Instant Rava Idli – Soft, Fluffy Sooji Idli Without Fermentation
Tarla Dalal
• Updated : Jan 02, 2026
If you are looking for a quick, healthy, and delicious South Indian breakfast, Instant Rava Idli is the perfect choice. Made using sooji (semolina), this recipe is ideal for busy mornings because it requires no fermentation and can be prepared in very little time. Unlike traditional idlis, this quick rava idli recipe gives you soft, fluffy idlis without planning ahead. The batter comes together easily with simple ingredients like curd, rava, and basic tempering, making it beginner-friendly too. These idlis are light on the stomach, easy to digest, and loved by both kids and adults. Served hot with coconut chutney or sambar, instant semolina idli makes a wholesome and satisfying breakfast or snack.
Table of Content
About the Recipe
This instant rava idli recipe using sooji stands out because of its texture and simplicity. The rava is soaked briefly in curd and water, allowing it to soften without fermentation. A mild tempering of cumin seeds, green chillies, curry leaves, and coconut enhances the flavor while keeping it balanced. The addition of fruit salt just before steaming helps the batter rise, giving you spongy and fluffy rava idlis every time. Since the idlis are steamed, they are healthier than many fried breakfast options and perfect for those who prefer light yet filling meals.
Serving & Benefits
One of the best things about quick sooji idli is its versatility. You can serve it for breakfast, pack it in a lunchbox, or enjoy it as an evening snack. These instant idlis stay soft for a longer time, making them great for travel and kids’ tiffins. You can also customize the recipe by adding grated vegetables like carrots or capsicum for extra nutrition. Whether you are new to cooking or an experienced home cook, this easy no-fermentation rava idli recipe is reliable, tasty, and perfect for everyday cooking. Serve quick rava idli with coconut chutney and sambar.
Tips for quick rava idli. 1. After 30 minutes of soaking the batter. Note that the rava will suck up a lot of the water. 2. Just before steaming, add 1 tbsp fruit salt. Fruit salt provides a spongy, fluffy texture. Use neutral flavored fruit salt. 3. Mix gently after adding fruit salt. Don’t mix it vigorously, just gently fold in. 4. In the batter you can use buttermilk instead of curds and water to get that nice sour taste. Just avoid adding salt and tempering to the buttermilk. 5. Make sure you steam the idlis on high flame so that the water is boiling all the time. As we are making 5 batches of ildi, you will need to add water to the steamer when required. 6. If you don t have eno fruit salt, you can use baking soda instead. 7. You can add grated vegetables, such as carrots or onions, to the batter.
Tags
Soaking Time
30 minutes
Preparation Time
10 Mins
Cooking Time
20 Mins
Baking Time
0 Mins
Baking Temperature
0
Sprouting Time
0
Total Time
30 Mins
Makes
35 idlis
Ingredients
For Quick Rava Idli
- 2 1/2 cups semolina (rava / sooji)
- 1 cup curd (dahi)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp fruit salt
- salt to taste
- oil for greasing
For The Tempering
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 tbsp grated coconut
- 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped green chillies
- 4 finely chopped curry leaves (kadi patta)
- 1 tbsp oil
Method
For quick rava idli
- To make quick rava idli, mix the curds with 2 3/4th cup water in a bowl to make a batter.
- Add semolina and whisk well. Cover and keep aside for at least 30 minutes. Add oil and salt to taste and mix again. Your batter is ready.
- Prepare the tempering by heating the oil and adding the cumin seeds and cook for a few seconds. Add coconut, green chillies and curry leaves and sauté on a medium flame for a minute. Add the tempering to the semolina batter and mix well.
- Heat water in a steamer or pressure cooker. Grease the idli moulds with oil.
- Just before steaming add the fruit salt over the batter. Pour 1 tsp of water over it. Mix gently.
- Pour a ladleful of batter into each greased idli mould. Steam for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Serve quick rava idli hot with a chutney of your choice.
Quick Rava Idli Recipe (Instant Idli Using Sooji) Video by Tarla Dalal
Quick Rava Idli recipe with step by step photos
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what is quick rava idli made of ? See below image of list of ingredients for quick rava idli.
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You will need an idli steamer.
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You will need an idli steamer.
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In a deep bowl put 1 cup curds.
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Add 2 3/4th cups water.
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Mix well with a whisk breaking the lumps in the curd.
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Add 2 1/2 cups semolina (rava).
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Mix well again with a whisk to mix in the rava.
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Cover for 30 minutes.
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After 30 minutes of soaking the batter. Note that the rava will suck up a lot of the water.
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Add 1 tbsp oil.
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Add salt to taste. We added 1 1/2 tsp salt.
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Mix well with a spoon.
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See the final texture of the batter before adding fruit salt.
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Heat 1 tbls oil in a small non stick pan.
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Add 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera).
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Heat on medium flame for a few seconds and let the seeds crackle.
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Add 2 tbsp grated coconut.
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Add 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped green chillies.
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Add 4 curry leaves (kadi patta), finely chopped.
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Sauté on a medium flame for a minute.
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Pour the tempering over the batter.
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Mix well.
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To make quick rava idli recipe | South Indian rava idli | quick sooji idli | instant semolina idli | heat water in a steamer or pressure cooker.
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Grease the idli moulds with oil so, that the idlis do no stick to the bottom.
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Just before steaming, add 1 tbsp fruit salt. Fruit salt provides a spongy, fluffy texture. Use neutral flavored fruit salt.
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Pour 1 tsp of water over the batter.
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Let the bubbles form.
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Mix gently after adding fruit salt. Don’t mix it vigorously, just gently fold in so, that the air bubbles do not escape.
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Pour a ladleful of batter into each greased idli mould.
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Steam in a steamer for 8 to 10 minutes or till the idlis are cooked.
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Make sure you steam the idlis on high flame so that the water is boiling all the time. As we are making 5 batches of ildi, you will need to add water to the steamer when required.
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Idlis after steaming.
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To check whether they have cooked properly or no, insert a toothpick, knife or fork in the centre of the idli, if it comes out clean, your instant rava idlis are cooked.
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Cool slightly and remove the quick rava idli from the mould using a spoon. If you are facing difficulty in removing the idli then dip a spoon or knife in little oil and loosen the edges using a knife or remove them with the help of a wet spoon.
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We have made a total of 35 rava idlis.
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Put one cashew nut in each idli mould.
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Pour a ladleful of batter over each cashew nut.
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Steam the idli in the same way as above.
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Cool slightly, using a spoon turn the idli over. Rava idli with cashew nut is ready to have.
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Serve rava idli with cashew nuts hot with a chutney of your choice.
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Quick Rava Idli Recipe — Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Quick Rava Idli?
Quick Rava Idli is an instant steamed idli made from semolina (sooji/rava) instead of the traditional fermented rice lentil batter. It’s soft, fluffy, and ready much faster because it doesn’t require fermentation.
2. What are the main ingredients in this recipe?
The key ingredients are rava/sooji (semolina), curd (yogurt), water, oil, salt, and fruit salt (like Eno). A tempering of spices such as cumin, curry leaves, coconut and chillies adds flavor before steaming.
3. Do I need to ferment the batter?
No unlike traditional idli batter, you do not ferment the rava idli batter. You just mix the ingredients, let the rava soak, add fruit salt, and steam immediately.
4. Why do we add fruit salt or baking soda?
Adding fruit salt (Eno) or a pinch of baking soda right before steaming helps the batter become light, airy and fluffy by introducing tiny bubbles.
5. Can I skip fruit salt/baking soda?
Yes, but without it the idlis will be denser and less spongy. The leavening agent gives them a softer texture.
6. How long should the rava batter rest before steaming?
After mixing the rava with curd and water, rest it for about 20–30 minutes so the rava absorbs moisture and softens.
7. Can I add vegetables to the batter?
Yes! You can mix in grated carrots, peas, onions or other veggies to make the idlis more nutritious and colorful.
8. What do I serve with Rava Idli?
Serve hot with coconut chutney, sambar, coriander chutney or idli podi for a classic breakfast combo.
9. Can buttermilk be used instead of curd?
Yes you can replace curd with buttermilk for a slightly tangier taste, but skip adding additional salt or tempering to the buttermilk itself.
10. Can I make this batter in advance?
It’s usually best to prepare and steam the batter fresh, as semolina absorbs liquid quickly. Leftover batter might thicken over time, requiring additional water before steaming.
11. Why did my idlis turn out hard?
Common reasons:
- Not enough fruit salt or leavening agent.
- Batter rested too long without steaming.
- Oversteaming. Idlis should be steamed until done but not overcooked.
12. Can I use regular idli molds or an Instant Pot?
Yes you can use standard idli molds in a steamer, pressure cooker (without weight) or even an Instant Pot on steam mode.
1. Let the semolina soak properly
After mixing sooji (rava) with curd and water, cover and let it rest for about 30 minutes. This allows the rava to absorb moisture fully which is key for soft idlis.
2. Use neutral-flavored fruit salt or baking soda
Just before steaming, add fruit salt (Eno) or a little baking soda. This helps create tiny air bubbles in the batter for light and fluffy idlis.
3. Mix gently after adding the leavening agent
Once you add the fruit salt/baking soda and a splash of water, mix very gently so the air bubbles aren’t lost vigorous stirring can make the idlis dense.
4. Steam on a high boil
Make sure the steamer or pressure cooker has boiling water throughout steaming this consistent steam helps the idlis cook evenly and rise well.
5. Grease idli molds well
Lightly oil the idli molds before adding batter. This prevents sticking and makes unmolding much easier.
6. Don’t overfill the molds
Fill each mold about ¾ full rava idli rises as it steams, so overfilling can cause spill-over or misshapen idlis.
7. Rest briefly before unmolding
After steaming, let the idlis rest for a couple of minutes. This relaxes them slightly and makes it easier to remove them whole.
8. Adjust water based on curd thickness
If your curd is very thick, add a bit more water before soaking; if it’s thin, reduce water so the batter isn’t too runny.
9. Add extra flavor & nutrition
You can mix in grated vegetables (like carrots, peas or onions) into the batter for color and nutrition.
10. Use fresh, not sour curd
Fresh curd gives a pleasant slightly tangy flavor without overwhelming the taste.
Nutrient values (Abbrv)per plate
| Energy | 50 Calories |
| Protein | 1.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7.8 g |
| Fiber | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 1.5 g |
| Cholesterol | 1 mg |
| Sodium | 225 mg |
Click here to view Calories for Quick Rava Idli
The Nutrient info is complete
Foodie #685450
March 8, 2021, 8:03 p.m.
Rava idli was just amazing. It was a new experience as usually we have normal idlis.
tarla dalal
March 8, 2021, 8:03 p.m.
Thanks for the feedback.
Foodie #535161
Feb. 6, 2021, 12:23 p.m.
tarla dalal
Feb. 6, 2021, 12:23 p.m.
Thanks for the feedback.
Eat to live
June 8, 2020, 2:45 p.m.
Ashwini
Aug. 6, 2018, 9:04 p.m.
I have tried this recipe and its super yummy:-) very fast and easy to cook.Thanks Mam for making such nice recipes.
Tarla Dalal
Aug. 6, 2018, 9:04 p.m.
Hi Ashwini we are delighted you loved the Rava Idli recipe. Please keep posting your comments on recipes you have tried and loved. Happy Cooking.
Jyoti K T
Nov. 29, 2016, 8:51 p.m.
Have tried this super fast recipe,and it turned awesome and liked by all ages. Thank you for such quick tasty and healthy recipes.
Rathnashri
Nov. 18, 2016, 3:19 p.m.
Hi mam rava ldli very easy nd very tasty. all recipes is very very yummy nd tasty. i love it all yummy recipes thanks mam
tarla dalal
Nov. 18, 2016, 3:19 p.m.
Thanks for the feedback.
Jyoti K T
Oct. 19, 2015, 9:18 a.m.
venkat
Sept. 29, 2015, 12:26 a.m.
I used daily buttermilk for afternoon drink. I use two tablespoons of curd with a glass of water. For your rava idli what is proportion of curd and water?
