Rava Idli - not MTR but RTR (Roochis Tiffen Room) Home Made

Home made Rava Idli

Did you know Rava Idli was found out MTR (Mavalli Tiffen Room) in Bangalore, India during the II world war. Thats when the Rice was in shortage. Read Wiki about this.
Ingredients :

• Rava / Semolina : 2 cups (used for making upma)
• Urad Dhal : 2 table spoon
• Channa Dhal : 1 table spoon
• Mustard Seeds : 1 table spoon
• Cashewnuts : 10 Nos.
• Asafotida : Qtr tea spoon
• Curry Leaves : 2 strings
• Green Chillies : 4 to 5 Nos. as per taste finely chopped
• Ginger : half inch (finely chopped)
• Baking SODA : half tea spoon
• Oil
• Ghee
• Salt
• Thick Curd / Yogurt ( Slightly Sour is best) - 1 cup
• Coriander leaves : 5 to 6 strings
• Grated Carrot (small one)

Method of Preparation :

• Heat 4 tbsp of Oil, add mustard seeds and let it crackle, add Urad Dhal and Green chillies.
• Add Broken Cashews and fry till golden.  Skip this if you are using roasted cashews.
• Now add Rava (Semolina) and keep frying it till it turns aromatic in medium flame (8-10 min) 
• Switch off flame and add very finely cut coriander leaves, grated  carrots and grated ginger. 
• In a bowl take sour curd and add salt and stir well. Pour it into the Rava and mix well.
• Add some water if its too thick, less than half cup water. 
• Stir well and add Baking SODA (not baking powder), stir really well. 
• This should be thicker than rice idli batter. 
• Heat water in the idli cooker, grease idli plates with butter / ghee and place split cashew. 
• Pour Idli batter on this. Once the water in the cooker is boiling place the idli plate stand in.
• Close the lid and cook it in medium flame for 10 -11 min.
• Switch off flame and remove Idli stand from cooker immediately. 
• If you leave long inside after switching off flame, Idli would go flat and not be fluffy.
• Leave it for a min or two and transfer Idli on to serving plate. 
• Place some butter on it and serve hot with  Vegetable Sagu or Aloo Bhaji and Coconut Chutney

Note :

• Rava should be roasted for this preparation else idlis would come out rock hard and sticky
• Important : Use Baking SODA and not Baking powder
• The idlis should look grainy, soft and fluffy else the batter was not made right. Check the batter thickness (should not too thick)
• Make the Idlis immediately after mixing yogurt. Dont store the batter for later use.
• Add some water if the batter has gone thick when you have to pour the idlis for second time.
• You can make this preparation of Rava and it can be stored in refrigerator and is good to use in week to 10 days.
• Sour curd would give better taste.
• Some use Eno Salt instead of Baking Soda and  it turns out good too.