Quinoa Oats Idli

Idli is one of my husband's favorite dishes, but me being lazy don't usually make them that often for him. Pulling out my Ultra grinder is a big chore for me and then the weather plays spoil sport and the batter doesn't ferment properly. Well whatever might be the reason I end up not making those idlis.

Here comes in instant idli recipes that don't need grinding batter and fermenting. I've tried a couple of different recipes (like this oats-rava idli) for instant idli, but these quinoa-oats idlis are the best of the bunch. Recipe is from a Telugu cooking show and I made them right away.

Roasted and ground quinoa and oats along with a little bit of semolina (sooji) is mixed with buttermilk and veggies to make these healthy and filling idlis. The process is same as making regular rava idlis. You can add any veggie you would normally add to rava dosas. I put in some grated carrot, green peas and cilantro.

I was pleasantly surprised how well they turned out both in taste and texture. They have a slight bitter quinoa taste in the background but it is quite mild and not bothering at all. They are not as soft as regular idlis but they have a nice fluffy texture.

Quinoa Oats Idli (Makes 14~16 medium sized idlis)

Ingredients:

• 1cup Quinoa
• 1cup Rolled Oats
• 3tbsp Sooji/ Semolina
• 2cups Buttermilk
• 1tsp Ghee
• 1tsp Mustard seeds
• 1tsp Cumin seeds
• 1" piece Ginger, finely grated
• 1tsp Chana dal
• 1tsp Urad dal
• ¼tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
• 6~8 Curry leaves, finely chopped
• 3tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 Medium Carrots, grated
• ½cup Green peas
• ½tsp Baking Soda
• To taste Salt

Method:

1. Coarsely grind oats and quinoa and keep ready.
2. Heat ghee in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal and urad dal. Once the seeds start to splutter, add ginger, green chilies and curry leaves, cook for about 1 minute.
3. Stir in the ground oats, quinoa and sooji. Cook on low flame until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove into a mixing bowl and cool slightly.
4. Next add the grated carrot, green peas, cilantro, buttermilk and salt. Mix well and set aside for about 10 minutes.
5. The mixture gets quite thick, so add a little bit more buttermilk or water to thin out the batter to get to idli batter-like consistency. Stir in the baking soda just before making the idlis.
6. Lightly grease the idli mould and divide the batter evenly among the idli plates. Steam for 12~15 minutes in a pressure cooker (without whistle) or in a steamer. Turn off the heat and let rest for at least 10 minutes for the idlis to cook completely.
7. Serve hot with your favorite chutney. I served my idlis with this quick tomato-peanut chutney and idli podi.

Also linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook Challenge: March -- Week 2'.