Rava Idli- Steamed and Savory Semolina Cake

This recipe is another favorite of mine as it can be prepared in a jiffy. This is a quick and easy recipe to make Idlis. This requires no soaking,no grinding and no fermenting .No making any preparations ahead of time. This is an excellent goto recipe if you are out of ideas and need something which could be prepared in minutes and everybody would love it at the same time. This could be made for breakfast, lunch , dinner, brunch or just  for snack. Idlis are very versatile in this regard. Just serve them with chutney or ketchup and you are good to go. This can also be packed for school lunches as well or take it to work. They travel so well and if you have leftovers which I doubt  just steam  them in a microwave for 25-30 secs and they are good as freshly made.

In my house my younger one who is five has a  newly acquired love for Idlis and Mulaga Podi (chutney powder). He is  my picky eater. So I keep coming with creative ways for him to enjoy his meals. In these Idlis you could add grated carrots and other veggies as well. Add them towards the end, just before you add the Eno fruit salt. And, yes I love Eno fruit salt. It makes fermenting so easy- Just a matter of seconds and makes our life so easy. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Rava/ Sooji / Semolina
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/2 + 1/4  cup water *
• 10-12  cashews
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp white urad dal
• 2 green chillies chopped
• 2-3 curry leaves
• pinch of hing (asafoetida)
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp oil
• freshly chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp Eno fruit salt

* First add 1/2 cup water and if the consistency is too thick, add a little bit of water at a time (not more than 1/4 cup though). For my recipe, I used the entire 1/2 cup water  + 1/4 cup water =3/4 cup water. Its always easy to add water but once its added cannot be removed.)

 Preparation

• Heat oil in a skillet /Kadhai. Add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add urad dal,  followed by curry leaves and cashews. Next add the green chillies. Fry for about 30 seconds. Add Hing and immediately add Rava/Sooji and roast on medium to low flame for about 2 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl and allow it to cool.
• In the meanwhile get the Idli maker /steamer ready. Add water in the steamer and allow it to boil.  Make sure you add just enough water  and not too much so that it  does not touch the bottom most plate/tray of the Idli maker. Grease the Idli plates/trays.
• Add yogurt and water to the roasted and seasoned Sooji. Whisk it well. Make sure there are no lumps.  Add freshly chopped Cilantro leaves and salt to taste.
• Now the Eno fruit salt is added just before you are ready to make the Idlis. Add it to the Idli batter. Mix it well.  Spoon the batter into the rounded moulds of the Idli plates. This recipe yields 12-16 Idlis depending on the size of the Idli plates/trays. Carefully place the Idli stand into the Idli Maker/ Steamer/. Cover and let it steam cook for about 10 minutes.
• Insert  a knife/tooth pick into the center of the Idli and check if Idlis are done. If the knife /tooth pick comes out clean , they are ready. Take it off the heat. Let it cool. Using a spoon, scoop off the Idli's from the Idli trays and serve. These could be served with your choice of chutney, sambhar or Mulaga Podi (Chutney powder).