This Rava Idli Recipe gives you an incredibly light, fluffy, soft and tasty rava idli.
Rava Idli is a soft, pillowy steamed savory cake made from rava or cream of wheat batter that makes for a satisfying and healthy breakfast.
How is Rava Idli Made
Rava Idli is a popular variation of the traditional South Indian Idli made with fermented rice and lentil batter. Rava, also known as suji in Hindi and cream of wheat or semolina in English, is simply granulated wheat.
It is made with mixing ghee roasted rava (sooji or cream of wheat) with curd (yogurt), spices, herbs, cashews, water and a leavening agent like baking soda or eno (fruit salt) to make a nice batter of medium consistency.
The reaction of alkaline eno or baking soda with the acidity of the yogurt helps in leavening the batter thereby giving it a soft and fluffy texture. This flavorful batter is then steamed in an idli maker to make fluffy, pillowy cakes.
Why this Instant Rava Idli Recipe Works
Traditionally, idli is made from rice and lentils, which involves soaking the rice and lentils for 4 to 5 hours as well as grinding the lentils and then fermenting the batter.
As this recipe uses rava (cream of wheat), yogurt and a leavening agent instead, we do not need all that soaking or grinding time, thus making this an instant recipe.
For that reason, I make rava idli when we want some quick and easy breakfast or snack. The rava idli batter gets made within minutes and then, as the idli is steaming, I prepare the coconut chutney, which is the traditional dip to serve with idli.
About this Rava Idli Recipe
Being an Idli and Dosa lover, I never say no to the different idli varieties out there. For this instant rava idli recipe, I have found the perfect combination of ingredients to make these savory cakes soft, moist, fluffy and delicious.
- Leavening Agent: 1 teaspoon of eno (fruit salt) is perfect for the amount of rava and curd used in the recipe and helps the idli to be soft, fluffy without the soapy aroma. If you use baking soda, then add ¼ teaspoon (2 to 3 pinches) of it in the batter. The spices and herbs also add a lot of flavorings of their own in the recipe.
- Veggies: I have also added some grated carrots to the batter which you can skip. You can even add steamed green peas. Just boil the peas beforehand and also grate the veggies ahead of time so they are ready to add.
- Curd (Yogurt): I have used fresh curd. You can use both fresh or sour curd to make the idli. Another variation of idli to check out is Idli made with Rice Rava where cream of rice is used instead of cream of wheat.
- Idli Pan: You will need an idli pan to make these steamed cakes. Idli pans are made to fit perfectly into a pressure cooker or steamer. If you can’t find an idli maker where you typically buy your kitchen equipment, you can always order one online at amazon.com.
- Serving Suggestions:
- Coconut Chutney: Rava idli tastes amazing served with coconut chutney. I have served rava idli with a coriander leaves coconut chutney.
- Sambar: Rava Idli also tastes good with Sambar – a vegetable stew cooked with dal, veggies and tamarind.
- Potato Sagu: Both rava idli and potato sagu is a great combination.Potato sagu is a lightly spiced potato curry from the Karnataka cuisine.
- Idli Podi: Idli podi makes for a good side with rava idli. Idli Podi is a dry powder made with lentils and red chilies and has a spicy, earthy flavor along with a somewhat crunchy texture. Sesame oil or ghee is then mixed with the idli podi to make a delicious paste to dip the idli in.
FAQ for Rava Idli
I have compiled below some frequently asked questions from readers on this rava idli recipe.
- Which type of rava to use?
Use the finer variety of rava and not the coarser or bigger ones. You can use bombay rava or chiroti rava. - Why is rava idli hard?
Eno or baking soda should be fresh and within their shelf period. If they are not fresh or active, they won’t leaven the batter resulting in hard rava idli. Again, as soon as you mix eno, you have to steam the batter immediately – if you keep the batter resting the rava idli will not become fluffy. - Can I make rava idli with rice rava?
I have never made this recipe with rice rava, but you can try. - Do I need to roast the rava?
Yes absolutely. Roasting rava coats the fine rava grains with ghee and this helps in making the idli have a light texture without being sticky or gluey. - Can I make rava idli with buttermilk instead of curd?
Yes. You can make the rava idli with buttermilk. But add as much of it till you get a medium consistency batter. - Can I skip eno or baking soda?
You can skip them, but the rava idli won’t have a fluffy texture. They will be soft though with a slight denseness in the texture. - Can i keep the batter in the fridge overnight and make rava idli next morning?
Yes you can. But add eno or baking soda just before steaming them. The batter will also thicken, so add a few tablespoons of water and mix well before steaming. - Can baking powder be used instead of baking soda or fruit salt?
No. Baking powder cannot be substituted with baking soda or fruit salt. You will need to add more quantity of baking powder which will give a metallic and bitter taste to the dish. - I do not have an idli maker so what is the alternative for steaming?
You can use a pan or bowl for the batter and steam. Once steamed well, then slice in wedges or cubes. - Why rava idli has become crumbly?
Adding more eno or baking soda than what is mentioned in the recipe will give a crumbly texture. - Why rava idli has become sticky?
Not roasting the rava well and too much water can make them sticky. - Why is rava idli dry?
Less water and prolonged steaming will give a dry and denser texture to the rava idli.
How to make Rava Idli
1. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a pan. Keep the heat to low or medium-low. Add 14 halved cashews.
2. Stirring often fry the cashews till golden. Remove with a slotted spoon draining the ghee and keep aside. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low.
3. To the same pan add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds begin to splutter.
4. When the mustard seeds begin to splutter add 1 teaspoon chana dal (husked and split bengal gram).
5. Stirring often fry chana dal till they look golden and crunchy. Then add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and fry for 4 to 5 seconds.
6. Now add 10 to 12 curry leaves (chopped), 1 pinch asafoetida (hing), 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger and 1 green chilli (finely chopped).
7. Mix well and fry for about 10 seconds. Keep the heat to a low.
8. Now add 1 cup rava (finer variety of cream of wheat, sooji, semolina).
9. Mix the rava very well with the ghee and other ingredients.
10. Roast rava till it become aromatic, changes color a bit (but should not get browned or golden) and the grains look separate. Keep on stirring often when roasting rava. Roasting rava will takes about 7 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness and heaviness of the pan and the flame intensity. Once the rava is well roasted, keep the pan aside. Let the rava become warm.
11. To the roasted rava, add 2 tablespoons finely grated carrots, 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and ½ teaspoon salt or add as required. If adding any other grated veggies or steamed peas then add them at this step.
12. Next add ½ cup curd (yogurt) and ½ to ¾ cup water. Depending on the quality of rava and the thickness of curd, you can adjust the water. If the curd is liquid and has whey in it, then add ½ cup water. If the curd is very thick, then add ¾ cup water. Basically you need to get a medium consistency batter.
13. Mix very well and let the batter rest covered for 20 minutes. The rava idli batter is neither thick nor thin in consistency and has a medium consistency.
14. Brush oil or ghee on the idli pan moulds. Place a fried halved cashew in the center of the moulds.
15. Before you add eno or baking soda to the batter, take 2 to 2.5 cups water in a pot. Keep a small length trivet stand or a rack in the pot. Heat the water till it comes to a boil.
16. After 20 minutes this is the consistency of the batter after resting. If in case the batter looks thick, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to get a medium consistency. Rava absorbs water and so the batter might thicken after 20 minutes. If the curd is thick, then also you may need to add more water. If you have added more water in the beginning, you do not need to add any water at this step.
17. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon eno or ¼ teaspoon baking soda evenly over the batter. I have used eno.
18. Quickly mix very well.
19. Pour the batter in the idli moulds.
20. Stack the each idli plate and place them in the pot with the hot water. Cover with a lid and steam rava idli for 10 to 12 minutes.
21. I have used the Instant Pot for steaming and had set the time for 10 minutes (check notes section in recipe card on finer details for steaming in the IP as well as pressure cooker and pan). Keep a stop-watch or timer to check the time as Instant Pot does not beep in the steaming mode after the steaming time is over. It will continue to steam further. You can even steam rava idli in an electric cooker, pan or pressure cooker for 10 to 12 minutes.
22. To check the doneness, a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the rava idli should come out clean. Remove the idli plates carefully and let them rest for 3 to 4 minutes. Then with a spoon remove the rava idli.
23. Serve the steaming hot Rava Idli with idli sambar and your favorite coconut chutney.
This recipe post from the archives (November 2013) has been republished and updated on 9 June 2020.
Rava Idli | Fluffy & Soft Rava Idli Recipe
Ingredients
for frying & roasting
- 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
- 14 halved cashews
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon chana dal (husked and split bengal gram or split & husked chickpeas)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 10 curry leaves - chopped
- 1 pinch asafoetida - optional
- 1 teaspoon or 1 inch finely chopped ginger
- 1 green chilli - finely chopped
for rava idli batter
- 2 tablespoons finely grated carrots - optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- ½ teaspoon salt or add as required
- 1 cup or 175 grams cup rava (sooji, semolina, cream of wheat)
- ½ cup curd (yogurt)
- ½ to ¾ cup water or add as required
- 1 teaspoon eno (fruit salt) or ¼ teaspoon or 2 to 3 pinches of baking soda
Instructions
Frying & Roasting
- Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a pan. Keep the heat to low or medium-low. Add the halved cashews. Stirring often fry the cashews till golden. Remove fried cashews with a slotted spoon draining the ghee and keep aside.
- To the same pan add mustard seeds and let them begin to splutter. Keep the heat to low or medium-low
- When the mustard seeds begin to splutter add the chana dal. Stirring often fry chana dal till they look golden and crunchy. Then add the cumin seeds and fry for 4 to 5 seconds.
- Now add the chopped curry leaves, asafoetida, finely chopped ginger and green chillies. Mix well and fry for 10 seconds. Keep the heat to a low.
- Next add rava (cream of wheat, sooji, semolina).
- Mix well and stirring often roast the rava till they become aromatic, change color a bit (but should not get browned or golden) and the grains look separate. Roasting rava will takes about 7 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness and heaviness of the pan, and the flame intensity. Once the rava is well roasted, keep the pan aside. Let the rava become warm.
Making Rava Idli Batter
- To the roasted rava, add 2 tablespoons finely grated carrots, 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and ½ teaspoon salt or add as required.
- Next add curd (yogurt) and water as required. Depending on the quality of rava and the thickness of curd, you can adjust the water from ½ to ¾ cup. If the curd is liquid and has whey in it, then add ½ cup water. If the curd is very thick, then add ¾ cup water. Basically you need to get a medium consistency batter.
- Mix very well and let the batter rest covered for 20 minutes. The rava idli batter is neither thick nor thin in consistency and has a medium consistency.
- Brush oil or ghee on the idli pan moulds. Place a fried halved cashew in the center of the moulds. Also heat 2 to 2.5 cups water in a pot. Keep a small length trivet stand or a rack in the pot. Heat the water till it comes to a boil.
- After 20 minutes this is the consistency of the batter after resting. If in case the batter looks thick, rava idli batter looks thick, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to get a medium consistency. Rava absorbs water and so the batter might thicken after 20 minutes. If the curd is thick, then also you may need to add more water. If you have added more water in the beginning, then you may not need to any water at this step.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon eno or ¼ teaspoon baking soda evenly over the batter. Quickly mix very well.
Steaming Rava Idli
- Pour the batter in the idli moulds. Place them in the pot with the hot water. Cover with a lid and steam rava idli for 10 to 12 minutes.
- To check the doneness, a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the rava idli should come out clean. Remove the idli plates carefully and let them rest for 3 to 4 minutes. Then with a spoon remove the rava idli.
- Serve the steaming hot rava idli with sambar and your favorite coconut chutney.
Notes
- Type of rava: Kindly use the finer variety of rava and not the coarser or bigger ones. You can use bombay rava or chiroti rava.
- Roasting rava: The rava has to be roasted well in ghee so that they do not become sticky after steaming.
- Leaving agents: Eno (fruit acid) and baking soda are the leaveing agents used in the recipe. You can add either of them. Do make sure they are fresh and within their shelf period. If they are not fresh or active, they won't leaven the batter resulting in hard rava idli.
- Skipping the leavening agents: You can skip them, but the rava idli won't have a fluffy texture. They will be soft though with a slight denseness in the texture.
- No idli pan, no problem: Use a cake pan or bowl for the batter and steam. Once steamed well, then slice in wedges or cubes.
- Steaming: Do not steam for a prolonged time as this will result in dense rava idli. You can easily steam in a pan, instant pot or a pressure cooker.
- Steaming in a pan: Heat 2.5 cups water in a large pot or pan. Place a small trivet stand. Then place the idli pan on the trivet. Cover with a lid loose enough to let the steam pass or with a vent. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Steaming in a pressure cooker: Heat 2.5 cups water in a 5 or 6 litre pressure cooker. Place the pressure cooker grid plate inside the water before heating it or a small trivet. Keep the idli pan. Remove the vent weight (whistle) from the lid. Seal the pressure cooker with its lid. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Steaming in Instant Pot: Add 2 to 2.5 cups water in the steel insert of a 6 quart IP. Place a small trivet in the water. Using the sauté option bring the water to a boil. Press cancel. Place the idli plates. Cover with the IP lid and keep the sealing position to vent (so that the steam is released from the vent during the entire process of steaming). Press the steam button on high and set the time to 10 minutes. Use a stop watch to check the time.
- Note that the approximate nutrition info is for 1 rava idli.
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 rava idli came out hard. I saw the photos on your post here and the rava idli I made did not look so different.
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 texture has become hard due to less water in the batter and your guess is correct. you can easily add about ½ 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 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 teaspoon of eno or ¼ 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 texture crumbly. breaking could also be due to more water in the batter, but in the case the rava 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 rava 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 texture won’t be fluffy and light. they will be soft but with a slight denseness in them.
These rava idlis turned out great. I tripled the recipe and added just 1/4 tsp baking soda to the tripled recipe. The rava idlis fluffed up nicely. My husband and kids loved these soft and yummy rava 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 which is much better.