Rava idli is my favourite kind of food. Quick, healthy and super tasty.
What is Idli? South Indian semolina steamed savoury cakes. This version is made with added spinach into it.
It’s a shame that I don’t get that many chances to prepare this one, given the fact that Mr. Husband doesn’t like Idli that much. I know! I should have asked the question before agreeing to get married to him. *sigh*
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I love preparing Idlis more than I love having them. When the first sight of those soft, spongy Idlis appear from the steamer, my mood gets uplifted automatically and I can’t wait to pop them in my salivating mouth. I am sure you as an Idli lover would understand, no!?
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With this one, I have made it even healthier by the addition of spinach. But its not your regular spinach Idli where you add the puree to the Idli batter and steam it. I find that method makes the Idlis kind of sticky and not very spongy. I might be wrong and using a completely incorrect proportion for that. But that’s my personal observation.
So what I do instead is- I chop the spinach into bits, then wilt it by boiling or microwaving it for 5 minutes. Then I squeeze all the water out (As much as I could) from the leaves. And then I add it to the batter. This method not only keeps the Idlis soft and porous as ever, but I also like the bits of spinach coming in between. Reminding me of its presence in a healthy and fun way. Makes sense?
If I am not using spinach, I at least use the coriander leaves (cilantro) to prepare Rava Idlis. The taste they impart is just outstanding and not to be missed. I also tend to add black pepper sometimes to the batter but that’s a personal choice of flavour.
You could serve these Idlis with-> Cauliflower Sambar | Beetroot sambar | Coconut chutney | Mango coconut chutney | Shallot (pearl onion) sambhar | Ridge guard chutney
Tips to get the soft, spongy and porous instant Rava idli-> I mostly use the finer variety of semolina to make Rava idli. If you give it enough time to rest, it gets swelled up and gives good results. I also dry roast semolina beforehand and keep it in an airtight container to make upma or halwa or this idli. These two tips ensure I always get the best rava idlis ever.
You can however use the coarse variety as well, which would give a slightly different texture to the Idlis and is not bad at all. Similarly, if you dont get time to roast semolina (sooji/rava), that is absolutely fine and you dont need to get worked up on it. Only the texture of the idli would be a bit different but taste wise it would be good.
Ok, so here is my version of Rava idli with spinach. I hope you like it.
Do write to me if you try this recipe and it comes out to be good. Even if not, I would love to hear from you. Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see more of these recipes and inside fun.
Make sure you dont allow the batter to rest , after baking soda or fruit salt is added. You could also add some green chili paste or grated ginger or toasted curry leaves for added flavour and spice. Instant Spinach rava idli (palak idli)
Ingredients
Instructions
Make the Idli batter
Recipe Notes
More instant breakfast recipes that you might like:
Moong dal Cheela (excluding soaking/ fermenting time)
No fermentation instant Rava dosa
Chana dal & brown rice Dosa (excluding soaking/ fermenting time)
Onion uttapam (excluding soaking/ fermenting time)
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