The Idli Project
Poha Idli
Ingredient Innovations

Poha Idli

also called Avalakki Idli · Aval Idli

An instant idli built on flattened rice and rice rava - soft, white, on the table in under an hour.

Pan-South Indian - instant breakfast

Image: Pexels - South Indian idli on banana leaves · Pexels License · generic clean idli; poha idli looks identical to a regular idli

A no-soak, no-ferment idli built on flattened rice (poha) ground with curd, then bulked out with rice rava. The poha is what gives the cake its characteristic softness - much closer to a hotel idli than a typical instant build.

Sister to the bread idli in the pantry-quick family: same logic, different binder. From bowl to plate in under an hour.

The Recipe

Yield · ~20 idlis

Effort profile

Soak4–5 hours
Ferment8–10 hours
Steam15 minutes
Steps7

Each axis is scaled against the longest example in the archive.

Soak4h 30mFerment9hSteam15mSteps7

Ingredients

Batter

  • 1 cup thick poha (aval / avalakki)
  • 1 cup curd
  • 1½ cups rice rava (or upma rava)
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 1½ cups water (adjust)
  • ¾ tsp Eno

Method

  1. 1.

    Grind poha to a coarse powder.

  2. 2.

    Mix the poha powder with curd until fully absorbed.

  3. 3.

    Add rice rava and combine; stir in salt and 1 cup water.

  4. 4.

    Cover and rest 30 minutes.

  5. 5.

    Mix; add ½ cup more water for a pourable consistency.

  6. 6.

    Just before steaming, stir in Eno until frothy.

  7. 7.

    Pour into greased moulds; steam 15 minutes.

Serve with

coriander-mint chutneysambar

Notes

Use thick poha - thin poha turns gluey. The Eno goes in last, just before pouring into the moulds.

Adapted from hebbarskitchen.com.