Instant Pot Rava Idli Recipe

Published: January 22, 2018 · Modified: July 12, 2022 by Uma Raghupathi · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 2 Comments

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Here’s a recipe for fixing an authentic south Indian breakfast in less than an hour! Just like a few of my recent recipes, I have prepared this using my instant pot.

This Instant Rava idli paired with coconut chutney, or sambar primarily in south India.

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My recipe is a variation on the rice version. I am using Suji or more popularly called Rava in India.

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About this recipe
Idli Rava mix
Baking soda or Fruit salt (Eno)?
Vegan version
Related recipes
📖 Recipe
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About this recipe

Recipes for Rava idlis are not uncommon, but preparing them in a quick-fix way with instant pot is one you cannot find on very many sites.

There are a lot of store-bought options readily available in the market that requires you just to add water and steam.

However, nothing can beat the taste of authentic preservative-free, soft and fluffy homemade Rava Idli.

Most of my friends avoid preparing this dish altogether because of all the prep time involved.

Here’s how you can add this simple breakfast to your list. No more lengthy fermentation procedures or remembering rice-dal ratios.

Rava idlis are also different from rice idlis in that they are steamed along with the condiments, spices, and nuts.

The procedure is simple: you have to gather up the spices and saute them with your favorite nuts. I like using cashews for something like this. Almonds and peanuts are also good options.

Once you have your dough ready, it is a matter of minutes to steam them with the instant pot. Let me know if you have any questions about the settings in Instant Pot.

I have also added an Amazon link for the idli mold that comes in very handy for such recipes.

Idli Rava mix

Let me first share the procedure for preparing the Rava idli mix. Once you have this, the rest of the procedure is easy.

With this mix handy, you could prepare it ahead of time and only mix the wet ingredients right when needed. When ready to make them, just add curd, baking soda, salt, and water.

Dry Rava idli mix can be stored in a cool dry place for up to 3 weeks! Just check out the instructions list up to the third step and you have your Rava Idli Mix.

Baking soda or Fruit salt (Eno)?

The Rava idli recipe can be prepared by adding ¼ teaspoon baking soda or Eno to the batter. Sometimes, I have skipped both of these, and the Rava Idlis still turned out to be very fluffy.

It is really up to you to suit to your preference but generally speaking, adding baking soda or fruit salt such as ENO rises the dough as it cooks and gives a fluffy texture.

Vegan version

The common recipe for Rava idli is not vegan. However, I made subtle changes to it and prepared it without using any dairy.

I used plant-based yogurt instead of the dairy version and could barely tell any difference.

Any kind of plant-based yogurt works. I had shared two different versions in the past. One with soy yogurt and one with coconut milk yogurt.

But again, it is not absolutely necessary to add any kind of curd or yogurt. If you don’t have any curd handy, you can still make Rava idli without curd. Just mix in 2 teaspoons of lemon and 1 teaspoon of fruit salt (ENO) powder.

Note: If you do not have an Instant Pot, you could still prepare these using an Idli steamer or any steam cooker. The cooking time does not change with a steam cooker (10 mins).