Rava Idli

Ingredients

• 1 cup sooji/rava/semolina/cream of wheat
• ½ cup dahi/curd/yogurt, fresh or sour
• a pinch of baking soda * check notes
• 2.5 to 3 tbsp water or more - add accordingly & as required to get a medium consistency batter, which is neither thick nor thin.
• 1 green chili/hari mirch, chopped
• ½ inch ginger/adrak, finely chopped
• 10-12 cashews/kaju, chopped
• 2 to 3 tsp ghee or oil for roasting the rava
• 1 tsp oil for frying the cashews
• salt as required

Tempering:

• 1-2 tsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds/rai
• 1 tsp chana dal/split and husked bengal gram
• 10-12 curry leaves/kadi patta, chopped
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. heat 2 tsp ghee or oil in a pan. add the rava/sooji and roast in the ghee or oil till they become aromatic and change color.
2. keep on stirring often when roasting them. remove the roasted rava in a mixing bowl and keep aside.
3. in the same pan, heat 1 tsp oil again and fry the cashews in the ghee.
4. remove and add the fried cashews to the rava in the mixing bowl.
5. in the same pan, add 1 tsp oil more and heat it.
6. splutter mustard seeds. then add chana dal, curry leaves & asafoetida. fry till the chana dal become golden.
7. then add this whole mixture to the roasted rava. add curd/yogurt along with chopped ginger, green chilies and salt.
8. add water as required and make a batter which is neither thin nor thick.
9. keep aside covered for 20-30 mins. after 20-30 minutes, if the batter looks thick, then add a few tablespoons of water to get a medium consistency. rava absorbs water and so the batter might thicken after 20 to 30 minutes.
10. heat water in a steamer, electric cooker or pressure cooker.
11. just before steaming, add baking soda in the batter and mix well.
12. pour the rava idli batter in greased idli moulds.
13. place the idli stand in the electric cooker, steamer or pressure cooker steam the rava idlis for 10-12 mins or more till a tooth pick inserted in the idlis come out clean.
14. remove the rava idlis from the mould and serve the steaming hot rava idlis hot with idli podi or with your favorite coconut chutney and sambar.

NOTES

you can easily add upto ¼ tsp of baking soda. since i don't like the soapy aroma of baking soda, i have added a generous pinch. you can also add eno or fruit salt in place of baking soda. add ½ to ¾ teaspoon of eno or fruit salt.