Rava Idli 

(South Indian Savory Dumplings)

Here they are featured with some coconut oil and sprinkled with chutney powder (idli podi). These were from the recipe of Nisha Madhulika. I steamed them in an Instant Pot (not sponsored), using a very special idli rack. (You can get a glimpse of the idli rack, in the back left of the pic.) Yesterday was #worldidliday !

These idlis are considered "instant" although the batter must rest for 20 minutes, as that is still much quicker than the traditional version. The rava/sooji is basically cream of wheat/farina, and is mixed with yogurt. A little baking soda is added just before steaming, to further lighten the idlis.

These were very tasty just eaten plain, and even better as pictured here. I've been eating them for breakfast that way. Yummy!

Nisha Madhulika Website, Rava Idli Recipe

Nisha Madhulika YouTube, Rava Idli Recipe

Instant Poha/Aval Idli 

(Steamed South Indian Dumplings)

These were from the recipe of Hebbar's Kitchen. These are "instant," because the batter is ready to steam in about a half-hour, versus a much longer traditional process of soaking, grinding, and fermenting legumes and rice.

Poha/Aval are rice flakes, pounded flat, which cook more quickly than regular rice. In this case, just to be safe, I put the flakes in a coffee/spice grinder first, before soaking them in yogurt. Another key ingredient here is rice rawa/idli rava, for which I used Cream of Rice (as I believe it's the same). This is also soaked in yogurt. That, along with salt, water, and "a pinch" of baking soda, makes up the batter. The trick is, to get the pinch of baking soda right, as that helps lighten the batter. (It can help to watch a video of the recipe, where available.)

As this was a new method and recipe for me, I decided to steam it the first time on the stove, using 2 different kinds of non-stick egg poachers (not sponsored). Now that I have a better idea of the process and results, I can try it again, with an idli-rack. ... These Idlis were light, and my favorite way to enjoy them, was with chutney powder and coconut oil. 

Hebbar's Kitchen Website, Poha Idli/Instant Poha Idli Recipe/Aval Idli Recipe

Hebbar's Kitchen YouTube, Poha Idli/Instant Poha Idli Recipe/Aval Idli Recipe

Rava Idli 

(South Indian Savory 

Steamed Dumplings)

These were made from rava/sooji/farina (like Cream of Wheat), and steamed in an Instant Pot (not sponsored).

The idli batter is from the Rava Idli recipe of Nisha Madhulika , and is an "instant idli" (no long fermentation required, just a short wait of 20-30 minutes). I used the cooking instructions for the Unicorn Idli of Instapottin' with Poonam. The idli rack was a gift from my sister-in-law, and I was waiting to use it.

I enjoyed the first few Idlis with chutney powder, coconut oil, and whole-milk yogurt. What shall I make with the rest of my new stash of Idlis? Hmmm... 

Nisha Madhulika Website, Rava Idli Recipe 

Nisha Madhulika YouTube, Rava Idli Recipe - Soft & Spongy South Indian Suji Idli

Instapottin' with Poonam Website, Unicorn Idli

Instapottin' with Poonam YouTube, Unicorn Idli in the Instant Pot

Idli-Rasam

This is the same Rava Idli, or South Indian steamed dumpling, as 2 posts ago, and from the same batter as that of another post. (Please see that post for more details, if you like.) This Rasam is a South Indian soup-like dish, based on tomatoes. The simple Rasam was easy to prepare, and very cheerful in the cold and snowy weather. 

The Tomato Rasam recipe is from Healthy South Indian Cooking by Alemalu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt.

Rava Idli (South Indian Savory Dumplngs) 

with Carrot & Zucchini Sambhar

This Idli was made at the same time as those in the photo featured 2 posts ago. (Please see it for more info on the Idli.) However, I steamed it in an ovenproof bowl, on a steaming rack, in the Instant Pot (not sponsored). I steamed it for the same amount of time as the more dumpling-like Idlis. Later, once they were cool, I cut them into wedges. I wasn't sure how that would turn out, but it ended up being a nice alternative. 

Here, the Idli is served with a Sambhar from Healthy South Indian Cooking by Alemalu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt. This is a soupy South Indian dal/legume dish, which here contains masoor dal/red lentils, tomatoes, and lots of veggies. A very healthy and delicious combination. 

Rava Idli (Savory Steamed Dumplings)

These steamed dumplings from South India are from the recipe of Nisha Madhulika on YouTube, and made from rava/sooji/farina/like Cream of Wheat. I steamed them in an Instant Pot (not sponsored 😉), basing it on Instapottin with Poonam's instructions for Dhokla. These Rava Idli were simple but tasty. I used an egg poacher, but now that I know the method that works, I should get an idli steamer! 

Nisha Madhulika Website, Rava Idli Recipe [English] 

Nisha Madhulika YouTube, Rava Idli Recipe  

Instapottin with Poonam Website, Dhokla

Instapottin with Poonam YouTube, Dhokla

Kanchipuram Idli 

(South Indian steamed dumpling)

This Kanchipuram Idli (made from Cream of Rice) is the same as below. This is an "instant idli," as the batter can be used immediately after mixing, to make idlis. (No fermentation is required.) Accompanying it is some chutney, made from store-bought chutney powder mixed with a bit of coconut oil.

The previous photo was from my phone, right after making the idli, in the evening light. This one is with my camera, in the early afternoon.

• Kanchipuram Idli 

• (steamed South Indian dumplings)

• 
  

• The recipe called for Cream of Wheat (sooji/rava), but as I didn't have enough, I used Cream of Rice, instead. These also contain channa and urad dals, ground cashews, green peas, a little oil, whole-milk yogurt, cilantro, water, and salt. I hadn't made idlis in a long, long time, as I don't have the steamer. However, for this time, I improvised one, from a Nordic Ware egg poacher and a covered pan. To my surprise, it worked! Yay, Idlis! The recipe is from Classic Indian Vegetarian & Grain Cooking, by Julie Sahni.

Paniyaram (Idli Batter Dumplings)

These are paniyaram, or pan-fried dumplings made from leftover idli batter. (Idli are steamed dumplings, of ground legumes and rice, or cream of wheat, from South India.) A few days ago, I made some instant idli batter with urad dal flour and cream of rice, and made a large idli in the microwave. Later, I decided to make paniyaram with the rest of the batter. I used my aebelskiver pan, which I only used once before (to make paniyaram for the first time). 

You don't need to use more than a couple drops of oil for each one (unless you want to!). In the research that helped me buy the aebelskiver pan just for this, I learned that: when the paniyaram are ready to turn, they will unstick themselves from the pan, and you can use wooden chopsticks to turn them (so as to not scratch the pan). I covered the pan while cooking. Although I used very little oil, they turned out crispy, especially on the first side.

Here is the recipe I used for the idlis. For idli rawa, I used Cream of Rice. Instead of ENO fruit salt, I used a little baking soda and a few drops of lemon juice. :

Preety's Kitchen Website, Instant Idli Recipe Made with Idli Rawa & Urad Dal Flour 

Or, you could just use the following recipe (though I haven't tried it myself recently), in which fermenting at room temperature for several hours takes the place of ENO fruit salts, and which uses rice flour. :

Veg Recipes of India Website, Easy Dosa Recipe Made with Rice Flour & Urad Flour