Quinoa & Oats Idli - No fermentation, no soaking

Idli, sambhar and chutney is a classic South Indian breakfast that is prepared and savored by almost all the households in India. Typically Idlis are made of fermented rice and urad dal (lentil) batter but lately there have been many variations to this classic dish, mostly to reduce the preparation time or add more flavors. I have also tried different versions of Idli and I like the Quinoa & Oats Idli the most as it is by far the quickest and healthier version of all that I have tried. These fluffy and soft Idlis are sure to brighten up your morning. 

Traditionally Idlis are eaten for breakfast, but I enjoy eating these delicious soft Idlis for any meal of the day! These Quinoa & Oats Idlis can be prepared in less than 45 minutes including grinding flour and resting the batter for few minutes. Unlike rice Idlis, these do not need any soaking of dals or fermentation which saves so much time and efforts. Just grind the Quinoa and Oats, mix with rava and yogurt, rest the mixture for few minutes and ta-da you are ready to pour the batter into Idli trays. So easy and time saving especially on those busy work days. Moreover, these Quinoa & Oats Idlis are packed with nutrients. 

Nutritional Value

Quinoa as we know is one of the super foods. But, is it a super grain or super seed? Fun fact - Widely known as whole grain, Quinoa is actually a seed from amaranth family. This super food is high in fiber, full of antioxidants and minerals, rich in protein, yet lean. Due to such high nutritional value, Quinoa provides great health benefits and also serves as one of the popular diet foods for those trying to lose some extra pounds. :)

Oats are incredibly nutritious, in fact they are considered one of the healthiest grains of all. They are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, fibers and protein. According to various sources, Oats have many health benefits including lowering cholesterol, maintain blood sugar, and help you keep fuller for longer. 

So without further ado, See recipe video below followed by detailed step by step recipe...

Serves 4-6

Prepare time - 25 minutes

Cook time - 15 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 Cup quinoa 

1/2 Cup oats

1/2 Cup rava

1/2 Cup curd/yogurt

1/3 Cup sweet corn (optional)

2 Cup water

1 Tsp salt

1 Tsp fruit salt or baking soda

Water for steamer

Oil for greasing Idli trays

Instructions 

Start by dry roasting oats in a pan on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Blend the dry roasted oats into a fine flour in the blender and transfer into a large mixing bowl. 

Now dry roast quinoa for 2-3 minutes in the same pan and blend it to fine flour in a blender. Transfer the quinoa flour in the mixing bowl along with oats flour. 

Dry roast rava in the pan and add to the mixing bowl.

Add salt and give everything a nice mix. 

Next add yogurt and mix again. Now add water little at a time to make a smooth runny batter. Cover the bowl with a lid and rest the batter for 15 minutes.

In the meanwhile, take Idli steamer and add 1 1/2 cup water to it. Turn on the flame at medium to start heating up the water inside. Also, grease the Idli trays with oil and keep them aside.

After 15 minutes, check the batter to see if you need to add any water as the flours would have soaked all the extra water. Now, the batter should be of thick consistency but if it looks dry then adjust it by adding little water as required.

Now add sweet corn and stir in the fruit salt or baking soda in the batter, it will form some foam on the top which is fine.

Take a spoon and start pouring the batter into greased Idli trays.

Place the trays in the steamer and close the lid. Turn the flame on medium high and set the timer for 14 minutes.

After 14 minutes, turn off the flame and open the steamer after 5 minutes. Take off the Idli trays and let them cool down for another 5-10 minutes.

Gently scoop out the soft and spongy Idlis from the trays, transfer them to a bowl and cover them with a lid or cloth to keep the Idlis soft. 

Serve these light and fluffy Quinoa & Oats Idlis with coconut chutney and hot piping sambhar to make a perfect breakfast! 

Additional notes/ tips

I have only added sweet corn but you can add veggies like carrots or peas whatever is available in your refrigerator. 

 

You can dry roast the quinoa, oats and rava ahead of time and keep them in airtight container to save some extra time. 

You can also blend the dry roasted quinoa and oats to fine flour ahead of time.