Over the past 5 years that I have been blogging, I have learnt and tried many recipes from various bloggers. Be it a new dish, different cuisine, adaption of an existing recipe, healthy tweak to traditional favorites the list is endless. It is amazing how many ideas are out there just waiting to be grabbed. And it also inspires me to come up with new ideas and to try something on my own.
I love the ‘healthy tweak to the traditional favorites’ the best. You take a proven traditional dish, like Idlis and Dosas enhance it with health quotient and still see no difference in taste. How cool is that?
When I first saw the recipe of Oats Idli, I was intrigued and had bookmarked it to try. I tried it few days ago and really loved the results. If you are curious about the taste, then let me assure you that it tastes pretty much the same as Rava Idli. In fact, adding oats does not make any difference, but we get the added health benefits of oats.
I have tried Urad Oats Dosa and Soya Bean Dosa on similar lines with good results. It is a good way to sneak in all the good stuff, especially for the picky eaters.
Recipe Adapted: Veg Inspirations and Sharmi’s Passions
Yields: 9-10 medium Idlis
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup instant oats
- ¾ cup rava/sooji/semolina
- ¾ cup Yogurt/ Curd
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 4-5 curry leaves
- 2 tsp urad daal
- 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
- 2 Tbsp coriander leaves
- ½ tsp baking soda
- Salt to taste
- Oil for seasoning and to grease idli plates
Method:
- In a pan dry roast the oats for 2-3 minutes on medium heat and then set aside to cool. After it is cooled grind it to a fine powder.
- In the same pan, heat a tsp of oil add mustard seeds, let it splutter then add the curry leaves, urad daal and green chillies and sauté until the urad daal turns light brown.
- Add the rava and mix it until it turns very light brown and the aroma waffles. Switch off the gas and set it aside to cool.
- Take a mixing bowl and add the oats, seasoned rava/sooji, salt, baking soda and chopped coriander. Mix well and whisk in the yogurt/curd and stir. Add water and make this to idli/pancake batter consistency. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
- Heat water in a pressure cooker or whatever you use to make the idlis.
- Proceed to make idlis the regular way. Grease the idli plates. Add ladleful of the batter to each of the idli plates.
- Place the idli stand in a pressure cooker and cook covered without the whistle for 10-12 minutes.
- Serve hot with coconut chutney or potato saagu along with a dollop of ghee.
RC! Long time since I have visited your website. Lot many reciepies to try. Are these steam dumplings as in Chinese food? Gorgeous mouth watering clicks. Keep blogging girl!
That indeed sounds instant and idli’s look so soft and yum….
good recipe.
whenever i prepare instant ones ,i get hard ones instead of fluffy ones. Any tips
I made rava idlis today and this will make a great variation!
I do not have instant oats, can I sub with old fashioned oats?
Vinny, thanks. Even though these are steamed, they are different from the dumplings. Do give this a try.
Thanks Lubna.
Thanks sag. If the idlis turn hard that means that you need to add little bit more liquid/water to the batter and make it little thinner. Make sure you add baking soda at the last minute. Hope this helps.
Thanks Manasi. I think you should be able to use the old fashioned oats (since it is used in powdered form_).
wow…that looks a YUMMY plate..love the idlies..so colurful…:)
For fluffy, soft, melt in your mouth idlis stir in 1 small sachet of unflavoured Eno fruit salt just before you pour the batter into the idli moulds.And enjoy. I hope my wife doesnt strangle me for revealing her closely guarded secret. Regards Mohan Kodange.
Thank you, RC!
Mohan ji, no need to worry, the secret is safe with us 🙂
Great looking idlis! I’m going to try this for the kiddo’s lunch box once school starts next week.
One of the very few oats dishes I kinda like!
Thanks for the recipe RC. Tried these today turned out really delicious. As you said could’nt taste oats at all, i felt it even tasted better than normal ravva idly. Thanks again for the recipe.
That is cool, Archana.
This is one of my favs too…glad that u too liked it! 🙂
Yes, the oats idli pretty much looks like rava idli.
I will try and see taste it.
You can also visit for one of the variations called chinese idli.
http://www.upala.net/recipes/healthfoods
I tried the trick with Eno fruit salt and this batch of idlis were heavenly soft and fluffy. Thanks
Thank you for this article !
can poha be added to this recipe. should we grind it then?