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oats idli recipe | instant oats idli | healthy oats idli for diabetics, heart, low cholesterol, blood pressure |

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User Tarla Dalal  •  11 January, 2020
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oats idli recipe | instant oats idli | healthy oats idli for diabetics, heart, low cholesterol, blood pressure | how to make oats idli | with 20 amazing images. 

Although the original idli itself is quite nutritious, this innovative version of Oats Idli is even more wholesome and filling.This instant oats idli has only 1 hour of resting time. No fermenting time needed. Learn how to make Oats Idli. 

To make oats idli, you have to blend the rolled oats and urad dal to a smooth powder. Add water, curd, ginger-green chilli paste and salt, mix well and keep aside for 1 hour to rest. Just before steaming the idlis add very little fruit salt and 2 tsp of water and mix well. Finally pour into idli moulds and steam in a steamer. Hot Instant Oats Idlis are ready for serving. 

In these healthy oats idli for diabetics, high glycemic index rice is replaced with oats. Further it has been combined with urad dal to reduce its overall low glycemic index. These healthy oats idlis can be enjoyed by heart patients and those with high cholesterol levels too. The beta-glucagon in oats is known to manage blood sugar and cholesterol levels both. 

 

Oats Idli is a highly nutritious, fiber-rich, and low-fat dish that is excellent for diabetics, heart patients, those with high blood pressure, and individuals aiming for weight loss. Made with oats and urad dal, it provides soluble fiber (beta-glucan) that helps slow glucose absorption, reduces cholesterol, and improves overall digestion. The recipe uses minimal oil and includes curd, which adds probiotics for better gut health. Since oats have a low glycemic index, they prevent post-meal sugar spikes, making this idli a safe and steady-energy meal. Its light, steamed preparation makes it gentle on the stomach, suitable even for those managing hypertension or digestive concerns.

For heart health and cholesterol control, Oats Idli is an excellent choice because it contains no saturated fats, is steamed instead of fried, and includes heart-friendly ingredients like oats and urad dal. The high fiber content helps reduce LDL cholesterol, while restricted salt keeps it suitable for blood pressure management. For weight loss, the idli is filling yet low in calories, helping prevent overeating and supporting sustained energy release. When served with vegetable-rich sambar, it becomes a balanced, protein-rich, and antioxidant-packed meal—making Oats Idli a smart, wholesome, and health-boosting breakfast for modern dietary needs.

You can also add some boiled veggies like finely chopped carrot, French beans and caulifower to the oats idli batter to enhance the fibre content further. Curd has been added to the batter to give slight sourness which is so very peculiar about the idli and it also helps in lending a slight fermentation touch. 

These instant oats idli can be prepared any time, since the batter needs to be rested only for 1 hour. However, this also means that the idlis will not rise enough when cooked, so don’t worry when you see a flat outcome. If you wish to have very soft idlis which are slight puffed as well, you can add 1 tsp of fruit salt to the batter just before steaming as mentioned in the recipe below. 

Enjoy oats idli recipe | instant oats idli | healthy oats idli for diabetics | how to make oats idli | with step by step photos.

Soaking Time

0

Preparation Time

2 Mins

Cooking Time

15 Mins

Baking Time

0 Mins

Baking Temperature

0

Fermenting Time

1 hour

Total Time

17 Mins

Makes

14 idlis

Ingredients

For Oats Idli

For Serving With Oats Idli

Method

For oats idli
 

  1. To make oats idli, combine the oats and urad dal and blend in a mixer to a smooth powder.
  2. Add 1 cups of water, curd, ginger- green chilli paste and salt and mix well to make a batter of pouring consistency.
  3. Cover and keep aside to rest for 1 hour.
  4. Mix the batter well, add the fruit salt and 2 tsp of water and mix it gently.
  5. Grease the idli moulds using oil and put spoonfuls of batter into them.
  6. Steam in an idli steamer for 10 to 12 minutes or till they are cooked.
  7. Demould the oats idlis and serve idli immediately with sambhar.

oats idli recipe | instant oats idli | healthy oats idli for diabetics, heart, low cholesterol, blood pressure | Video by Tarla Dalal

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Oats Idli recipe with step by step photos

Other Healthy Idli recipes

 

    1. Idli is a popular South-Indian breakfast recipe. The authentic ones are made using rice and urad dal but, they can be made with most dals and also, fortified with veggies.  healthy diabetic oats idli replaces rice with oats to make them wholesome. 
Batter for oats idli

 

    1. To prepare the batter for oats idli recipe | instant oats idli | healthy oats idli for diabetics | how to make oats idli, in a mixer jar add oats. Quick-cooking rolled oats are rich in fiber and help in reducing cholesterol, making the oats idli a heart-friendly, low cholesterol recipe.You can read more about the health benefits of oats in this article on.
      Step 2 – To prepare the batter for <strong>oats idli recipe | instant oats idli | healthy oats …
    2. Also, add urad dal. Fresh urad dal is best suitable to get soft idlis. Current years harvested urad dal will be white in colour without pale yellow shades. So, make use of new urad dal for better fermentation and soft oatmeal idly.
      Step 3 – Also, add urad dal. Fresh urad dal is best suitable to get soft idlis. Current …
    3. Blend in a mixer to a smooth powder. The texture of the oats-urad dal should resemble this.
      Step 4 – Blend in a mixer to a smooth powder. The texture of the oats-urad dal should …
    4. Transfer the oats-urad dal powder to a deep bowl for the nutritious oats idli.
      Step 5 – Transfer the oats-urad dal powder to a deep bowl for the nutritious oats idli.
    5. Add 1 cup of water.  Add enough water to grind the batter and don’t be scared of the amount because less water results in denser idli. It might look watery at this stage but during fermentation, the oats will soak the water and attain the required consistency.
      Step 6 – Add 1 cup of water.&nbsp; Add enough water to grind the batter and don&rsquo;t be …
    6. Add the curd.
      Step 7 – Add the curd.
    7. Mix well.
      Step 8 – Mix well.
    8. Add ginger green chilli paste. Add vegetables like cabbage, carrot, capsicum, green peas in the oats idli batter to make it healthier.
      Step 9 – Add ginger green chilli paste. Add vegetables like cabbage, carrot, capsicum, green peas in the …
    9. Add the salt.
      Step 10 – Add the salt.
    10. Mix well to make a batter of instant oats idli of pouring consistency.
      Step 11 – Mix well to make a batter of <strong>instant oats idli </strong>of pouring consistency.
    11. Cover with a lid and keep aside to soak for 1 hour.
      Step 12 – Cover with a lid and keep aside to soak for 1 hour.
    12. After an hour, our instant oats idli batter will look like this. The batter should have a nice flowing consistency. It should neither be too thick or too runny. Mix it well.
      Step 13 – After an hour, our <strong>instant oats idli </strong>batter will look like this. The batter should …
    13. Add fruit salt.
      Step 14 – Add fruit salt.
    14. Add 2 tsp of water.
      Step 15 – Add 2 tsp of water.
    15. Mix it gently.
      Step 16 – Mix it gently.
How to make oats idli

 

    1. Before steaming the healthy oats idli for diabetics, grease the idli moulds using oil. Also, put the water in a steamer for boiling. You can also steam the idli in a damp muslin cloth.
      Step 17 – Before steaming the h<strong>ealthy oats idli for diabetics</strong>, grease the idli moulds using oil. Also, …
    2. Put spoonfuls of batter into the greased idli moulds.
      Step 18 – Put spoonfuls of batter into the greased idli moulds.
    3. Steam in an idli steamer for 10 to 12 minutes or till they are cooked. If the flame is too high, the water might bounce to the idli plates so, make sure you cook on a medium flame. Also, idli tends to turn hard when cooked on a high flame.
      Step 19 – Steam in an idli steamer for 10 to 12 minutes or till they are cooked. …
    4. To check whether the oats idli are cooked perfectly or no, insert a toothpick in the center of an idli and check if it’s come out clean. If not, steam for some more time.
    5. Carefully remove idli moulds from the steamer and let them cool down for 3-4 minutes. Remove the oats idli recipe | instant oats idli from it using a spoon. You can dip the spoon in water or oil for easy removal.
      Step 21 – Carefully remove idli moulds from the steamer and let them cool down for 3-4 minutes. …
    6. Serve oats idli immediately with sambhar. The regular idli is made with urad dal and rice but, you can use a variety of pulses, millets and grains to make different idlis like: Barley Idli and Green Moong Dal and Vegetable Idli.
      Step 22 – Serve <strong>oats idli</strong> immediately with <a href="https://www.tarladalal.com/Sambhar-(-How-To-Make-Sambhar-South-Indian-Recipe)-32735r" target="_blank">sambhar</a>. The regular idli is made with urad …
Frequently Asked Questions

 

    1. Q. How will the urad dal grind? Wouldn't it be too hard? No, the urad dal is not hard to grind. Make sure you use the small jar that is grinder to grind the oats and the urad dal to make Oats idli
    2. Q. My Oats idli came out flat, what could be the reason? After water is added the batter needs to sit for sometime to ferment. The curd will activate the fermentation process. Also, make sure the fruit salt you use is fresh, if the fruit salt is old it will not provide the desired aeration and the oats idli won't rise. 
    3. Q. What is fruit salt? Is it necessary to add fruit salt to oats idli? Fruit salt is a combination of baking soda, citric acid and sodium carbonate. It is used to provide instant aeration to any batter that require fermentation. 
Nutrient values (Abbrv)per plate
Nutrient values (Abbrv) per idli
Energy30 cal
Protein1.6 g
Carbohydrates5 g
Fiber0.9 g
Fat0.5 g
Cholesterol0 mg
Sodium1.3 mg

Click here to view Calories for Oats Idli

The Nutrient info is complete

Your Rating*

user
Khyati varshney

Nov. 5, 2025, 5:30 a.m.

“What a brilliant and healthy twist on a classic! These oats idlis look so soft and fluffy and I love the way they bring in whole-grains without losing the essence of the idli. As someone balancing a day job and building a food blog on the side, I really appreciate recipes like this that are tasty and nutritious. Thanks for the detailed instructions—can’t wait to try this this weekend! 🙌”

user
tarla dalal

Nov. 5, 2025, 5:30 a.m.

Thanks, happy cooking !

user
n_katira

March 5, 2021, 9 p.m.

I have tried Tarla Dalal's Oats dosa and this oats idli too...both the recipes are just perfect...All the diabetics, weight watchers and people with high cholesterol can make this snack a part of their daily diet.

user
Vanisha

Oct. 8, 2020, 10:44 a.m.

Tried the recipe and it made me sick. Ended up throwing up due to it. I steamed them for 30 minutes in my idli steamer.

user
Tarla Dalal

Oct. 8, 2020, 10:44 a.m.

Hello Vanisha, This is a tried and tested recipe from our kitchen. Oats have a sticky nature so, they might look uncooked but, once you remove them and cool, they are perfect. We have a huge collection of idli recipe, if oats did not suit you, you can try something from this https://www.tarladalal.com/recipes-for-different-types-of-idlis-45

user
Foodie #688058

March 23, 2020, 12:49 p.m.

mam urad dal ko bhigana nahi hai kya?

user
Janvi sanghavi

Sept. 16, 2016, 12:08 p.m.

I tried this idli and it turned out to be soft and perfect. Oats and urad dal combination is really working well in this recipe. Loved it.

user
Madhavi Sawant

June 30, 2015, 11:23 p.m.

I was looking for oat recipes as they are good for heart, I tried all the websites. but really appreciate the way the recipes are arranged in this website. Today morning I tried Oats Idli, and it tasted really good. I will surely try other oats recipe. Thanks & warm regards,

user
Winnie

April 18, 2014, 3:49 p.m.

Just tried this recipe. Blending oats and urad dal was quite innovative. The idlis were soft and the chilli ginger paste just added to the taste.

User

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