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Instant Rava Idli & Coconut Chutney

Looking for some variety in your vegan breakfast food? Tired of oatmeal and bananas? Here's a South Indian breakfast food, rava idli, which will be your new favorite!



Idli is essentially a steamed rice cake, for which the batter must be fermented. This is the instant kind of idli, and it's made with semolina (known as Rava) which can be made from start to finish in 45 minutes. Really, it just takes about 5-10 minutes of prep time, and the remaining time is just waiting for it to rest and cook.

You'll need some idli plates to steam them. If you don't have these, you may use steamer-safe bowls that are small or make them in a larger plate and just cut them up into pieces. You may need to cook them for a little longer.

It may seem like a ton of ingredients due to the tempering, but if you prefer plain idlis, you can totally make these without the tempering. The main ingredients are really just the rava, vegan yogurt, salt, and eno (or baking soda). Other than that, the ingredients below are just for the flavor.

RAVA IDLI

(Serves 4 - Makes 20-24 idlis)


Idli Batter:

  • 1 cup rava (semolina)

  • 1 cup unsweetened vegan yogurt

  • 1 teaspoon eno (fruit salt) OR 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 tablespoons grated carrot (optional)

  • 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

  • 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder

Tempering:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

  • 1 teaspoon chana dal

  • 1 teaspoon urad dal

  • 2-3 green chilis, finely chopped

  • 8-10 curry leaves, roughly chopped

  • 1" piece ginger, grated

  • 1 pinch hing

  • 1 pinch ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Let's start off with the tempering. In a small pot, pour in some olive oil and mustard seeds until they start to splutter. Now add in the cumin seeds, chana dal, and urad dal. Let these fry up for about 30 seconds and then add in the green chilis, curry leaves, ginger, hing, and ground black pepper. Set aside.

  2. In a medium bowl that has a lid, pour in the rava, salt, carrot, cilantro, turmeric, yogurt, and the tempering mixture. Stir to combine really well. The batter should be just a bit wet at this stage. Let this rest for 20 minutes, or until the rava has completely absorbed the moisture from the yogurt.

  3. Meanwhile, prepare your idli plates by brushing them with olive oil.

  4. Once your batter is almost absorbed, start your steamer or Instant Pot on manual with about 1 cup of water at the bottom.

  5. Add in about half a cup more water. The batter should be at a pouring consistency. Add in the eno and carefully (but quickly) stir to combine. Pour about 1-2 tablespoons of batter per idli mold, depending on your tray. Stack them up and steam for about 15-18 minutes.

  6. Once they are done, let cool for about 3 minutes and devour with chutney and sambar.


COCONUT CHUTNEY

(Serves 4)


Ingredients:

  • 1 cup frozen/fresh coconut, shredded

  • 1/4 cup cilantro stems

  • 8-10 curry leaves

  • 2-3 green chilis

  • Salt, to taste


Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients together with about 3/4 cup of water until they're nicely incorporated to form a chutney.

TIP: I like to use my cilantro stems in things like chutney because they actually add a TON of flavor. They don't need to be wasted! Don't throw them away. They are tender enough to eat, unlike basil or parsley stems.


You can have these idlis with coconut chutney, peanut chutney, or sambar. There are other variations that I have yet to post recipes for, so stay tuned, loves!

Have a wonderful weekend ahead, and tag me on Instagram @ahsustainablelife if you make this.

Tootles!

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