Rava Idli (Semolina Idli, Suji Idli) is a South Indian breakfast dish made using semolina. Learn to make soft, hotel-style idli at home using my recipe. Here is how to make it.

You can also try other idli recipes and make them for your everyday breakfast – Egg Idli, Ragi Idli, and Beetroot Oats Idli.

Bhavye is not very fond of Indian food, but he sometimes eats a few things. Rava Idli is one of them. For the longest time, I used the MTR rava idli mixture to make them, and they used to turn out pretty good, too. But then, you are never sure of what goes into making this readymade mixture, so I decided to make semolina idlis from scratch. And surprisingly, they turned out very good without much effort.

Since then, there has been no looking back. I now make rava idli almost once a week, and everyone, including Bhavye, loves them. Do try my easy recipe!

About Rava Idli

Rava Idli or Suji Idli is a popular South Indian steamed breakfast dish that is made with the combination of rava (semolina) and yogurt.

Rava Idli is an instant idli recipe, which needs no fermentation and no grinding, thus it is simple to make whenever you crave those soft idlis.

Suji Idli or Rava Idli is low on calories and fat, making it healthy for everyday breakfast. It is also a good source of protein and carbs. Therefore, it is a great option to include breakfast for your weight loss diet.

You can make it even more healthy by adding vegetables into the batter. Add grated carrots, as it adds a great texture to the Sooji idlis. You can even substitute carrots with any vegetables of your choice such as corn, peas, beetroot, etc.

This Rava Idli also has a South Indian tempering which is mixed with the Semolina, which makes it more flavourful and also gives this soft idli a bite.

Don’t forget to add ENO fruit salt in the batter just before you put the batter in the molds, as it will give you fluffy and soft idlis.

This Rava Idli is,

• Instant
• Soft and Fluffy
• Super Easy
• Yummy
• Healthy
• Perfect for weekday breakfast

Ingredients

Rava – Rava, semolina, or Suji makes Instant idlis, which means no fermentation. Just roast the rava, mix it with other ingredients and steam it. Yes, that’s it!

Always use the fine Rava, not the coarser or bigger one. You can opt for Bombay Rava or Chiroti Rava.

To make it, even more, healthier, you can use whole wheat rava or red rava to make these Idlis, but the taste and texture might differ a bit.

Yogurt – We will also add a little yogurt, which will make your Idlis super soft and fluffy.

Eno Fruit Salt – Add this one right before adding the batter to the Idli molds. It helps your Idlis to rise and also adds to the texture of the same.

Others – The rava is lightly roasted along with mustard seeds, chana dal, cumin seeds, hing, curry leaves, ginger, green chilies, dry red chilies, cilantro, salt, and cashew nuts. These ingredients along with flavor give a nice texture in the idlis too.

These ingredients adds a South Indian flavour along with a nice bite and crunch from the cashew nuts.

Green Chillies adds a nice hint of spiciness in these Idlis. If you are making it for your kids, you can skip adding green chillies from this Idli recipe.

How To Make Semolina Idli

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, add brown mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and chana dal and fry for 6-8 seconds.

Add asafetida, curry leaves, ginger, green chili, dry red chili, and cashew nuts, and fry until the cashew nuts turn slightly brown.

Reduce the heat to low.

Add rava and roast for 30-40 seconds.

Remove the pan from heat and let the rava cool completely.

Tip – Always roast the rava on low heat until it is aromatic. Don’t make it brown! Also, never roast it on high heat because the rava might get burnt.

Transfer the cooled, roasted rava to a mixing bowl.

Add salt, yogurt, cilantro, and ½ cup of water to the bowl and mix well.

Cover the bowl with a lid and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Now check the consistency of the batter once again. Add more water if required. The consistency of the batter should be thick but droppable, just like the regular idli batter.

Add Eno fruit salt and mix well again.

Add 1 cup of water to the idli pan and heat over high heat. Let the water come to a boil.

Meanwhile, grease idli molds with oil.

Pour the batter into the greased molds and keep the mold in the pan.

Cover the pan with a lid.

Steam the idli for 10 minutes over high heat. Remove the idli from the molds using a spoon and serve hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage Suggestions

Leftover idli can be stored in an airtight container for upto 3 days in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, sprinkle some water over them and heat in a microwave covered.

You can keep the batter overnight in the refrigerator, but add Enos Fruit Salt only when ready to make the Idlis.

Serving Suggestions

Rava Idli can be served with Sambar such as Mullangi Sambar, Mixed Vegetable Sambar or Kerala Style Sambar.

I also keep making different chutneys on the sides such as – White Coconut Chutney, Coconut Cilantro Chutney, Red Chilli Coconut Chutney, South Indian Onion Tomato Chutney, and Peanut Coriander Chutney.

You can even serve it along with Podi recipes such as – Idli Podi, Karivepaku Podi and Andhra Style Peanut Chutney Powder.

Pro Tips By Neha

Make sure that your idli batter has the right consistency. It’s neither too thick nor too thin to get perfect Idlis.

Keep an eye on it while steaming the idlis. Do not overcook. Otherwise, they will become hard and chewy.

Use the right amount of curd and ENO to get soft and fluffy idlis.