Expert cook Manisha Deshpande Kotian tries her hand at making Rava Idlis and the experiment proves extremely successful. She shares her secrets for arriving at the perfect Rava Idlis. Manisha also provides recipes for Coconut Chutney and Sambar.
Rava Idlis
Servings: 24-25 idlis
Ingredients
- 500 gm idli rava, easilly available at any grocery store
- 200 gm urad dal or white gram
- 1 tbsp methi or fenugreek seeds
- 2 tsp salt
- Oil to grease the idli mould
Method
- Wash the idli rava 1-2 times with water and drain well.
Tie the washed rava in a clean cloth and keep aside for 5-6 hours. - Soak the urad dal, methi seeds in water for 5-6 hours.
- Grind the urad dal, methi seeds into a smooth, fine paste.
Transfer the ground batter into a large saucepan.
Remove the rava from the cloth and mix into the urad dal batter. - Cover and keep it in a warm place to ferment for about 8 hours.
This batter will not rise as much as regular rice idli batter.
It will rise slightly, which is normal.
Now add the salt and carefully mix in without flattening the fermentation.
Grease the idli moulds with a little oil.
Pour the batter into each mould.
Steam the idlis in an idli cooker/steamer for about 15–20 minutes over medium heat.
Take off heat, de-mould and serve hot with chutney and sambar (please see the recipes below).
Coconut Chutney
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh grated coconut
- 2 tbsp roasted chana dal (called dalia too) or Bengal gram
- 1-2 green chillies
- 1 small piece ginger
- Salt to taste, about 1 tsp
- Water as required
For the tempering:
- 1 tsp oil
- ½ tsp rai or mustard seeds
- Few curry leaves
- 1 dry red chilly
Method
- In a mixer/blender grind coconut, roasted channa dal, green chillies, ginger, salt, a little water to make a smooth chutney.
For the tempering:
- In a small frying pan or tadka pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add in the mustard seeds and let splutter.
Add the curry leaves, red chilly and fry for a few seconds more.
Take off heat and pour the tempering over the chutney and mix and keep chilled till the idlis are ready.
Sambar
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- ½ cup toor dal or pigeon peas or split yellow peas
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 cup mixed vegetables like carrots, drumsticks, potatoes chopped or cubed
- 1 tbsp sambar powder
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- Lime-sized ball imli or tamarind
- Salt to taste, about 1½ tsp
- 3 cups water
For the tempering:
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp rai or mustard seeds
- 8-10 curry leaves
- Pinch hing or asafoetida
Method
- Pressure cook the toor dal over medium heat -- for about 5 whistles -- until soft.
Let the pressure release naturally.
Open up the cooker and mash the dal.
Keep aside. - Bring the vegetables to a boil in a large saucepan with 3 cups water and the turmeric and cook till tender.
Add in the tomato, tamarind pulp, sambar powder, salt.
Next add in the mashed dal and boil for 5-7 minutes more. - Heat the oil for the tempering over medium heat and add the mustard seeds and let splutter.
Then add the hing, curry leaves and fry a few seconds more.
Take off heat and pour into the sambar.
Manisha Deshpande Kotian curates editorial photo features among other assignments at Rediff.com.
A whiz in the kitchen, her Mangalore-Style Chicken Curry, CKP-Style Chicken Curry, Chicken Fry, Masoor Curry and Pulao, Mung Dal Bhaji, Veg/Non-Veg Fried Rice, Green Banana Fry, Suran Fry, Bhendi (Okra) Fry, and more, are much appreciated by family and friends.
© 2026