Cracked wheat is a product of milled whole wheat and therefore considered very nutritious. I used to confuse this ingredient with bulgur wheat. I now understand that these two are different, in the sense that bulgur is made from whole wheat grains that cleaned, steamed, dried and toasted.
Idli
Idli is a South Indian recipe made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils. This is my go-to breakfast dish. In fact, I call this my cereal – I have it at least 4 days a week on average. Over the years I have modified this recipe by adding oats, quinoa, flax seeds, among other ingredients. Idli is steamed – no oil needed. It is so easy to cook! I enjoy it with coconut chutney, sambar and other delicious sides which I keep changing, to bring in the variety.
Variations
While the traditional version is a fermented batter of black gram lentils and rice, there are several variations. These include cracked wheat, rava (semolina), quinoa, mung dal or even oats as the main ingredients. My mom makes idli with vermicelli and they have their own great flavor and texture!
Cracked Wheat Veggie Idli
Besides the traditional recipe, I have only tried idli with cracked wheat. The others are on my to-do list. While I’m not averse to trying new recipes, I tend to get lazy and go back to my tried and tested recipes. I use yogurt as a base in this recipe (since it is not fermented). Yogurt brings in a delicious, tangy flavor. I also load up on the veggies to the extent possible. Too many veggies could break the idli up. Seasoning is a must – curry leaves, mustard and cumin seeds, urad dal and dry chili bring in the kick! Lastly, I also add a pinch of baking powder to make the idlis nice and fluffy.
Steaming is an indirect method of cooking and therefore its production of harmful compounds is much less likely. This steamed dish uses cracked wheat, in addition to flaxseeds and other whole grains which add to the nutritional value. Vegetables bring in more nutrients and fiber. This dish is high in protein and fiber, making it great for breakfast or a mid afternoon snack.
While you’re here, don’t forget to check out some of our delicious South Indian breakfast recipes!
- Delicious Veggie Poha Upma
- Sooji Upma
- Vermicelli Upma
- Pesarattu-Green Mung Crepe
- No Ferment Cabbage-Onion Dosa
- Vegetable Uthappam
- Plain & Veggie Multigrain Idli
- Multigrain Dosa
- Uppudupindi
- Cracked Wheat Vegetable Upma
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Cracked Wheat Veggie Idli
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Cracked Wheat
- 1 Chili Green Chili Pepper - Medium, Fine Cut
- 1/8 Cup Carrots - Grated
- 1/8 Cup Cilantro - Fine Cut
- 1/8 Cup Cabbage - Fine Cut
- 1 Pinch Baking Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Yogurt - Organic, Plain, Whole Milk
- 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
Seasoning
- 1/4 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 Teaspoon Urad Dal - (Split Black Gram)
- 1/2 Chili Dry Red Chili - Small
- 4-6 Leaves Curry Leaves - Split in half
Instructions
- Make sure you have your key ingredients ready before you start cooking.
- Add yogurt, salt, baking powder, water (1/3 cup) to the cracked wheat and mix well.
- Heat oil in a pan and sauté seasoning ingredients till mustard seeds splutter.
- Add seasoned ingredients and chopped/grated veggies to the cracked wheat/yogurt blend and mix well.
- In an idli pan, spray oil the cups and fill the batter in the cups; set it in Instant Pot (add half a cup of water in IP before setting the idli tray in). Close the lid and set IP in 'steam' mode for 7 minutes.
- When done, scoop out cooked idlis into bowl. Serve hot.
