I am an idly lover. On those mornings when I wake up craving idly and there isn’t an ounce of batter in the fridge, guess what comes to the rescue? Rava idly! This quick recipe makes a very yummy breakfast.

You can buy rava idly mixes in the market. I used to. Until I turned the packet over and read the ingredients. These rava idly packets are charging you for pouring some oil and spices over rava! It’s crazy! That was absolutely the last day I bought a ready-to-make rava idly pack.

Ingredients:

1 cup semolina/ suji
1 cup sour curds, or ½  cup thick yogurt
½  cup grated carrot
1 tsp grated ginger
1-2 green chilies
½ tsp cooking soda

For the tempering:
2 tsp oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds/ rai
¼ tsp cumin seeds/ jeera
1 tsp black gram/ urad dal
1 tsp bengal gram/ chana dal
a pinch of asafetida
1 dried red chili, broken
a sprig of curry leaves
2 tsp broken cashewnuts

water, oil, salt as needed

Equipment:

Idly molds
Steamer

Recipe:

Heat oil and add all the tempering ingredients.

Add the suji and roast until fragrant.

Let it cool a bit, and then mix it with curds, chopped green chili, ginger and grated carrot. Add water if needed, to make a thick batter.

Let it sit for 20-30 minutes.

Add salt and cooking soda and mix the batter well.

Prepare the steamer. If you are using a pressure cooker, remember to remove the vent, pour about an inch of water inside, and bring to a boil.

Pour the batter into greased molds and steam for 10 min. Let cool for 5 minutes before you take them out of the molds.

Serve hot with chutney and sagu.

Dal idlies came about in my kitchen as a variation of Nuchchina unde. I found the traditional recipe of nuchchina unde too dry, so I set about experimenting, trying to make a softer version. One day, I added too much water by mistake. Not able to think of any other option, I simply poured the batter into idly molds and steamed them, thinking, oh, how different could they be?

It is somewhat hard to understand how just a little extra water can change the taste so much. But it does. And so, I proudly present, the dal idly.

Ingredients:

1  cup toor dal
½  cup bengal gram/ chana dal
¼  cup black gram/ urad dal, split, without skin
¼  cup mung dal
3-4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2-3 tbsp chopped dill leaves (optional)
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chopped green chili
½ cup chopped onion (optional: This is usually skipped during festivals)
A pinch of asafetida
Salt

Equipment:

Food processor/ Wet grinder/ Mixer
Idly molds
Steamer

Recipe:

Soak the dals together for 2-3 hours.

Grind into a fairly thick batter consistency.

(As with nuchchina unde, if I want to make this immediately, I grind the dals into a powder first, and then soak in just enough warm water for about half an hour. )

While you could proceed to the next step immediately with a slightly drier result, you could let it sit for some time to increase the softness. Overnight is the best, if you can afford the time.

Mix in the leaves, asafetida, onion, grated ginger, chilies and salt.

Pour into idly molds and steam for 10 minutes.

Let it sit for about 5 minutes before removing from the molds. Serve with chutney or ghee.

Having grown up eating the Kerala style idly, I was always intrigued by the grainy texture of the idlies we ate in various parts of Karnataka. And after moving to Bangalore, I fell head over heels in love with them – Bangalore darshnis are absolutely the best place to try idly in my experience. My personal favourite joint is SLV at Ragi gudda.

So if you are in love with Bangalore idlies like I am, this recipe is dedicated to you.

Ingredients:

1 cup idly rava (this is not the usual rava. Idly rava is made by grinding parboiled rice)
1 cup black gram/ urad dal (traditionally, this would be ½ cup)
¼ cup beaten rice/ poha or cooked rice (optional)
¼ tsp fenugreek/ methi seeds
water, oil, salt as needed

Equipment:

Food processor/ wet grinder/ Mixie
Idly moulds
Steamer

Recipe:

Soak the idly rava in sufficient water. Separately, soak the dal along with methi seeds.

Let these soak for 4-8 hours.

Soak poha for 20 min in just enough water to cover it.

Drain the dal and reserve the water. Grind it along with the poha/ cooked rice, using the reserved water to bring it to a smooth, thick batter consistency.

Mix the batters with the idly rava. Place this batter in a large vessel as it will rise.

Cover with a cloth or a lid and let it ferment for about 8-10 hours.
This process works great in summers, but if the room temperature is under 25°C, the results can be a bit disappointing. To counter this, you could place the vessel with the batter inside a casserole, warmed up pressure cooker or pre-heated (40°C) oven.

Mix the batter, add salt.

Prepare the steamer. If you are using a pressure cooker, remember to remove the vent, pour about an inch of water inside, and bring to a boil.

Smear oil on the idly moulds to prevent sticking. Pour the batter into them and steam for 10 min. For best results, let the idlies rest for another 5 minutes before you take them out of the moulds.

Serve hot with chutney and sambar.

Note: The batter can be refrigerated upto 3 days.

Tips: I know we all love to wash the rice and dal to remove any chemical residues, but this also washes off the precious bacteria that help in the rising process. I’ve seen better results when I don’t wash the rice and dal. Use organic ingredients to skimp on the chemicals.