Rava Idliರವೆ ಇಡ್ಲಿ

Name: Rava Idli
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Karnataka
Ingredients: 1 cup fine semolina (rava / sooji / chiroti rava); 3/4 cup yogurt (mosaru / dahi), at room temperature; 1 tbsp ghee (tuppa); 12–15 cashews (godambi); 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (sasive); 1 tsp chana dal (kadale bele); 10 leaves curry leaves (karibevu); 1 green chili (hasiru menasu), finely chopped; 1/2 tsp ginger (shunti), grated; 2 tbsp coriander leaves (kothambari soppu), chopped; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 3/4 tsp salt

⏱ Prep 15m🍳 Cook 15m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Vegetarian

Video: Hebbars Kitchen (YouTube)

Rava idli was born out of necessity during the rice rationing of World War II, when the legendary Brahmin's Coffee Bar in Bengaluru turned to semolina to keep their idli service running. The result — semolina steamed with yogurt, cashews, and a quick tempering — turned out to be genuinely delicious in its own right: nutty, soft, and ready in under 20 minutes with no grinding and no fermentation. It became a Bengaluru institution and is now one of the most copied breakfast dishes across Karnataka.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

Finding Desi spots near Plano…

Ingredients

▪fine semolina (rava / sooji / chiroti rava)1 cup
▪yogurt (mosaru / dahi), at room temperature3/4 cup
▪ghee (tuppa)1 tbsp
▪cashews (godambi)12–15
▪mustard seeds (sasive)1/2 tsp
▪chana dal (kadale bele)1 tsp
▪curry leaves (karibevu)10 leaves
▪green chili (hasiru menasu), finely chopped1
▪ginger (shunti), grated1/2 tsp
▪coriander leaves (kothambari soppu), chopped2 tbsp
▪baking soda1/4 tsp
▪salt3/4 tsp

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Fine chiroti rava (extra-fine semolina) gives the softest idli; regular fine sooji works well and is sold at every Indian grocery store. Coarse semolina gives a grainier texture — avoid it.
No idli stand? Set small greased steel cups or 150 ml ramekins on a raised rack inside a wide pot with a tight lid; 2–3 cm of boiling water in the base is all you need. The same setup works for a bamboo steamer.
These idlis are best eaten within 10 minutes of steaming; they firm up quickly. To refresh leftovers, re-steam for 2–3 minutes — do not microwave, which makes them rubbery.

Method

1Heat ghee in a wide pan over medium heat. Fry cashews, stirring, until golden; remove and set aside in a small bowl.
2To the same pan, add mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter. Add chana dal, curry leaves, green chili, and grated ginger; stir for 30 seconds.
3Add the semolina. Roast, stirring continuously, for 3–4 minutes until it smells nutty and turns a shade or two deeper. Do not walk away — semolina scorches quickly.
4Tip the roasted semolina into a mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. Add yogurt and salt, then stir in water a tablespoon at a time until the batter is thick but falls slowly from a spoon — not pourable. Fold in coriander leaves and the fried cashews.
5Just before steaming, add baking soda and stir gently. Leave the batter undisturbed for 3–5 minutes; small bubbles should appear on the surface.
6Grease idli moulds lightly with oil or ghee. Fill each cup to three-quarters.
7Steam over briskly boiling water on medium-high heat for 10–12 minutes. Test with a toothpick — it should emerge clean and dry.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.