50+ types of idlis from Konkani Cuisine, GSB cooking

50+ types of idlis from Konkani Cuisine, GSB cooking

All the delicious idlis our grandmas cooked for us, that you can make your family to nourish them. Our granny's who came up with these where so thoughtful, packed nutrition into food the most delicious ways. Find recipes below for many age old breakfasts.  Click on the names to be directed to their recipe.


1. Normal urad dal idlis but steamed in various leaves. 

a. Khotto - Idlis steamed in jackfruit leavesHow to weave khotto is here.

b. Moode - Idlis steamed in screw pine leaves

c. Rononu - Idlis steamed in bulk in banana leaves. Plain idlis or idlis spiced with green chillies + ginger.

d. Cone idlis - steamed in jackfruit leaf cones


e. Brown rice idli - Ukde tandla rave idli

Idlis made using red rice rava instead of white rice rava 

Instead of white rice rava, my mom, granny's used rava made of red rice for more nutrition.

To make red rice rava soak red rice for 8 hours, wash and strain out all the water and grind immediately to make rava. Little water that's present helps make rava in the mixer. Rava may not be uniformly sized that's ok. Mix with urad dal batter and steam idlis in 30 minutes, since red rice is already soaked.

Mom also uses 50-50 white rice rava, red rice rava.

a. Ukde tandla rave idli

b. Ukde tandla rave rononu

If the batter is steamed in bulk, in banana leaves, it's called rononu.


f. Urad dal idlis made using wheat rava for special days - rulava idli 

Bansi rava is used in place of rice rava on special days to make idlis. Wheat rava that are not too big nor small in size are perfect to make these idlis, not sooji or chiroti rava. Idlis tastes delicious when made right.

Urad dal: bansi rava in the ratio 1:2 is used, but to make these idlis urad dal is soaked, ground in wet grinder, fermented overnight. The rava is dry roasted nicely until hot, cooled down and mixed with urad dal, let to sit for 30 minutes & is steamed immediately. In 5 minutes of mixing in rava with urad dal, the batter gets thick as the rava takes in all the water, you'll have to add in water to have medium thick batter that's not too thick.

Tastes best while hot with a very spicy chutney.


2. Horse gram idlis

a. Kulitha rononu - idlis steamed in banana leaves, idli plates

b. Kulitha idli - idlis steamed in idli moulds. cups.

c. Kulitha khotto - when horse gram idli batter is steamed in jackfruit leaf baskets they're called kulitha khotto.


3. Jackfruit idlis

a. Ponsa muddo - Jackfruit idlis steamed in banana leaves, teak leaves, Frangipani (Plumeria) leaves (kudchampe in Konkani), Macaranga peltata leaves, turmeric leaves for flavour.

b. Jackfruit idlis steamed in idli moulds


4. Pumpkin idli 

a. Dudde muddo - Steamed in banana leaves, in idli plates.

b. Dudde idli - steamed in idli moulds or cups


5. Cucumber Idlis

a. Thouse muddo - Idlis steamed in banana leaves

b. Thoushe idli - idlis steamed in idli moulds

A. Savoury cucumber idlis 

B. Sweet cucumber idlis - Godu thoushe muddo, idli


6. Ash gourd idlis 

A. kuvale idli

B. Kuvale muddo - Ash gourd idlis steamed in banana leaves.


7. Field marrow idlis

A. Magge idli - Made just like ash gourd idlis in idli cups.

B. Magge muddo - steamed in banana leaves.


8. Chayote idlis (simethoushe idli) / muddo

A. idli - Made just like ash gourd idlis in idli cups.

B. muddo - steamed in banana leaves.


7. Cowpeas idlis - Bagde dali idli 

a. Bagde dali rononu - batter is steamed in bulk in a steamer lined with banana leaves (spiced with green chillies + ginger)

b. Bagde dali idli steamed in idli moulds, cups

Cowpeas: urad dal: rice rava - 1:1:1/2 

Whole cowpeas or cowpeas made into dal are used to make a batter.

Batter isn't fermented, ground batter is immediately steamed usually. Alternatively, ground cowpeas can also be added to fermented urad dal + rice rava batter. 

Ginger + asafoetida + green chillies are used for flavouring the batter. Ginger + asafoetida are also used to balance the effect cowpeas has on our gut.


8. Green gram idlis

A. Muga idli

Green gram: urad dal: rice rava - 1:1:1/2 

Batter isn't fermented, ground batter is immediately steamed usually. Alternatively, ground green gram can also be added to fermented urad dal + rice rava batter. 

Ginger + green chillies are used for flavouring the batter.

b. Muga rononu - batter is steamed in bulk in a steamer lined with banana leaves.


9. Moong dal idli/Split yellow dal

A. Mugadali idli

Moong dal: urad dal: rice rava - 1:1:1/2 

Batter isn't fermented, ground batter is immediately steamed usually. Alternatively, ground moong dal can also be added to fermented urad dal + rice rava batter. 

Ginger + green chillies are used for flavouring the batter.

b. mugadali rononu - batter is steamed in bulk in a steamer lined with banana leaves.


11. Spicy idlis - Sanna idli - Savoury idlis made with different veggies

A. Sanna idli

Various veggies - cabbage, onions, fresh bamboo, pickled bamboo shoots, thunder mushrooms, tomato & onions, cabbage & onions are added to a spicy batter to make yummm idlis that taste delicious steaming hot with coconut oil on top. Taste great on cooling down too.

Leafy greens like drumstick leaves, water leaf spinach, colocasia leaves, amaranthus, basella etc are used to flavour idlis too. Leaves are chopped and added to the batter alone or along with finely chopped onions.

Recipe to make these is here.

B. These idlis are also steamed in jackfruit leaf baskets and are then called sanna khotto. 

C. When they're steamed in banana leaves they're called sanna muddo.


12. Whole black gram idlis

Whole black gram - whole black gram/split black gram with skin gives a different colour to the idlis but tastes just like urad dal idlis. Why do I make them? For extra nutrition.

Urad dal: Rice rava batter in the ratio 1:2 and you should have nice idlis.


13. Hibiscus leaves idlis 

White and cream hibiscus leaves are used to make idlis, it is said we should eat them atleast once a year to remove toxins from our body. They're said to prevent heat boils (karat in Konkani).

To make them urad dal : rice rava batter in the ratio 1:2 is made, like we make for our usual idlis. Just before steaming a ground paste of hibiscus leaves is added to the batter. Tender or mature hibiscus leaves can be used.

The ritual is to have it 3 days in a row. They're called sannanu in Konkani.


14. Rava idli - dhaya idli 


There's how I cook for my little one, I ask him which colour idli he wants?

- Green idlis - Green gram, Savoury cucumber idli, hibiscus leaves idlis.

- Yellow idlis - Pumpkin idlis, Moong dal idli

- Brown idlis - Sweet cucumber idli, horse gram idli, jackfruit idlis, red rice idlis

- Cream - cowpeas idlis, ash gourd idlis, wheat rava idlis, field marrow idlis, rava idli

- Red idlis - Spicy veggie idlis

- Black idlis - Whole black gram idlis

- white idlis

He usually ends up picking one.


If you are fan of idlis do try these breakfasts from my granny's kitchen:

Brown Rice, White Rice Dumplings (Ukde Suray Muddo)


Rice And Coconut Dumplings (Soyee Muddo, Bobbarya)


Seasoned, Steamed Rice Dumplings (Undi/Oondi)