Instant Rava Idly

I love the word INSTANT in any healthy recipe :) . No need to plan , no soaking , no grinding etc etc... Just decide , make and enjoy. So, here is another recipe which falls into the "instant" category.

Ingredients for instant rava idly:

• Sooji / Semolina / Rava - 1 cup
• Yoghurt / curd - 1/2 cup
• salt - to taste
• mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• chana dal - 1/2 teaspoon
• curry leaves - 4 leaves (chopped
• Asafoetida powder - a pinch
• ghee/oil - 1 tablespoon
• water - 1/2 cup
• corainder leaves(chopped) - 2 tablespoons
• Tomatoes - 1 cut into thin slices ( optional)
• Carrot - 1 grated (optional)
• Baking soda - 3/4 teaspoon

Preparation:

• Add ghee in a heated kadai and add mustard seeds.
• In case you have 10 minutes after deciding to make this, soak the chana dal. In my case, I usually decide in the last minute. So I don't soak the dal most of the times.Soaking the dal makes it a little soft and nice to bite into it.
• Add the chana dal, give it a quick stir. Add chopped curry leaves and asafoetida powder.
• Add the rava and give it a stir.Stir it for around 5 minutes in low heat.Let the rava gets heated up and very slightly roasted.Do not wait for the rava to change color.Remove the rava once it is heated through.
• I usually roast the rava in advance and keep it in an airtight container. In case you too have the roasted rava readily available, just add the raosted rava and stir for just about one minute.
• Transfer it to a bowl and let it sit for 2 minutes.
• Add the smooth and well beaten yoghurt to the rava and add salt and mix it well.It will taste better if the yoghurt is a little sour.
• Add water little by little and stir it to make it to idly batter consistency.

Rava idli batter

• Oil the idli plates well and prepare the idli pot / cooker for steaming the idlis.
• You can add grated carrot / chopped coriander leaves / tomato slices or a combination of these in the oiled idly plates at the bottom.It will make the idlis look better and taste better.

• Now add the baking soda to the batter and mix it well.
• Once you add the baking soda, fill the idli plates immediately and cook them.
• Do not store the batter mixed with baking soda for longer.
• In case you have made extra batter, remove it and refigerate it before adding baking soda.
• Steam the idlis for about 10 minutes.
• The way my mom used to check if the idlis are done is to just smell the steam that comes out of the cooker :) I have been trying this for a long time but never mastered this technique still :)
• My technique is to open the cooker and insert a fork or a knife in one of the idlis to make sure it is cooked thoroughly.
• Remove the idlis from the idli plates and serve them hot with coconut chutney / sambhar.