If you are a South Indian or love South Indian food, then you are one of those that loves rawa idlis. And what is there to not love about rawa idli? They can be made with very little prep work. Especially, when in a bind, you can use basic pantry ingredients to whip them up. This is because they don’t need fermentation, unlike the regular idlis. The buttermilk makes them super-soft. And best of all, kids love them.

All fine and dandy. I love rawa idlis too, but I am constantly looking for ways to make every day, comfort food, even healthier. By adding quinoa, kefir, ginger and other anti-inflammatory herbs to this recipe, I am able to elevate this recipe to the next level of yumminess and health.

Let us talk about the substitutes:

Quinoa

A gluten free seed (no, this is not a grain), that’s pronounced KEEN-wah, this is a wonderfully nutritious additional to the rawa idli mix. Did you know that quinoa is a “complete protein”, meaning that it contains all the required amino acids? Cultivated in the high Andes mountains in South America, for over 5,000 years, this is sometimes called “the mother grain”. For those that are gluten sensitive or wish to reduce their intake of wheat, mixing half quinoa and half semolina (rawa) lowers your gluten load from these idlis. Please note that if you have celiac issues, then this recipe is not appropriate for your dietary requirements.

Quinoa Recipes

We cook quinoa regularly at home and it substitutes nicely for rice. Look up some of our deliciously healthy quinoa-based dishes:

• Summery Quinoa Salad
• Jeera Quinoa
• Quinoa Vegetable Pulao

Kefir

This is the second variation I’ve added to the recipe for a couple of reasons. For one, it is lot easier to make kefir than to make yogurt at home. Seriously! You take some raw milk, throw in a tablespoon of kefir grains, leave it standing on your countertop. In 24-48 hours, you have creamy, and delicious kefir. For yogurt, you heat up the milk to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, cool it down to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, add the culture and allow it to set. I use yogurt in a few dishes, and all those dishes can easily accommodate kefir. Almost all the time, guests can’t even tell the difference.

Store bought kefir is nothing like the homemade version. For one, the kefir on the shelves is prevented from fermenting after they leave the manufacturing facility. Why? Because the fermentation process continues to sour the kefir and companies don’t want that. Mass produced kefir most often has sugar and other additives and preservatives in them.

Another reason to substitute yogurt with kefir is the variety of probiotics that flood your gut. Kefir contains three times the number of probiotics when compared to yogurt. And I don’t need to tell you why your gut health is vital to your overall health.

Here’s a blog on how to make this wonderful probiotic drink in your kitchen.

Kefir Recipes

Almost all recipes that call for yogurt or buttermilk can use kefir! So, you can alternate between the two and get the best of both worlds.

• Spicy Buttermilk Soup
• Mooli (Daikon Radish) Raita
• Raw Plantain with Yogurt Curry
• Chilled Cucumber Dill Soup
• Tomato Onion Tadka Raita
• Cracked Wheat Veggie Idli

What to Eat with Soft Kefir-Quinoa-Rawa Idli

Chutneys are my favorite choice. Second in line is Sesame Chutney Powder. Or this Kharam Podi, that is meant to be eaten with idli. Sambar works great too, if you like to dunk your Idli into them. Check out some of our favorite chutneys:

• Yellow Mung Raw Onion Chutney
• Cranberry Chutney with a South Indian Twist
• Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Chutney
• Tomato Chutney
• Raw Mango Fenugreek Salsa
• Ridge Gourd Chutney
• Malabar Chutney
• Coconut Tomato Chutney
• Coconut Chutney
• Fresh Vegetarian Italian Basil Pesto
• Smoky Eggplant Chutney
• Zero Waste Butternut Squash Peel (Sippe) Chutney
• Flavorful Cilantro Mint Chutney
• Raw Green Tomato Chutney
• Superfood Moringa Leaf Chutney

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5 from 3 votes

Soft Kefir-Quinoa-Rawa Idli

A twist on the popular South Indian breakfast dish, this recipe elevates the flavor and nutrition of the traditional rawa idli recipe. These Soft Kefir-Quinoa-Rawa Idlis are delicious and kid friendly.

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Keyword Breakfast, butter milk, Chutney, chutney powder, dinner, Ginger, idli, Indian, kefir, kid friendly, lunch, probiotic, quinoa, rawa, rawa idli, South Indian, Yogurt

Special Diet No Added Sugar, Nut Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Resting Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes

Servings 4 People

Calories 351kcal

Equipment

• Preethi Blender
• Le Crueset Nonstick Pan
• Cutting Board
• Kitchen Knife
• Prestige Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

Roasted Quinoa-Rawa Mix

• 3/4 Cup Idli Rawa - Upma (also called Bombay) Rawa or Semolina
• 3/4 Cup Quinoa - Tricolor (white/red/black) works best
• 1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 4 Dry Red Chili - Or to taste
• 1 Teaspoon Chana Dal
• 20 Curry Leaves - Or 2 sprigs

Idli Batter Preparation

• 2 Cups Kefir - Kefir recipe here. Substitute with sour buttermilk
• 1 Tablespoon Ginger - Grated
• 1 Tablespoon Chana Dal
• 2 Green Chili Pepper - Or to taste. Minced fine.
• 1/2 Cup Carrots - Grated
• 1 Tablespoon Cilantro - Roughly chopped
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt - Or to taste

Instructions

Roasted Quinoa-Rawa Mix

• On medium heat, dry roast quinoa until it lightly browns. Set aside to cool.
  
• Pour quinoa into a dry grinder and pulse to a coarse texture.
  
• In the same pan, heat oil. Splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves, chana dal and dry red chilis. Add rawa (semolina) and roast until it turns light brown. Make sure you are stirring frequently, to prevent it from burning. Mix the quinoa to this. This dry mixture can be stored in the fridge (use an airtight bottle) for several months.
  

Idli Batter Preparation

• Soak chana dal in water for 30 minutes and drain. Set aside.
  
• In a large dish, pour in the roasted quinoa-raw mix. Combine grated carrots (not pictured), salt, grated ginger, finely chopped green chili and chopped cilantro leaves. Add 1 cup of kefir, mix well and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Mix again and add the remaining kefir. Mix well.
  
• Allow this batter to rest for an additional 15 minutes. The grains will absorb the kefir. Add more kefir, buttermilk or water, if necessary. The consistency, at this point, should be neither runny nor congealed, but should be like the texture of a pancake batter.
  

Steaming Idlis

• Add about 2 inches water to your pressure cooker and turn on the stove to medium flame. Grease your idli trays with a little bit of butter, olive oil or ghee.
  
• Pour the idli batter into the trays. The idlis will expand after being steamed, so don't overfill the trays.
  
• Stack the Idli trays.
  
• Place the idli rack in the pressure cooker, and steam for 12 minutes (allow the steam to vent out without the pressure cooker weight on). I have placed a stainless-steel glass over the vent to prevent the steam from splattering all over.
  
• Turn off the stove and immediately open the lid of the pressure cooker. Tilt the idli trays to allow excess water to run off. Allow the idlis to cool for 5 minutes in the trays.
  
• Use a thin butter knife to remove the idlis from the trays. Serve hot with your favorite chutney.
  

Notes

These steamed idlis freeze well too. Pack them in an airtight container before freezing them. To thaw, wrap them in a clean, moistened cloth napkin and microwave them on medium heat. Or simply steam them in your pressure cooker for 3 minutes. 

*Use organic ingredients wherever possible

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Soft Kefir-Quinoa-Rawa Idli

Amount per Serving

Calories

351

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

8

g

12

%

Saturated Fat

 

3

g

19

%

Cholesterol

 

13

mg

4

%

Sodium

 

360

mg

16

%

Potassium

 

460

mg

13

%

Carbohydrates

 

57

g

19

%

Fiber

 

6

g

25

%

Sugar

 

8

g

9

%

Protein

 

14

g

28

%

Vitamin A

 

3192

IU

64

%

Vitamin C

 

104

mg

126

%

Calcium

 

191

mg

19

%

Iron

 

3

mg

17

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.