Kitchen Tips: Home Made - Idli Rava or Rice Rava

Idli Rava in many a homes I know in my native place is made and created at home. This also reminded me of the days when Mom used to spend hours together with her little Grinding stone singing local folklore and the white rice stealthily getting pound, ground to a coarse perfection. The grinding stone has a central dent, where the rice is passed with a palm folded quantity, and then the metal handle is spinned away to glory, till the coarse rice powdered comfortably slips out on the side and perches around the lower slab of the stone.

Idli Rava is the coarse, powdered Rava added to the Idli batter. While there are times I have bought the store variety I prefer the home made one, simply because its-made-at-home. The Rava is quite easy to make and you don't have to sweat it out in kitchen for long. I also use this Rava for coating Fritters which I pan-fry. So just in case I am running out of Sooji/ Coarse Rava, I use this method to make Rava at home.

Preparation time + Processing time: 190 minutes

Ingredients:

Rice (Sona Masoori or Dosa Rice variety) - 2 cups

Water - For soaking

Contraptions used: Traditional Grinding stone or Blender

Method: Wash and drain rice till water is clear. Soak rice in water for 2-3 hours. Drain off the water and spread on muslin cloth or cheese cloth. Keep in a warm place with enough air to dry it off. Once water content completely goes off and each grain is dry (takes around 2-3 hours), grind in a blender to a fine powder. If you are using the Rava for coating fritters, ensure its coarse. If using for Idli, grind to a coarse to fine powder consistency. Store in a air tight container and use as per choice.