Instant Oats Idli Recipe with Rava, Step by Step

Easy oats idli recipe with rava, yogurt, eno salt, and spices. This instant Indian breakfast recipe, much like the popular rava idli recipe, is fast gaining popularity as we try to use oats more in our daily diets. Learn how to make rava oats idli at home - they come out super spongy and delicious.

Indian breakfast recipes with oats (Quaker oats in particular) have been gaining a lot of popularity over the last couple of years. I have been constantly getting requests to post ideas but honestly, I hadn't gotten into the bandwagon during its early days. Until, I tried making this oats idli. Then I just turned around and kicked myself for not trying to do this earlier. Oats is a healthy gluten-free cereal that used to be associated with a gloopy porridge until a few years ago (in my mind anyway). Then it started seeing its way into baked goods like cookies and breads, and now, very aptly into Indian food recipes.

We love rava idli and I make two versions of them very regularly - rava idli with eno and an instant rava idli version without eno. Both turn out really good (I prefer the eno version though) and is always a quick dinner option when I am feeling too tired after a long day at work. With a good bowl of sambar or a tomato chutney, rava idlis are quite a treat.

But these oats idlis are something else. It uses roasted and powdered oats along with rava (semolina) and the other usual suspects of rava idli and boy, do they play well together! I made them for breakfast on a Sunday morning and really wished I'd made a larger batch.

I played around a bit with the proportions (I made 4 batches in total) and finally figured out what worked best for me. Accompanied by spicy green coconut chutney, radish sambar, and cardamom tea, this was quite a meal to start the day.

More breakfast recipes you may enjoy:
Sago dosa recipe
Jowar dosa recipe
Idli with idli rava
Kanchipuram idli recipe
No-grind dosa batter recipe

INSTANT OATS IDLI RECIPE

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Makes 10 idlis

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of uncooked oats
1/2 cup of rava or semolina
1 cup of thick, plain yogurt
1/2 cup of water (adjust as needed)
1 tsp of oil
1/4 tsp of black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of chana dal
2 tbsp of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
3/4 tsp of plain eno salt (or baking soda)
2 tbsp of roasted cashew nuts (optional)
Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Roast the oats in a dry skillet until the colour begins to change and the ends of the oat flakes begin to curl. Make sure not to burn them, do this on a low flame.

Cool and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and chana dal. When the dal turns golden brown, add the rava and roast for 2-3 mins or until lightly browned.

Add the powdered oats, cashew nuts, some salt, and chopped coriander leaves to this. Mix well and turn off the heat.

Transfer this mixture to a bowl and cool. Then add the yogurt+water and mix wel. The batter should be fairly thick.

Now add the eno salt. You will see bubbles appearing on the batter. Immediately pour into greased idli moulds and steam for 10-12 minutes.

Don't let the batter sit for too long after adding eno. If you can't steam all in one go, add the eno salt just before steaming.

It's also a good idea to bring the water in the steamer to a boil in advance (maybe when you are setting the roasted mixture to cool before adding yogurt) so that you can immediately start steaming after the eno salt is added.

Serve oats idli warm with accompaniments and chutneys of choice. The idlis can be stored in the refrigerator for a day. Gently re-steam before steaming. I generally don't re-heat idlis in the microwave since they start to dry out if you do. However, if you plan to serve immediately after heating in the microwave, it should be fine.

For oats idli recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, etc, please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.

Easy Mushroom Pulao Recipe in 20 Minutes, Step by Step

Learn how to make vegetarian mushroom pulao at home using fresh mushrooms, some basic spices from your pantry, and cooked (or even leftover) rice.

Pulao is a no-brainer for lunch boxes and entertaining. I mean, let's be honest here. It's not very often that you have dishes that look well-rounded, colourful (mostly), and like you put in way more effort than you actually did but a well-made pulao is definitely one of them. While I like to play it safe and add a simple vegetable pulao to my menu when I have guests, it's fun to play around and make something different once in a while which is how this mushroom pulao happened. Always check with your guests if they like mushroom though, I know many people who don't really like the texture of mushrooms.

In the Nags-TH household, we love mushrooms. Mushroom tikka, mushroom biryani, mushroom fried rice, just bring it on is what we say! I often tell TH that he loves all meaty ingredients - like soya chunks - but mushrooms are probably his favourite mainly because they absorb flavours well and add a lot of bite to anything they are made with. In Sydney, we were lucky enough to get very fresh Swiss brown and button mushrooms that barely even had any mud on them. They were also always packed into brown bags and never plastic since plastic sweats and that makes the mushrooms go brown if you plan to store them in the refrigerator for a day or two. There you go, free tip to go with the pulao ;)

In all of the dishes that I truly experiment with, pulao recipes really top the list. I have made them many different ways, with different types of spices and ingredients. One complaint I get often from TH is that while he loves a simple pulao even more than a biryani, he hates biting into whole spices. So this time, I compromised and ground the spices into a powder before adding them. I think whole spices are the real deal and really make a pulao special but hey, sometimes you need to please the people you are serving the food to and so I caved this time. I also made this in less than 20 minutes with some leftover rice I had so if that's the route you take, you are looking at a really quick and easy dinner idea for a weeknight. Mushrooms pack enough nutrients to make this an almost balanced meal but make a simple kachumber salad or a cucumber raita.

Here are some more pulao recipes I've shared in the past:
pressure cooker vegetable pulao
methi pulao
paneer tomato pulao
spinach pulao
green chana pulao

EASY MUSHROOM PULAO RECIPE

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of cooked rice
1 cup of mushrooms (any kind you prefer), sliced
1/2 cup of finely chopped onions
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
1 tsp of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves - optional)
1 tsp of freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp of powdered whole spices - cardamom, cinnamon, cloves
2 tbsp of ghee, butter, or oil
1 tsp of cumin seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the oil (butter or ghee) in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle and turn a light brown, add the chopped onions and fry until golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste at this stage.

Saute for another minute or so and add the sliced mushrooms. Saute another two minutes on medium-high heat and add the chilli powder and kasuri methi (if using). Mix together well.

Immediately add the powdered whole spices and mix again, lowering heat to medium-low. Fry for 30 seconds. Add salt to taste.

Add cooked rice and the lime juice. Mix thoroughly to combine and add more salt and lime juice if needed to balance the flavours.

Done! That was easy, right? Let the pulao sit for a bit so the flavours have time to become friends.

Serve mushroom pulao warm with some raita or any vegetable curry of choice. Some papad wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Notes:

1. Mushrooms turn brown rapidly on contact with water so a better way to clean them would be to use a clean toothbrush and gently brush the dirt and grime away. Finally use a kitchen towel to wipe all over. This process takes more time but when cooking just for TH and I, I find take the time to do this pays out
2. You can add green chillies instead of chilli powder, and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves instead of using the kasuri methi
3. Add sliced garlic and omit the ginger for a different, milder flavour
4. Throw in some frozen vegetables to make this a one-pot, wholesome pulao
5. Add some paneer to make a paneer mushroom pulao - yum!
6. It's important to cook the mushrooms on high heat and stirring constantly since otherwise they'll let water out and that'll dilute the taste a bit

I'll stop talking now. Go make some healthy mushroom pulao now and enjoy!

Frangipane cake recipe - How to make frangipane cake, step by step

Learn how to make frangipane cake, the cake version of the popular frangipane tart, which is made with almond flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and pretty much any other ingredients you want to add on to customise it. I used fresh strawberries to make this strawberry frangipane cake adaptation.

On my last day in Google, a good friend at work, Kate, made this delicious almond cake with fresh raspberries as a good-bye gift (Incidentally, this same friend baked the best banana cake recipe for me a couple years ago too, one of my favourites!). I loved it so much that I got the recipe from her immediately and made it the next day. Ah, the joys of a jobless Thursday. I was literally jobless and while there were the nagging chores of relocating back to Singapore to get done, I still managed to watch a lot of mindless TV, bake, nap, and read. A 'holiday' with no agenda, that's what it felt like.

I generally like sweets and desserts with almonds - like badam milk, badam halwa, and pretty much anything with marzipan in it - so it was no surprise that this frangipane cake grabbed my fancy. I baked a few different variations, with and without adding flour, with and without fruits, adding yogurt in one variation, etc. A few of my friends in Sydney got a lot of cake my last week there :)

I'd say this is a relatively fail-proof cake recipe since there's isn't much you can do wrong. Customise as you wish and you have a fabulous snack or coffee cake in under an hour.

For more easy cake recipes, check out my steamed chocolate cake recipe, this orange cake with toffee sauce, sticky date cake which has been a hit at many tea parties, and this tiramisu cake from Dorie Greenspan.

FRANGIPANE CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES

Preparation time: 20 mins
Baking time: 40 mins
Makes 2 small loaves or one 6" cake
Adapted from Lemony Loves Baking

INGREDIENTS:
100 gm of butter
100 gm of sugar
110 gm of almond flour (almond meal)
1/4 cup of plain flour
1 tsp of baking powder
2 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp of lemon zest (optional)
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 cup of sliced strawberries

INSTRUCTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 160C / 320F. Grease one 6" cake tray or 2 small loaf trays with non-stick spray or butter.

Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.

Add the eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest (if using). Beat again until smooth. Add the almond flour and mix again.

Now add the flour, salt, and baking powder and gently fold to combine well. Make sure no streaks of flour remain in the batter.

You will have a fairly thick batter, this is perfect.

Transfer to the greased pans and press down gently. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 mins. I only needed about 40 mins. The edges will start to brown and the strawberries will shrivel quite a bit. If a skewer inserted in the centre comes out moist but without any batter sticking to it, you are done. The cake will rise very slightly so that's a good sign to look out for as well.

Let the frangipane cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes and then gently invert onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing. Best served within two days of baking.

NOTES:
- you can add either vanilla or lemon zest. I just tried combining the two flavours
- try the same recipe with raspberries or blueberries
- you can add 2 tbsp desiccated coconut to the batter for some texture
- you can sprinkle the top of the cake with some sliced almonds
- try adding chocolate chips, they usually make everything better
- I haven't tried to make this cake eggless so if you'd like to try, just searching for egg substitutes in almond cake or eggless almond cakes

How to Make Tomato Paneer Pulao - Paneer Pulao Recipe Step by Step

Learn how to make tomato paneer pulao, a tangy paneer pulao recipe with simple spices and ingredients. Paneer pulao is a great lunchbox recipe and stores well. 

Paneer and tomatoes go really well together and form the base of many popular dishes we know and love (like paneer butter masala and paneer jalfrezi) so why not marry the two to make a tomato paneer pulao, I thought one day. Most similar thoughts tend to just remain in my head while I go about doing more lazy things but on this particular Saturday, the pulao got made and both TH and I loved it. The moment he saw the finished pulao in the pan, he asked "can we make something else for lunch so I can take this in my lunchbox tomorrow?". I don't share paneer well since I love it but I did grudgingly agree. True love and all that.

Oh wait, dear reader. Why am I rambling about pulao lunches and TH's lunchbox when I have larger things to talk about? First things first. If you've been reading me long enough you'd know I moved to Sydney last year around this time, from Singapore. Well, as things turned out, this August found us packing up our apartment (yet again) and moving right back to Singapore. If you ask me why, it's a long story but suffice to say it was primarily a career-driven decision. Oh, and I work with Twitter now. Why change just one part of your life when there are so many other avenues to change around I thought. So that's that. New job, back to old city. We are still settling down and have dived into the highly unpleasant but thankfully quick process of apartment-hunting in Singapore. Wish us luck!

There's no good segue from that into a paneer pulao recipe so let me just get to it. If you love pulao recipes ( they do make wonderful lunchbox food) then try my vegetable pulao, methi pulao, and one of my favourites, mint pulao. I usually cook rice separately when making pulao so check out how to cook rice for pulao.

TOMATO PANEER PULAO RECIPE

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of cooked basmati rice
1 cup of cubed paneer
2 tbsp of ghee or butter
5-6 cloves
A large stick of cinnamon
1 bay leaf
A few green cardamom pods
1 cup of fresh tomato puree
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
1 tsp of dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder (adjust to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat 1 tbsp ghee or butter in a pan and lightly fry the paneer cubes. If using frozen paneer, make sure to completely defrost before this step. You can also make paneer at home and use that. Set aside to drain on kitchen napkins.

Add the remaining 1 tbsp ghee to the same pan and add the whole spices - bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.

Fry on low flame until fragrant (about 10 seconds) and add the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a few seconds longer and add the pureed tomatoes and chilli powder.

Cook it down a bit, stirring frequently. Add salt.

When the tomato mixture has thickened a bit, add the kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Turn off the heat.

Add the cooked rice and paneer cubes. Mix gently to combine and keep closed for an hour or so for the flavours to get friendly.

Serve warm with a cooling raita and vegetable curry of choice.

Paneer pulao stores well so you can keep in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Gently re-heat before serving.

Notes:
You can replace red chilli powder with whole slit green chillies
Add some roasted cashew nuts or almonds to add some texture to the paneer pulao
Instead of kasuri methi, you can add some fresh coriander leaves, chopped
If the tomatoes are not sour enough, squeeze some lime juice over your pulao
Throw in some vegetables and peas to make it more nutritious and interesting