Instant Rava Idli (Steamed suji or semolina cakes)

Ingredients

• 2 cups coarse suji, rava, semolina or cream of wheat
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon urad dhal or split black lentils
• ½ teaspoon grated or finely chopped ginger
• 2 medium green chillies, finely chopped
• 6 to 8 curry leaves, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon hing or asafetida
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup yogurt or curd, beaten well
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a medium, deep pan.
2. Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the urad dhal, grated ginger, green chillies, curry leaves and hing. Sauté for a few seconds and then add the suji or rava.
3. Keep roasting the suji on medium heat for about 5 to 8 minutes, till it is light brown; keep stirring and do not burn the suji.
4. Keep aside to cool and then mix in the soda and salt to taste. (At this stage, you may choose to store the dry mix in an airtight container to make fresh idlis whenever you want to savor quick and instant rava idlis).
5. Lightly oil the idli trays and prepare idli steamer or any large pressure cooker which fits the idli stand by adding water and bringing it to boil.
6. Meanwhile, mix in the yogurt into the cooled and roasted suji and add enough water to make a slightly thick batter of pouring consistency. Do not make the batter too thick or the idli will be hard.
7. Keep aside for a few minutes.
8. If you are steaming the idli in batches, add yogurt only to the batch you are going to steam and then add the rest to the next batch before steaming.
9. Spoon the batter into the idli stand and steam these in the idli cooker or pressure cooker (without weight) for about 10 to 12 minutes.
10. Take it out of the steamer and let cool in idli stand for a few minutes.
11. Remove the idlis from the stand on to serving plates and serve hot with coconut chutney, spicy onion chutney, or peanut chutney.