Rawa (Rava/Semolina) Idli recipe
Rava Idli is a quick, steamed South Indian breakfast made with semolina (rava), curd, and a leavening agent like Eno or baking soda—no fermentation needed. It's soft, fluffy, and often enhanced with optional garnishes like cashews, carrots, and coriander.
Ingredients
For the batter:
- 1 cup Rava fine semolina / suji
- 2 cups Curd Greek yoghurt, mildly sour
- ¼ to ½ cup Water adjust as needed
- ½ tsp baking soda or 1 tsp Eno fruit salt
- Salt to taste
Garnish (optional)
- Cashews
- Grated carrot
- Chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
Make Batter:
- Mix rawa, curd and salt in a bowl. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Add water gradually to make a thick but pourable batter.
- Just before steaming, add baking soda.
- Mix gently the batter will rise and become airy.
- Mix quickly and gently—do not overmix—as the air bubbles help with fluffiness.
Steam Idlis:
- Grease idli moulds. Add grated carrot and chopped coriander leaves.
- Pour batter into each mould (about ¾ full).
- Steam in an idli steamer or a large pot with a lid.
- Cook on high flame for 5 minutes and another 10–12 minutes on medium heat.
- Check with a toothpick – it should come out clean.
- Serve hot with green kurma, coconut chutney or sambar.
Notes
Use fine semolina, also known as Bombay rava or upma rava.
Mildly sour curd helps activate the baking soda, giving the idlis a soft and fluffy texture.
If the curd is too fresh (not sour at all), fermentation won't be as effective, and the idlis may turn out dense or flat.
If the curd is too sour, it will overpower the flavour and make the idlis taste tangy or unpleasant.
Taste it: It should have a slight tang, like curd, about 1 day old at room temperature or 2–3 days old from the fridge.
If using store-bought curd: Look for plain yoghurt with a bit of natural sourness (avoid sweetened or flavoured kinds).