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