Rava- Nachani (Finger Millet) Curds Idly

“Rava- Nachani Curds (Finger Millet) Idly” as it was No Onion- Garlic- Rice day being Ekadashi the day on which we avoid all these ingredients prepared this simple rava idly prepared with addition of nachani/ ragi/ finger millet flour for a change from the routine ones for our one meal a day … served them with simple vegetable sambar and pickle … 

** Rava Idly are soft and spongy melt in the mouth Idlies relished mostly with chutney or sambar though in my home we love to have it with kurma, a combination my father taught us to relish from childhood. This time I just made my own mix and match with addition of nachani/ ragi/ finger millet flour for added millet benefits and served it with sambar and some veg. pickle. and sambar. Easy to prepare and delicious to taste, go ahead and enjoy them with your family. You can use the search option and browse through more options of rava idly too which have been posted earlier, they are tasty and tummy filling too. These can be had if you are fasting on No-Onion- Garlic- Rice dishes like how we Saraswat do on certain days. Do try this one out. 

** Here is the Recipe to “Rava- Nachani (Finger Millet) Curds Idly” … My Style …

Bansi Rava / Mangalore Rava / Brik Lapsi : 1 cups 

Bombay Rava : 1 cup 

Nachani/ Ragi/ Finger Millet Flour : ¾ cup 

Thick Curds / Dahi : 3 cups 

Water as required (Approximately 3 cups) 

Salt/ Namak/ Meeta : to taste 

Cashew Nuts/ Kajjubi : for garnishing. 

Cooking Soda / Eno : ¼ tsp (Optional) 

Ghee : 1 tsp 

Oil : 2 tblsp 

** Beat the 3 cups of thick curds with 2.5 cups of water together to a smooth texture and keep it ready aside. Keep aside the half cup of water, it will be added on as necessary. 

** Heat Ghee in a thick bottomed kadai, when hot add in the cashew nuts and fry on medium heat till they are evenly browned, remove and keep this aside for topping the idly. 

** In the same kadai add in oil, when hot add barik lapsi and fry for a few minutes until well mixed and hot enough. Now add in the Bombay rava and continue for another few minutes. 

** When well roasted say for 3-4 mins, remove from fire and allow it to cool completely, now add in the nachani flour, salt to taste and mix till well combined. 

** Now add in the beaten curds and mix well with a ringed whisker so that there are no lumps. Check the consistency and add in more water kept aside if required. 

** Cover and keep aside the mixture for 15-20 minutes. This is a must procedure for the mixture to absorb moisture properly and to increase in volume and also get softened otherwise the Idly will turn hard and not soft and spongy. 

** Once the mixture has settled well, check the consistency, there should be enough water in mixture for steaming and it should not be dry. Add water if necessary and just before steaming add in the cooking soda and mix well. 

** Now place the fried cashew nuts in each of the mold and then gently pour the batter with the help of a rounded spatula into the greased molds to ¾ level only. You should leave gap on top of the molds, as the batter will rise when being steamed. 

** I have used small steel vaties/ molds here to get small sized Idlies. Remember to apply oil to the molds before adding in the batter. Applying of oil to the molds ensures that the batter does not stick to it and comes off cleanly without crumbling once steamed and cooled a bit. 

** While you prepare to add batter in molds, keep the Idly steamer with required amount of water to heat on high level. You should prepare the Idlies immediately once the soda has been added and mixed or else it loses out the fizz and turns the idly flatter. 

** When the steamer reaches full steam, lower the heat and immediately place in the steel vaties/ molds one by one in a single layer, then keep the separator and place some more vaties in layers and so on depending on your Idly steamer method. 

** I have a three tiered Idly steamer, where I can place four vaties in each layers in all adding to 12 Idles which is more than sufficient for the said quantity of mixture given above. You can use any Idly steamer you have too. 

** Cover the lid tightly, increase the heat and steam for 5-7 minutes or till you see steam escaping through the lid, then lower the heat to medium and steam for 10-12 minutes. Do not steam for more time or else the Idly will turn out hard. 

** The maximum time is about 15-20 minutes of steaming which is more than enough if using vati / moulds for the same. If using the flat type mold for making the Idly then steam only for 15 minutes and they are done. 

** Immediately remove and cool a bit. Run a blunt knife through the edges on the inner side of the vaites / molds and gently flip over the vaties / molds and tap it a bit to bring out the steamed Idly in one go. Remove all in similar way into a plate and they are ready to be serve. 

** “Rava- Nachani (Finger Millet)  Curds Idly” is done and ready to be served. Though in my home we love to relish these with Veg. Kurma as it was no onion- garlic- rice day I served it with simple sambar along with some veg. pickle and gajjar/ carrot halwa which I had prepared for naivedyam. 

** These Idlies are healthy and easy to prepare if you have curds and rava handy at home. You can add in grated carrots, cooked peas to the Idly mixture before steaming too and also season the same which is the traditional way of preparing them. 

** This time I wanted to keep it simple, so I just left the seasoning and veggie inclusion away, You may do so if desired as not only is it healthy but also tastier too and is one of the best way to see to it that your children and family members eat their veggies.