Instant Oats Idlis

Oats idli is a simple and tasty means of incorporating healthy oats into one’s diet. I found this recipe long time back in some magazine …. Had jotted it down as a must try recipe and then forgotten all about it till recently.
When I thought of having oats daily for breakfast the idea of having oatmeal everyday was not very appealing and that is when I thought about trying out this recipe. The result was these wonderfully tasty and spongy idlis …they were an instant hit with the whole family :) . Now we have this version of idli more often that the rava idli or the traditional rice idlis .
The fact that I can make the idli mix and store it for later use makes it a convenient breakfast option for a busy morning. :)

Ingredients –

Idli mix –

Oat – 3 cups (I use the rolled oats)
Sooji / Rava/ Semolina – 1 ½ cups
Curry leaves – 7-8
Cashew nuts – 2 tb sp (optional)
Mustard seeds – 1 tb sp
Urad dal – 1 tb sp
Chana dal – 1 tsp
Ginger – 1 tsp (finely chopped)
Green chilies – 3-4 (finely chopped)
Oil – 1 tb sp

Dry roast the oats and then grind them into a coarse powder. Keep aside .
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Once hot add the mustard seeds, once they stop spluttering add the curry leaves, urad dal and chana dal followed by ginger and green chilies. Then add the sooji /rava and roast till a nice aroma comes from it and it changes color. Switch off the flame and let it cool. Then add the oats and mix well. The idli mix is ready. It can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month.

For making the idlis –

Idli mix – 1 cup
Yogurt – 1 cup
Salt – as per taste
Baking soda – ¼ tsp
Water – as required

When ready to make idlis, mix the yogurt and salt into the idli mix. Add water to make a thickish paste. Keep aside for 15-20 mins . Add more water later as the oats and sooji will soak up the water added earlier.
Just before pouring into the idli moulds add the baking soda. Make sure that you have applied oil to the idli moulds beforehand; this would ensure that the idlis come out easily later. Steam the idlis at high flame for 8-10 mins . Check whether cooked by inserting a toothpick/ knife if it comes out clean then the idlis are well cooked.

Take out from the idli moulds and serve hot with coconut chutney / tomato ketchup / sambar.

P.S. have not managed to save any idlis for click ..they usually vanish before that . Hopefully the next time I make them I will be able to click them and post it :)

Idlis with a Twist

We love South Indian food .......and Idlis are the most favorite of all .....simple to make, non -fatty .... we all have our reasons for loving these delicate beauties .

The only problem I used to have was that the preparation required before you get to the stage of steaming them ...... what if you wanted to have idlis one fine morning ...and you do not have the batter ready with you ......believe me this can be a BIG problem in a north Indian household like mine......then one fine day I saw my mother-in-law making these beauties without any preparation in advance ......and I had to learn this recipe ...I did learn and now I am sharing the recipe with you all ...

The beauty of this recipe is not only the fact that it is INSTANT ...but also that it allows me to add some nutrition to idlis making them more healthy ...now isn't that a great twist !!!

These idlis are made of rava ( sooji, cream of wheat) and I add a healthy dose of veggies ..all this makes them a perfect healthy breakfast or snack for me .

Rava idlis ( 12)

Sooji/Rava/ Cream of wheat - 1 cup

Curd/yoghurt - 1/2 cup

Baking soda - 1/2 t sp.

Salt - as per taste

Water - as required

Idli stand

For the tadka -

Oil- 1 tb sp

Rai / Mustard seeds - 1 t sp

1 small onion - sliced lengthwise

Green chilli- 1

Carrot - 1/2 roughly grated

Capsicum - 1/4 finely sliced

Salt- as per taste

Red chilli powder - 1/2 t sp

Take the sooji/rava , mix the curd and salt to it to make a paste . Add a little water if required to get the required consistency. Drop 1 tbsp of the mixture on each cup of the idli maker ( ensure that you have smeared some oil on the cups beforehand). Steam the idlis for 8-10 minutes.

Take the stand out and let it cool a little before removing the idlis .

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil for the tadka , add the mustard seeds . Heat till they add spluttering, add the onion . Saute for a minute then add the chopped green chilli , then add the carrot . Add the salt and red chilli powder . Let the carrot and onion cook for 2-3 minutes then add the capsicum . When the capsicum is semi cooked , add the idlis ......turn them carefully so that they do not break . Let the idlis fry a little so that the color and flavors are imbibed by the idlis. Cook for 3-4 minutes .

Serve these idlis with coconut chutney or tomato sauce ....or just have them by themselves ...they taste yummy every way.

Instant Rava Uttapam

This is yet another instant recipe that comes to my rescue when I have run out of ideas for breakfast . The rava and the vegetables make it a wholesome and healthy way to start the day .I use minimal oil while making it and that makes it even more healthier. It is an ideal breakfast for both bachelors and families , when you want a breakfast filling enough without making too many efforts. This photograph is not of the best uttapam that I have made , but till the time I get around to making this and actually get the chance to take a decent photo I guess this one will have to do. :-)

INGREDIENTS -

( For 4 medium size uttapams)


Rava/ Semolina/ Sooji - 1 cup
Curd/ Yogurt - 1cup
Water - as required
Onion - 1/2 medium size , chopped finely
Tomato - 1 medium size ,finely chopped ( I used cherry tomatoes as I had a few languishing in my refrigerator)
Green chili - 1-2 as per taste
Capsicum - 1/4 finely chopped ( I did not have any so I did not add it , but it tastes wonderful)
Salt - as per taste
Red chili powder - as per taste
Coriander leaves - 1 fistful , finely chopped
Oil- for making the uttapam


METHOD-


Take rava in a vessel and add half of the curd ( the more sour the curd is the better it tastes) , add water so that the batter that is formed is of medium consistency. Let it stand for 10 -15 minutes , in the meanwhile you can chop up the vegetables .
After 15 minutes , the rava would have soaked up the water and the batter would have become thick , add the remaining curd and mix well . Now add the vegetables ,salt , chili powder and mix the batter once more.
Take a frying pan and heat it over the stove , add a few drops of oil and then spread a ladleful of the batter on the pan . Spread it a little with the ladle. Now pour a few more drops of oil over it and cover the pan with a cover . Let it cook for a couple of minutes , then flip over to the other side and cook similarly.
When both the sides are well cooked ( slight brown spots would appear) , serve hot with tomato ketchup or the traditional coconut chutney.