,
Can this recipe be made without soda?
Sweta, without soda, the rava idli will not have soft and light texture. you can use Eno instead of soda.
Awesome recipe. Very easy to make. My idlis turned out very well. I did not add Baking soda. But the taste was absolutely wonderful. Thanks for the recipe.
Welcome Sowmya. Glad to know that rava idli came out well.
Hello dassana! I am grateful to you, so many times, I used to be helpless if any food item my hubby or son ask me to preparei used to feel hectic sometim in the past. When I came across this URL vegrecepicesofindia, after that everything changed. I got new ideas, tips. I started to love cooking, even my son say” amma prepare Google breakfast”. I am very happy, all the recipe I try from you lists comes out well.. thanks a lot
Welcome Nirmala. Thanks for your positive feedback and kind words. I am glad to know that website is helping you. happy cooking.
Hii ! I am your new fan 🙂 🙂
I have just downloaded VROI app. And I want to add some of the articles to my favourite list, but that is not happening. I darken the star button on the upper right corner for my fav recipes but again am unable to locate them. Plzz help 🙁
Thank Kkg for your kind words. The app is not very stable. I would suggest you to use the website – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/ which is much better.
Hey dassana, I prepared these idlis today for breakfast and they have became so tasty. The best part of these recipe is there is no longer fermentation required. I really appreciate your work and every recipe. Trust me, everyday Firstly I go through your app and start cooking. I am inspired by you and have started my own blog also. A lot of thanks to you.
welcome snehal. glad to know that you like the recipes. i wish you all the best for your blog.
Thank you for the prompt response, Dassana. I use a lot of your recipes and must say food is so yummy following your directions. My hubby has been advised not to have any fermented food or foods with tomato due to certain medical reasons at the moment. Have been trying to look up some recipes. Do you have any North Indian veggies/curries in mind?
welcome rachita. there are many north indian curries and sabzis i have posted.
you can check here – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/recipes/north-indian-recipes/
and for dry sabzis – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/recipes/indian-vegetable-recipes/
Hello!
Can I make these idlis with buttermilk instead of curd? Will that make the batter too thin?
Rachita, if using buttermilk then add less or as required to give a medium thick batter consistency.