Breakfast recipes

Rava idli or kadbu

By Leena Hegde, Puttanamane

Ingredients A quick look Step by step Notes

Kadbu or idli made with wheat rava (semolina) is commonly known as rava idli. The rava used to make this kadbu or idli is kesar or kesari rava made from durum wheat (golden wheat). Kesari rava is slightly coarse and gives the best texture to rava idli.

Lentils, husked black gram, are soaked, ground, mixed with kesar rava, fermented, and then prepared by steaming the batter in banana leaf kotte. You can also use jackfruit leaves cups to steam kadbu or idli. This can also be steamed in a wide bowl if banana leaf or jackfruit leaves are not available.

This classic steamed cake or idli is very soft, light, fluffy, pillowy, and very similar to baked cake texture. And, truly tastes delicious too!

Prep time

9 hrs

Cook time

30 mins

Cool off time

10 mins

Total time

9 hrs 40 mins

Course

Breakfast

Diet

Vegan, Vegetarian

Difficulty level

moderate

Servings

5 kotte

Ingredients

1 cup husked black gram - whole or split (uddina bele or urad dal)
2 cups kesar rava
Salt as required
Water as required

Cookware / Utensils

Steamer
5 small or 3 medium sheets of banana leaf
Bowl
Spoon

Instructions

Making idli batter

Take 1 cup husked black gram (uddina bele or urad dal) in a bowl.
Rinse the lentils 3 to 4 times or until clean in fresh water and then soak in water for 3 to 4 hours.
Take 2 cups kesar rava in a thick pan and dry roast on medium heat.
Keep stirring and switch off once it turns hot, aromatic, and changes colour a bit. But it should not get browned. Let it cool.
After 3 or 4 hours, drain the water from the soaked lentils.
Add the lentils in a mixer jar or wet grinder.
Add water as required and grind to a smooth and fluffy batter.
Take the batter in a large bowl. The consistency of the batter should be thick but easily flowing.
Now take the roasted kesar rava in a large bowl and rinse it a couple of times or until it is clean.
Take some portion of kesar rava in your palm and squeeze it to take out all the water. Add this squeezed kesar rava to the lentil batter.
This way squeeze the entire kesar rava and add to the lentil batter.
Mix very well with a spoon or spatula making sure that there are no lumps.
Cover the batter and keep aside. Let it ferment for 8 to 9 hours.

Making banana leaf kotte (mould / cup)

Take 3 medium or 5 small sheets of banana leaf. Keep the thread (banana leaf fiber) when you cut the banana leaf.
Clean them very well with water or with wet cloth.
Now take each banana leaf sheet and pass them over low flame (one sheet at a time), moving them constantly, until they soften and pliable.
Then, take one banana leaf sheet and roll it to form a hollow cylinder.
Tie at one end with banana leaf fiber thread.
Make kotte or cups with all 3 medium or 5 small sheets of banana leaf.

Steaming method 1: Steam rava idli in banana leaf kotte

Now take the fermented idli batter, add salt and mix well.
Take a steamer and place a stand in it. Pour water to the height of the stand placed inside the steamer.
Place a plate on the stand and heat the steamer on a low to medium heat.
Now take one banana leaf kotte or cup and place it in a container.
Gently pour the idli batter with a spoon in the banana leaf kotte or cup. Fill batter only 3/4 of the kotte.
Leave some space and tie at the other end of the kotte. A little space is left as idli will increase in size once cooked.
Place the kotte in the steamer. This way pour the remaining batter in 3 or 5 kotte or cups and keep them in the steamer.
Cover with a lid and steam idli for about 25 to 30 minutes on high flame.
Once done, switch off the heat and wait for 10 minutes.
Then remove the lid and take out each kotte.
Remove the leaves gently. There would be some idli crumbs stuck on the leaves. Scrape them as well.
Serve idli hot or warm with coconut chutney or huli (samber / lentil-vegetable stew).

Steaming method 2: Steam rava idli in a wide bowl

Add salt to the fermented idli batter, mix well, and pour in a wide bowl.
Place the bowl in a steamer.
Cover the bowl and the steamer and steam for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Once done, switch off the heat and wait for 10 minutes. Then remove the lid and take out the bowl.
Cut the idli into pieces.
Serve idli hot or warm with coconut chutney or huli (samber / lentil-vegetable stew) or jaggery or butter.

Step by step guide

How to make rava idli

Making idli batter

1. Take 1 cup husked black gram (uddina bele or urad dal) in a bowl. Rinse the lentils 3 to 4 times or until clean in fresh water and then soak in water for 3 to 4 hours.

2. Take 2 cups kesar rava in a thick pan and dry roast on medium heat. Keep stirring and switch off once it turns hot, aromatic, and changes colour a bit. But it should not get browned.

Roasting kesar rava takes about 8 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the pan and the flame. Let it cool.

3. After 3 or 4 hours, drain the water from the soaked lentils. Add the lentils in a mixer jar or wet grinder.

4. Add water as required and grind to a smooth and fluffy batter.

Add water in steps. I added 1.25 cups water to grind 1 cup of husked black gram in mixer.

5. Take the batter in a large bowl. The consistency of the batter should be thick but easily flowing.

6. Below is the closer look at the fluffy lentils batter.

7. Now take the roasted kesar rava in a large bowl and rinse it a couple of times or until it is clean.

8. Take some portion of kesar rava in your palm and squeeze it to take out all the water. Add this squeezed kesar rava to the lentil batter. This way squeeze the entire kesar rava and add to the lentil batter.

9. Mix very well with a spoon or spatula making sure that there are no lumps. Cover the batter and keep aside. Let it ferment for 8 to 9 hours.

Making banana leaf kotte (mould / cup)

10. You can make banana leaf kotte beforehand and keep it or can make before making rava idli.

Take 3 medium or 5 small sheets of banana leaf. Keep the thread (banana leaf fiber) when you cut the banana leaf. Clean them very well with water or with wet cloth.

11. Now take each banana leaf sheet and pass them over low flame (one sheet at a time), moving them constantly, until they soften and pliable.

Observe that as soon as you pass banana leaf over a flame it starts changing the colour and will become shinier. Move the leaf constantly and quickly and do not burn.

12. Then, take one banana leaf sheet and roll it to form a hollow cylinder.

13. Tie at one end with banana leaf fiber thread. This way, make kotte or cups with all 3 medium or 5 small sheets of banana leaf.

Steaming method 1

Steam rava idli in banana leaf kotte

14. Now take the fermented idli batter.

15. Add salt and mix well.

16. Below is the right consistency of the batter.

17. Take a steamer and place a stand in it. Pour water to the height of the stand placed inside the steamer. Place a plate on the stand and heat the steamer on a low to medium heat.
Make sure water at the bottom is NOT overflowing on the plate.

18. Now take one banana leaf kotte or cup and place it in a container.

19. Gently pour the idli batter with a spoon in the banana leaf kotte or cup. Fill batter only 3/4 of the kotte.

20. Leave some space and tie at the other end of the kotte. A little space is left as idli will increase in size once cooked.

21. Place the kotte in the steamer.

This way pour the remaining batter in 3 or 5 kotte or cups and keep them in the steamer.

22. Cover with a lid and steam idli for about 25 to 30 minutes on high flame. I have used a thick steamer and takes 30 minutes to steam.

23. Once done, switch off the heat and wait for 10 minutes. Then remove the lid and take out each kotte.

24. Remove the leaves gently. There would be some idli crumbs stuck on the leaves. Scrape them as well.

25. Serve idli hot or warm with coconut chutney or huli (samber / lentil-vegetable stew).

Steaming method 2

Steam rava idli in a wide bowl

26. Add salt to the fermented idli batter, mix well, and pour in a wide bowl.

27. Place the bowl in a steamer.

28. Cover the bowl and the steamer and steam for about 25 to 30 minutes.

29. Once done, switch off the heat and wait for 10 minutes. Then remove the lid and take out the bowl.

30. Cut the idli into pieces.

31. Serve idli hot or warm with coconut chutney or huli (samber / lentil-vegetable stew) or jaggery or butter.

Notes

Idli batter: Idli batter consistency should be thick but easily flowing. Do not over ferment the batter. Over fermented batter will be very sour and may give you an odd odor. In hot summer, if you are keeping the batter for overnight fermentation, make sure you add only 2 tablespoons roasted kesar rava to the lentils batter. And add the rest of the kesar rava next morning or before steaming the idli.
Proportion: If a mixer is used to grind the lentils, the proportion is 1:2 ratio of black gram to kesar rava. If using stone grinder, use 1:2.25 ratio of black gram to kesar rava.

And again, softness and fluffiness of the idli also depends on the variety and quality of the lentils and kesar rava. After a few trials you will find your own ratio.
Fermentation: When idli is made for regular day breakfast, batter is fermented overnight. That adds up 12 to 14 hours of fermentation. Normal range is 8 to 9 hours for idli batter to ferment. Again, fermentation time will vary depending on the climate and room temperature conditions.
Making banana leaf kotte: You can make banana leaf kotte or cup beforehand and keep, i.e. a day before. Do not keep it for too many days as banana leaf will become dry, especially in dry weather, and it will get spoiled in humid weather.
Steaming time: With banana leaf cup, idli takes slightly longer to steam than regular idlis. So steam really well. Steaming time depends on size, thickness of the steamer used and the heat applied. After 20 minutes (or 30 minutes if the steamer is thick) you can check if the idli are done by inserting a knife or skewer. There should be no stickiness on the knife or skewer.