Rave Idli

The umpteen Darshinis that populate every single street corner in Bangalore will have a few common favorites on their menu.  Undisputed King according to me is the Masale Dose. Honey contests it- dip-Idli means Idli dipped in a bowl of steaming hot Sambar or Chutney gets his vote. MIL on the other hand goes with Rave Idli. I have never seen her order something else! I for one will never change my loyalty to beloved Masale Dose. Every time we visit Darshini I keep thinking aloud ..may be Rave Idli or say Kharabath but at the counter the magic spell takes over and I feel partially tongue-tied ; one that makes me say 'ondu Masale Dose Kodi'...and nothing else. That is my fondness for Masale Dose.
However the star of today's show is obviously Rave Idli. So let us hear about Rave idli.

Apparently Rave Idli was born as an answer to war-time supply constrains. Wonder how legitimate the claim is but it is very much plausible. 

We will need, (makes 15-18 large sized Idlis )
 
Rave (Krishna Rave/ Uppittu Rave/Semolina)  2 Cups
Expeller Pressed Peanut oil       1 tbsp + More to grease the Idli mould
Mustard seeds    1/2 tsp
Jeera 1 tsp
Urad Dal split   2 tbsp
Channa Dal split  2 tbsp
Cashew nuts 2 tbsp (optional -I do not like them in Rave Idli so I do not use them)
Curry leaves a handful
Hing a dash
Salt to taste
Carrot grated  1/2 -3/4 cup
Fresh Coriander  chopped about 1/4 cup
Baking Soda   1/4 tsp
Tart Yogurt thinned out with water or tart butter milk 4 cups

Method:

• We will need to prepare the Rave first. Heat oil in a thick bottomed Kadai, throw in the mustard seeds, once it stops spluttering add the jeera, urad, channa and hing. Once they stop sizzling about 20 seconds throw in the shredded curry leaves. Reduce heat to low. 
• Throw in the cashews if using. Saute till golden. Throw in the Rave. Keep it moving else it will burn easily.
• Once the rave is fragrant and warmed through, remove it from heat. Cool completely before assembling the idlis.
• Once the Rave is cool, stir in the grated carrot, coriander, soda and salt. Make a well in the centre of the rave mixture and pour in the yogurt/buttermilk. Fold it gently till everything is combined. Set it aside for at least 20 minutes. The Rave needs to absorb the moisture to be able to plump up while steaming.
• Set up a Idli steamer, or bring about 2- 2 1/2 " water to boil in a Pressure Cooker. Add a tiny piece of tamarind to the water if you want cleaning up to be easy!!
• Pour the idli batter into the greased Idli moulds and steam till the batter is completely set when poked with a wet finger. (Yes it is going to be very hot, keep a bowl of cold water at hand, just in case of scalding) about 12-15 minutes.
• Remove the idlis using a spoon and serve it hot with Saagu.

According to Mom the spiced rave after cooling can be stored in glass jar for a few weeks. I do not recommend it for this recipe because the expeller pressed peanut oil might smell weird if stored for a while. I recommend using up the Rave at once. However if you need to make a big batch of Rave try using refined peanut oil instead.