Instant Ragi Idli

5 from 1 vote

A delicious breakfast or meal recipe; this Instant Ragi Idli needs only a handful of ingredients and comes together in under 30 minutes of active time.

Full of nutrients; this healthy recipe is a no-soak, no ferment idli recipe. Enjoy it with chutney and sambar for a fulfilling meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time13

Resting Time30

Total Time23

Course: Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, South Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 98kcal

Author: Smruti

Ingredients

For the Idli Mix

1 cup rava
½ cup ragi flour
¾ cup yogurt
1 medium carrot (shredded)
3 tablespoon cilantro
1½ teaspoon ghee
1 medium chili (chopped fine)
1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ENO

For the tempering

1½ teaspoon ghee
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
⅛ teaspoon asafetida
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon cashew pieces
4-5 curry leaves
1 teaspoon urad dal

Instructions

Heat the ghee in a pan.
1½ teaspoon ghee
Once hot, add the rava. Lightly roast on medium flame till it is aromatic. Make sure it does not burn.
1 cup rava
Then add the ragi flour and mix well. Turn down the heat and let the ragi and rava remain in the pan for a few minutes till it cools down.
½ cup ragi flour
In a tempering pan heat the remaining ghee.
1½ teaspoon ghee
Add urad dal and sauté till it is golden brown.
1 teaspoon urad dal
Then add the remaining ingredients except curry leaves.
1 teaspoon mustard seeds, ⅛ teaspoon asafetida, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon cashew pieces
Sauté for a few seconds and then add curry leaves. Let the leaves pop and turn down the flame.
4-5 curry leaves
In a large bowl add the ragi flour and rava.
Then add the tempering to it. Also add the ginger and chili.
1 teaspoon ginger, 1 medium chili
Also add the shredded carrots, cilantro and salt.
1 medium carrot, 3 tablespoon cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt
Add yogurt and water.
¾ cup yogurt, 1 cup water
Mix well and set aside for 30-40 minutes.
After the time has passed, add more water if needed and make a thick batter.
Grease idli pans and keep ready. Also heat up water in the base of the idli pan. Then add ENO to the batter and mix gently.
1 teaspoon ENO
Divide the batter into the idli cavities.
Steam on high flame for 3 minutes followed by medium flame for 10 minutes.
Turn down the flame and remove the plate. Let the idli rest for a few minutes.
Remove the idlis and serve it with coconut cilantro chutney, tomato chutney or sambar.

Video

Notes

Fixing a thin batter: In case the batter becomes too runny after resting, it is easy to fix it. Add some ragi flour and mix well. In case you have roasted semolina, add that instead. Both work equally well.
Use fresh ragi flour: Use ragi flour that is not too dated. Old ragi flour has a funny smell and that translates into the idlis. It is easy to lightly roast the flour before adding if you are not sure about how old it is.
Get the right semolina: Semolina is available in various forms; super fine to coarse and roasted. Pick the coarse variety, roasted or not roasted is okay. We can use the roasted one directly but need to lightly roast the unroasted one.
Adding more vegetables: I have used shredded carrots and cilantro here. However, adding more vegetables like peas, corn, beans or even onion is an option. Try not to overload the vegetables as they will make the batter quite moist and the idlis will not form well. Skip these and make plain ones if you like.
Making Vegan Ragi Idlis: To make the recipe Vegan, simply make two changes. Add plant based yogurt instead of the dairy one and use oil to temper instead of ghee. Then the recipe is Vegan.
Adjust the spice: Add more or less of the chili based on how spicy you want the recipe. It is okay to leave them out completely too.
Using the right yogurt: Add slightly sour yogurt to the recipe to make the idlis. However, regular plain yogurt is okay too. Add a few drops of lemon juice to it. Greek yogurt works too, but needs more water to thin it out.
Nut-free version: Skip the cashews for a nut-free version.
Making these in the instant pot:Grease the idli stand with oil or non-stick spray. Add in some instant ragi idli batter in each of the cavities. Set the instant pot to 'Sauté' mode and add 1 cup water to the insert. Bring to a boil and then place the idli stand in it. Set the mode of the Instant Pot to Steam and vent to venting. The time required to steam the idlis is 10 minutes. The timer has to be kept externally, once 10 minutes are up, open the lid carefully and remove the stand. The idlis are ready.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition