Oats idly

Ingredients:

1 cup oats, quick cooking oats or rolled oats

½ cup fine sooji (rava or cream of wheat)

½ cup fresh or sour curd (dahi or yogurt)

1 cup water or add as required

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 small to medium carrot gratedOr 1/3 to ½ cup grated carrot - optional

3 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta)

salt as required

for tempering:

½ tablespoon oil

½ teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)

½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

½ teaspoon urad dal (optional)

1 teaspoon chana dal (bengal gram)

1 pinch asafoetida (hing)

½ teaspoon crushed black pepper(kali mirch powder)

1 or 2 green chilies, chopped or 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies (hari mirch)

1 teaspoon finely chopped curry leaves (kadi patta)

1 teaspoon chopped ginger(adrak) or ½ inch ginger chopped

8 to 10 cashews (kaju) - chopped

1 or 2 tablespoon grated coconut(optional)

Procedure

1. take 1 cup oats in a grinder or blender jar and grind or blend to a fine flour.
2. peel and grate 1 small to medium carrot.
3. finely chop the ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves and green chilies.

tempering and making oats idli batter:

1. heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan. on a low flame, add the mustard seeds, chana dal and urad dal. stir and saute till the mustard seeds crackle and both the urad dal and chana dal become golden.
2. now add the green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, cashews and a pinch of asafoetida. saute for a minute.
3. add 1/2 cup of sooji (rava or cream of wheat). stir and saute for 2 minutes.
4. then add the oats flour. stir very well and keep on stirring often while roasting the flour.
5. roast for 4 to 5 minutes. take this mixture in a bowl and let it cool down completely.
6. then add the grated carrots and chopped coriander leaves. you can also add steamed peas or finely chopped french beans or skip the veggies altogether.
7. add 1/2 cup curd. you can add either fresh or sour curd.
8. add 1 cup water. stir the idli batter very well. the batter should have a medium consistency. cover and allow the batter to sit for 5 to 6 minutes.
9. meanwhile, grease the idli moulds with some oil or ghee. also heat water in the idli steamer or in an electric cooker or pressure cooker.
10. now add salt as per taste and stir very well.
11. now add 1 tsp fruit salt (eno) or 1/2 tsp baking soda. for a less soapy alkaline aroma you can also add 1/2 tsp fruit salt or 1/4 tsp baking soda. the texture in this case is less fluffy and soft.
12. as soon as you add the fruit salt, quickly begin to stir the whole batter.
13. be quick and stir very well so that the eno is mixed evenly in the batter.

steaming oats idli:

1. pour the oats idli batter in a the greased idli moulds. try to use all the batter in one steaming.
2. place the moulds in the steamer/electric cooker/pressure cooker. cover and steam the idlis for about 10 to 12 minutes. a toothpick inserted in the idlis should come out clean.
3. allow the steamed idlis to stand for some minutes. then remove them with a spoon dipped in hot water.
4. serve these light healthy and instant oats idli hot or warm with coconut chutney or sambar.