Rava Idli is a steamed semolina cake that is soft, light, fluffy, and delicious! Unlike traditional Idli, it is a quick recipe and does not require the fermentation process.
Rava Idli is made with semolina, yogurt, lentils, nuts, spices and herbs. It is perfect for breakfast served with Sambar and Chutney. However, you can also enjoy it for lunch or dinner for a light and quick meal!
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Easy and Instant Rava Idli
I love Idli, but making the traditional one requires planning, as the batter needs to be fermented. This no-fermentation Idli is perfect when I want to enjoy It with my favorite Coconut Chutney without any planning.
Rava Idli is soft, fluffy, and equally delicious as the traditional Idli. The best part of the Idli is that we can enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even for an afternoon snack.
It is perfect for a lunch box meal for the school or office, packed with the choice of chutney. This Idli tastes delicious with ghee Podi, and you can check out the recipe for the Podi masala here: Idli Podi / Milagai Podi.
Rava Idli is packed with flavors as the batter is tempered with lentils, cashews, and curry leaves. For the best flavor, use ghee for tempering.
However, if you want to make the vegan Rava Idli, you can make the batter using only water or dairy-free yogurt and use oil for tempering.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Rava Idli is soft and spongy, and making it does not require fermentation.
- The recipe is quick and straightforward to follow.
- It is perfect for breakfast or as a snack in between meals.
- You can serve Rava Idlis with sambhar and chutney for a complete meal for lunch or dinner.
- The recipe is highly customizable, and you can include your choice of elements.
Ingredients and Notes
- Rava (Semolina / Suji): Use the fine Rava instead of the bigger one for this recipe. Roasting the semolina is essential to prevent the sticky texture of Idli.
- Yogurt: To make the Rava Idli, use either fresh or slightly sour yogurt. I like slightly sour yogurt, but that is my personal preference. I used only yogurt with whey to make the batter. But if your yogurt is too thick, you can use half yogurt and half water. For homemade yogurt, check out this post, Homemade Yogurt.
- Salt: Add salt to taste.
- Chili and Ginger: Green chilis and ginger provide spiciness and an earthy flavor. You can add green chilis to taste.
- Cilantro: I highly recommend adding this herb for more flavors.
- Ghee or Oil: You can use either ghee or oil for tempering. However, ghee makes the Idli more flavorful.
- Chana Dal and Urad Dal: These lentils add a pleasant aroma and crunch to the Idli.
- Mustard Seeds: Mustard seeds add an earthy and pungent flavor.
- Cashews: Cashews provide a delicious nutty taste and crunch to the Idli.
- Curry Leaves: Curry leaves provide a pleasant aroma to the Idli. But you can skip them if you do not have curry leaves.
How To Make No Fermentation Rava Idli
- Add the rava to a heavy-bottomed pan and roast it on low-medium heat until it becomes aromatic and lighter, about 6-8 minutes.
- The rava should not get brown or golden, so stir it continuously.
- Transfer the roasted rava to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool.
- Once it cools to room temperature, add yogurt, salt, green chilis, ginger, and cilantro.
- Mix well to prepare a batter.
- Instead of adding only yogurt, you can add half yogurt and half water.
- Heat ghee or oil in a pan and add chana dal and urad dal.
- Roast the lentils until they are light brown.
- Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and cashews.
- Stir well and fry until mustard seeds start popping.
- Turn off the heat, add the tempering to the batter, and mix well.
- The batter consistency should be the same as the regular idli batter and not too thick or thin.
- Add more yogurt or water until you get the right consistency if your batter is too thick.
- Cover the bowl and allow the batter to rest for 15-20 minutes.
- While the batter is resting, add 2 to 2½ cups of water to the steamer and bring the water to a boil.
- Grease the idli plates with oil or ghee.
- Once the batter is rested, recheck the consistency as the rava absorbs the water.
- Add 1-2 tablespoon of water to adjust the consistency if it looks very thick.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon ENO over the batter.
- Quickly but gently mix well.
- Pour the batter into the idli molds and place the idli stand in the steamer.
- Cover the steamer and steam the idlis for 10-12 minutes or until done.
- To check the doneness, insert a skewer or toothpick in the center, which should come out clean.
- Remove the idli plates and allow them to rest for 2 minutes.
- Carefully remove the idlis with a knife or spoon.
- Serve the hot steaming rava idlis with your favorite accompaniments.
Serving Suggestions
Rava Idli is generally served for breakfast but is also a good option for lunch and dinner.
You can enjoy Rava Idli with coconut chutney or your choice of chutney.
For a complete meal, serve with Sambar and chutney.
You can also make Podi Idli for a snack or breakfast using this Idli Podi / Milagai Podi powder.
Tips For Making Rava Idli
Rava: To make Rava idli, use a fine variety of Sooji. Roasting the rava is essential for a light and fluffy texture.
Yogurt: I used only yogurt with whey for the recipe. But you can use half yogurt and half water. Again, if your yogurt is too sour, use half of the yogurt and half of the water.
Fruit Salt or Baking Soda: I like to make Rava Idli using fruit salt (ENO) for a light and fluffy texture. But if you do not have fruit salt, you can also use baking soda. Add ½ teaspoon of baking soda instead of fruit salt.
Vegetables: You can add vegetables to the batter for the vegetable rava idli. Some suggestions are grated carrots, chopped green peppers, or boiled green peas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, roasting is essential for the Idlis’s light and fluffy texture. Using rava without roasting will make the Idlis sticky and unpleasant.
Adding less fruit salt or baking soda may produce hard and dense Idlis. If your leavening agent is expired, this can also happen. Steaming for longer or if the batter is thicker can also make them hard and dense.
Absolutely yes! If you use buttermilk, add one cup, mix, and add more buttermilk as needed for the right batter consistency.
Roasting the rava is crucial, and not doing so results in sticky Idlis.
Both are good, and you can use whatever you have. However, if you have both in your pantry, I highly recommend using fruit salt, as baking soda may leave an aftertaste.
More South Indian Recipes
Recipe Card
Rava Idli (No Fermentation)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (180g) semolina (Rava/Rawa)
- 1½ cups (360g) yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 green chili finely chopped (optional)
- ½- inch ginger peeled and grated
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
- 2 teaspoon chana dal
- 2 teaspoon urad dal
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 8-10 curry leaves
- 8-10 cashews, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Add the rava to a heavy-bottomed pan and roast it on low-medium heat until it becomes aromatic and lighter, about 6-8 minutes. The rava should not get brown or golden, so stir it continuously.
- Transfer the roasted rava to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool. Once it cools to room temperature, add yogurt, salt, green chilis, ginger, and cilantro. Mix well to prepare a batter.
- Heat ghee or oil in a pan and add chana dal and urad dal. Roast the lentils until they are light brown. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and cashews. Stir well and fry until mustard seeds start popping.
- Turn off the heat, add the tempering to the batter, and mix well. The batter should be of the same consistency as the regular idli batter, not too thick or too thin.
- If your batter is too thick, add more yogurt or water until you get the right consistency. Cover the bowl and allow the batter to rest for 10-15 minutes.
- While the batter is resting, add 2 to 2½ cups of water to the steamer and bring the water to a boil.
- Grease the idli plates with oil or ghee.
- Once the batter is rested, recheck the consistency as the rava absorbs the water. If it looks very thick, add 1-2 tablespoon of water to adjust the consistency.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon ENO over the batter. Quickly but gently mix well.
- Pour the batter into the idli molds and place the idli stand in the steamer. Cover the steamer and steam the idlis for 10-12 minutes or until done. To check the doneness, insert a skewer or toothpick in the center, which should come out clean.
- Remove the idli plates and allow them to rest for 2 minutes. Carefully remove the idlis with a knife or spoon.
- Serve the hot steaming rava idlis with your favorite accompaniments.
Notes
- Rava: To make Rava idli, use a fine variety of Sooji. Roasting the rava is essential for a light and fluffy texture.
- Yogurt: I used only yogurt with whey for the recipe. But you can use half yogurt and half water. Again, if your yogurt is too sour, use half of the yogurt and half of the water.
- Fruit Salt or Baking Soda: I like to make Rava Idli using fruit salt (ENO) for a light and fluffy texture. But if you do not have fruit salt, you can also use baking soda. Add ½ teaspoon of baking soda instead of fruit salt.
- Vegetables: You can add vegetables to the batter for the vegetable rava idli. Some suggestions are grated carrots, chopped green peppers, or boiled green peas.
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think.