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Make soft Idli using Rice Rava – Mixie Method

April 24, 2015 by Suguna Vinodh 76 Comments

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soft-idli-batter-recipe-using-idli-rava-mixie-method

Make soft Idli using Idly Rava or Rice Rava – Mixie / blender Method. Fool proof recipe for making batter from scratch that will produce the softest idlis. Recipe for idly dosa batter.

After the post How to make Soft Idli Recipe I have been receiving a lot of comments asking how to make soft Idli with Rice Rava also called as Idly Rava . To be honest, I have never made Idli using Idli Rava. So I went on to experiment making Idli with Rice Rava. The first two tries were OK but not very satisfactory. I wanted to make an equally good batter with the Rava instead of rice. I learned a few things on the way. The mixie / blender was making the urad dal hot when ground. While warmth encourages the growth of the bacteria, heat kills it. A very hot environment can make the batter sour too soon and the taste will not be good.

Fermentation of Idli batter is carried out largely by lactic acid bacteria. Not yeast. There are two kinds of lactic acid bacteria. Homofermentive and heterofermentive.
Homofermentive lactic acid bacteria produces only lactic acid.
Heterofermentive bacteria – the Idli bacteria (Leuconostoc mesenteroides) produces carbon dioxide in addition to lactic acid.

So for good Idli, we need the rise of batter (CO2 effect) and also souring of the batter. If the batter is too hot at the beginning, it gets fermented too soon and the resulting Idlies might not be very soft. Also the Idlies may be good for the first day but hard on the second day. So how do we solve the batter from getting hot when ground? Refrigerating the urad dal over nite in the fridge helped to a big extent from keeping the Dal getting hot when ground in the blender.

This is how I do Idli batter using rice rava.

There are just 3 ingredients for this recipe. 1 part urad dal, 3 parts rice rava and salt.

Optional ingredient: 1 cup Poha.

 

Method:

Whole White Urad Dal – This is what I use. I use unpolished whole white Urad Dal. I prefer this dal for the sake of convenience. First wash the urad dal in water and soak it over-nite in the refrigerator.

soft-idli-batter-recipe-using-idli-rava-mixie-method-1-2

Wash the rava and soak the rava in water and leave it over-nite at room temperature.

soft-idli-batter-recipe-using-idli-rava-mixie-method

Next day, grind the Dal in a mixie / blender with a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Use cold water to grind so the batter doesn’t get hot. The Dal will not fluff up like it does in a wet grinder. That’s fine.

soft-idli-batter-recipe-using-idli-rava-mixie-method-grind-dal

Pour the ground Urad Dal in a bowl and set aside.

soft-idli-batter-recipe-using-idli-rava-mixie-method-1

Squeeze the soaked Rava by hand and add it to the ground Dal.

soft-idli-batter-recipe-using-idli-rava-mixie-method-squeeze

Add salt. Mix the batter well.

soft-idli-batter-recipe-using-idli-rava-mixie-method-mix-batter

Tip on Poha:

For a really soft idli, soak 1 Cup Avalakki  (Aval or Poha) in 1 cup of water  for 5 minutes. Grind in a mixie and add to the batter. Aval makes for softest idlis. Try it if you live in cold climate or your idlis are always hard. (Aval – Thick or Thin – The size doesn’t matter).

kanchipuram-idli-recipe-tamilnadu-aval

Set the bowl in a warm place for 8-10 hours. It should have increased in volume to almost double.

soft-idli-batter-recipe-using-idli-rava-mixie-method-rise

Lets make some Idli. Put some water in an Idli vessel and put it on medium flame. Oil the Idli plate and gently fill the rounds with the batter. Put it inside the Idli vessel and let it steam for 6-7 minutes.

soft-idli-batter-recipe-using-idli-rava-mixie-method-steam

The key to good Idlis – Do not allow it to over cook. It might become hard and dry. Just keep an eye and remove the Idlis after 6-7 minutes. Do not remove the Idlis immediately. It might stick. Leave it undisturbed for 4-5 minutes and then spoon it out. Serve hot with your favorite chutney and sambar.

A good idly must be soft and tender.

I have also shared the tips and tricks for soft idli batter here below. This article also has answers for a lot of frequently asked questions. Please refer to this article and I am sure most of your doubts will be answered.
Tips and Tricks for a better idli.

soft-idli-batter-recipe-using-idli-rava-mixie-method-rice-rava

soft-idli-batter-recipe-using-idli-rava-mixie-method-idly

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soft-idli-batter-recipe-using-idli-rava-mixie-blender-method

Make soft Idli using Rice Rava – Mixie Method


★★★★★

4.8 from 13 reviews

  • Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
  • Total Time: 10 hours 10 mins
  • Yield: 14 idlies 1x
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Description

Make soft Idli using Idly Rava Mixie Method. Fool proof recipe for making batter from scratch that will produce the softest idlis. Recipe for idly dosa batter.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup Urad Dal
  • 1 1/2 cups Rice Rava
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • Optional: 1 cup Poha

Instructions

  1. Wash the urad dal in water and soak it over-nite in the refrigerator.
  2. Wash the rava and soak the rava in water and leave it over-nite at room temperature.
  3. Next day, grind the Dal in a mixie / blender with a cup of water to a very smooth paste. Use the same ice cold water used for soaking the Dal so the batter doesn’t get hot. The Dal will not fluff up like a wet grinder. That’s fine. Pour the ground Urad Dal in a bowl and set aside.
  4. Squeeze the soaked Rava by hand and add it to the ground Dal.
  5. Add salt. Mix the batter well.
  6. Set the bowl in a warm place for 8-10 hours. It should have increased in volume to almost double.
  7. Put some water in an Idli vessel and put it on medium flame. Oil the Idli plate and gently fill the rounds with the batter. Put it inside the Idli vessel and let it steam for 6-7 minutes.
  8. Serve hot with your favorite chutney and sambar.

Notes

Store the left over batter in the refrigerator.
Tip on Poha:
For a really soft idli, soak 1 Cup Avalakki  (Aval or Poha) in 1 cup of water  for 5 minutes. Grind in a mixie and add to the batter. Aval makes for softest idlis. Try it if you live in cold climate or your idlis are always hard. (Aval – Thick or Thin – The size doesn’t matter).

  • Prep Time: 10 hours
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: South Indian

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Suguna Vinodh

I'm Suguna Vinodh aka Kannamma. I love south Indian food and I am passionate about baking. My Favorite things include my Wusthof knife, Coffee, Ilayaraja, Tamil and beaches. I love Jacques Pepin and Julia Child.

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Comments

  1. Sindhu says

    February 9, 2021 at 6:26 pm

    I’ve not tried this method. My mom has been using idly rawa for a long time. She makes super fluffy idlis. The method is different though. She soaks urad gota(whole) for an hour. Grinds it in wet grinder and adds 2.5x idly rawa (dry) directly to the grinder and turns it off. She leaves it overnight for fermentation. It comes out very well. We use the batter for 2-3 days. Refrigerate after fermentation of course.

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      February 9, 2021 at 10:08 pm

      You are right. Grinding the urad dal in grinder will make really fluffy idlies. Its hard to mimic that in a mixie.

      Reply
  2. Sujata Das says

    October 19, 2020 at 2:17 am

    Your methods achieved by constant experiments are so helpful. Just a tip squeezed rice rava can be blended in the ground urad dal in the mixer bowl and blended with soaked pohe for some minutes to achieve homogenous mixture.

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      October 19, 2020 at 10:22 pm

      Thank You!

      Reply
  3. Sangeetha says

    October 4, 2020 at 3:01 am

    Can this batter be used for making paniharams or paddus

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      October 4, 2020 at 3:33 pm

      yes. you can use the batter to make paniyaram.

      Reply
  4. Lakshmi says

    June 2, 2020 at 7:26 am

    Very nicely explained Suguna . Thank you

    Reply
  5. MRS RANI HARISH says

    May 18, 2020 at 1:58 am

    I prepared idli batter by using idli Rava. But it has become very watery. How to repair it. I don’t have idli rava too. Advance thanks for the reply.

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      May 18, 2020 at 5:25 pm

      You can make it into thick dosa / oothappam.

      Reply
  6. Veronika says

    April 12, 2020 at 9:58 am

    Dear, hank you so much for sharing.
    I just came back to Europe after spending 3 months in India and I fell in love with Idly and dosa. I want to make it at home myself, but to be honest my only concern is leaving rice over night in a warm place, as I once got a very bad food poisoning from leftover cooked rice. I know that idly and dosa are safe to eat, I just want to make sure not to experience the same like with the leftover rice.
    Do you have any thoughts on that matter?
    Thank you. 🙂

    Reply
    • Gayatri Melkote says

      April 5, 2022 at 11:56 am

      What is used in this recipe is uncooked rice and not cooked rice so it is a totally different matter. It ferments not spoils with time. Don’t keep it for days on end though because even this has it’s limits.

      Reply
  7. Suz says

    January 18, 2020 at 6:52 pm

    Thanks much for the recipe,idlis came out really soft,everyone loved it!

    Reply
  8. Ashwini says

    April 16, 2019 at 3:12 am

    I am trying rava idli for the very first time. It has been a battle of sorts trying to make soft idlis using rice. i gave up! now i am trying with rava. I have gone through your reciepe. Everything is explained well except for the batter consistency. How should the batter before fermentation look like- consistency of batter? if u could post a video it would have been a major help for beginners like me.

    ★★★★

    Reply
  9. Hussaina says

    April 7, 2019 at 10:09 am

    Mam if we use wet grinder method idli rava idlies its ratio should be 4:1.
    Mixer method 3:1.
    Is it mam…???

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  10. Sadhna says

    January 25, 2019 at 8:44 pm

    Can I use half cup of poha instead of one cup . please reply
    Thanks

    Reply
  11. Pallavi Patil says

    October 4, 2018 at 3:24 pm

    Hi suguna , I have mistakenly add ghee to the idle rava thinking it’s sooji. Can I still use it to make idle?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  12. Manasi says

    October 4, 2018 at 1:34 pm

    Can I keep the batter in sun, as I am going to blend it in morning and need it by lunch?
    Is this method good to have fast fermenting?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      October 4, 2018 at 7:21 pm

      No. It wont work. The batter will sour.

      Reply
  13. Hema says

    May 21, 2018 at 7:33 am

    Don’t we need to add fenugreek seeds?

    Reply
  14. Vasundhara says

    March 19, 2017 at 11:06 am

    Can we make idlies by mixing already fermented batter with wheat rawa instantly if suddenly guests drp in n we have to add the quantity ? I am underlining Wheat Rava. By the way rice n udad dal with 2-1 proportion is it ok ? . Its the proportion we have been using over the years .idlies are very good in taste

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  15. Smita says

    March 14, 2017 at 4:17 pm

    Hi Suguna, of late idli batter refuses to rise and idlis go flat after steaming. Earlier this wasn’t happening. I use whole urad dal and idli rawa in the ratio of 1:3 and I grind the dal in a wet grinder ( stone grinder). Even with 1 : 2 it doesn’t seem to raise. I am now frustrated, as earlier I had no problem . Can you help me

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      March 14, 2017 at 9:22 pm

      Try soaking 1/2 cup of Avalakki / poha and grind to the batter. Also try changing the rice rawa brand to see if that will work.

      Reply
    • Gayatri Melkote says

      April 5, 2022 at 12:01 pm

      Try keeping the batter in a warm corner over a hot water bottle all covered up with blankets.

      Reply
  16. Samita says

    December 15, 2016 at 12:05 am

    Thanks for the step by step recipe and tips Suguna, the idlis came out super soft and more importantly very fluffy.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      December 15, 2016 at 12:12 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  17. samreen says

    November 20, 2016 at 11:01 am

    Ma’am what should I do if I have used some more(approximately double of the quantity u told?) water while grinding urad dal…please guide me ma’am…

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      November 21, 2016 at 11:57 pm

      You will be still able to do dosas but idlis will be flat after it is steamed. Take care of water from next time!

      Reply
  18. Sunita says

    October 11, 2016 at 10:57 am

    Yes Suguna. I mean Idlies. Sorry, that was a typo error.

    Reply
  19. Mona Lekhrajani says

    September 14, 2016 at 4:02 am

    Hi…Why can’t we use split white u urad daal for making idli?

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      September 14, 2016 at 9:10 am

      Please check my idli tips post.

      Reply
  20. Charu says

    August 20, 2016 at 7:32 pm

    Why u didnt added fenugreek seeds and poha in this method? As it is said that it makes idli softer.

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      August 20, 2016 at 7:41 pm

      You can add to have more softer idlies!

      Reply
  21. Shubha says

    August 16, 2016 at 7:07 pm

    Hello suguna,
    Any idea on why my batter didnt rise? It is almost 12hrs now. .Any lights?

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      August 16, 2016 at 8:47 pm

      Where do you live and whats the weather like? Mostly the batter dint rise because the temperature is cold.

      Reply
    • Subhasini Sebastine says

      August 17, 2016 at 12:00 am

      Paris,france. Its summer here 🙁

      Reply
      • Suguna Vinodh says

        August 17, 2016 at 12:07 am

        Strange. What rice / dal did you use?
        Please go through this post.
        http://www.kannammacooks.com/tips-tricks-making-idli-batter/

        Reply
  22. Shruti raikoti says

    July 12, 2016 at 8:06 pm

    Hai mam, why we keep urad dal in refrigerator. Pl. Reply me

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      July 12, 2016 at 10:26 pm

      so it does not get hot while ground in mixie. The mixie / blender was making the urad dal hot when ground. While warmth encourages the growth of the bacteria, heat kills it. A very hot environment can make the batter sour too soon and the taste will not be good.

      Reply
  23. Shilpa says

    July 5, 2016 at 12:33 am

    Hi suguna, i tried your recipe for dosa and yes the results were MAGICAL!!!!. Its my first hands on experiment on batter and dosa. Got lot of appreciation for. All the credit goes to KANNAMMA COOKS!!! Thanks a ton. My next experiment would be rava idly.

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      July 5, 2016 at 1:02 pm

      Thank You!

      Reply
  24. Mahima says

    June 8, 2016 at 5:06 pm

    Hi suguna do i need to add eno or soda to make idli soft n smooth .pleasw reply.

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      June 8, 2016 at 6:45 pm

      I dont add any leaveners like eno or soda. I am sure you will get good idlis if you follow the recipe to the T.

      Reply
  25. Mahima says

    June 3, 2016 at 3:15 am

    Hi suguna idli batter me kya soda ya eno milane ke jarurat hai? Ya aise he soft idli ban jati hai.please reply.

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      June 3, 2016 at 9:21 am

      Hi Mahima, I do not speak Hindi. Can you translate your question in English for me?

      Reply
    • Gayatri Melkote says

      April 5, 2022 at 12:04 pm

      Soda ya eno ki zaroorat nahi hai. No eno or soda.

      Reply
  26. Mahima says

    June 2, 2016 at 11:00 pm

    I like your recipes .

    Reply
  27. Neela says

    May 19, 2016 at 11:22 am

    Can we grind the urid dhal in the grinder?

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      May 19, 2016 at 11:52 am

      you can!

      Reply
  28. Shankar says

    May 16, 2016 at 11:41 pm

    This recipe worked very well for me. The idlis were fluffy and soft. The recipe yielded 36 idlis! That of course depends on the size of the depression in the idli stand. Do you think the idli will be fluffier if the rice rawa is coarser?

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      May 17, 2016 at 9:46 am

      If its coarser, the texture of idli might be different I feel.

      Reply
  29. Kavitha Kumar says

    May 12, 2016 at 6:33 pm

    Hi Suguna
    Your receipes are wonderful
    And you website outlay is so convenient and awesome that anybody can access. Thanks for your receipes.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      May 12, 2016 at 8:32 pm

      Thank you so much Kavitha. Really glad that you liked the layout.

      Reply
  30. Dr Sibu says

    April 16, 2016 at 11:04 am

    Hi I am amazed at your passion for cooking. I enjoyed reading your posts. Appreciate your efforts at sharing such beautifully laid out page’s. All the best.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      April 17, 2016 at 2:58 pm

      Thank you Dr.Sibu

      Reply
  31. katkam says

    March 13, 2016 at 12:02 am

    what brand rava you are using ?

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      March 14, 2016 at 9:32 pm

      Just store bought. Not branded.

      Reply
  32. Nita says

    February 16, 2016 at 2:51 am

    Any reason you did not add methi seeds?

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      February 16, 2016 at 8:10 pm

      Somehow it turns bitter i feel in this method.

      Reply
  33. Paul says

    January 24, 2016 at 5:34 pm

    Thank you very much for the post on making soft idilis using Idili Rava. Was very helpful.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  34. Almas says

    December 20, 2015 at 11:04 am

    Hi! Thanx for the recipe. Generally when I make idlis, a small portion of the idlis on the second and third plates become wet and look uncooked as the condensed steam from the upper plate drips on them. Pls can u give any suggestion to avoid this?

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      December 20, 2015 at 12:46 pm

      Can you show me a pic of your idli steamer with the plates?

      Reply
      • fatima says

        May 19, 2017 at 8:35 pm

        Same problem for me. i have aluminium idli cooker with small holes inside the moulds where we put the batter and also holes in the corner of plates. Could you please help me out?

        Reply
        • Suguna Vinodh says

          May 21, 2017 at 3:39 am

          You can use a wet cloth ( see my thuni idli in idli tips post)

          Reply
  35. Soumya says

    November 23, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    Ohh thanks a ton! Idlis came out awesomely soft and tasty! The best idli recipe using rice rava… 🙂

    Reply
  36. Soumya says

    November 21, 2015 at 4:40 pm

    Thanks a lot Kannamma! Making idlis using idli rava was a mystery unsolved for me till I read your recipe! I’m soaking the ingredients now..I shall let you know the result! ☺

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      November 23, 2015 at 11:45 am

      Sure Soumya.

      Reply
  37. VENKAT says

    September 13, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    can I use the same dough for DOSA?

    Reply
    • Suguna Vinodh says

      September 13, 2015 at 11:06 pm

      Yes Venkat. You can use the same batter for dosa.

      Reply
  38. Anu says

    May 18, 2015 at 6:06 pm

    Very good recipe. came out well.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  39. mash says

    April 28, 2015 at 8:42 pm

    Hi the idlis and chutney look very soft well I usually have urad dal at home not the whole urad so would i need to make any changes in the proportion

    Reply
    • suguna vinodh says

      April 28, 2015 at 9:19 pm

      Its better to use unpolished white whole urad dal.

      Reply
    • maneesha.r says

      June 13, 2015 at 10:48 pm

      can we make it in mixie will it be soft

      Reply
  40. preetha says

    April 24, 2015 at 3:37 pm

    What is rice rava ?? Is it the normal rava we use for upma ??

    Reply
    • suguna vinodh says

      April 24, 2015 at 4:44 pm

      Its called as rice rava or idly rava. Its used for making idli batter specifically. For upma we generally use wheat rava.

      Reply
    • Sunita says

      October 10, 2016 at 11:22 am

      Hi Suguna, thank you very much for the detailed explanation. I followed your method and oldies came super soft. This is the first time I made such nice oldies. Thank you for all your efforts.

      Reply
      • Suguna Vinodh says

        October 10, 2016 at 1:00 pm

        You mean idlies!…Thank you so much Sunita.

        Reply

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I’m Suguna, a former financial analyst, now a full-time food blogger. Welcome to my space. I share recipes gathered from my friends and family here. I am passionate about South Indian food. I crazy love knives. A sharp knife is a girls best friend. Hope you like the recipes here. Happy Cooking. Read more.....

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