Vegetable Poha Idli | Red Coconut Chutney is a delicious and easy to make breakfast or lunch box combo. These Idlis are light, fluffy and instant, perfect for a filling and nutritious brunch too. The flavorsome red coconut chutney/ coconut dip goes so well with these Idlis and any variant of dosa or wada.
I’ve used some freshly chopped veggies in the batter for the Vegetable Poha Idli as it makes it more filling and that’s a great way to sneak in veggies in our meals. You can add any veggies of your choice here. Or you can simply keep them plain, sans any veggies and they will still taste really good!
As I was saying that these are deliciously fluffy and they melt in the mouth. I have enjoyed them with just some Udupi style tiffin sambhar too and they tasted heavenly!! You can see the texture here, it is soft and the Poha (flattened rice) gives these Idlis the most beautiful pearly white color. I will confess, I love pristine white Idlis. They always look more scrumptious to me than the paler ones. Besides, adding these veggies gives them a very pretty look too, specks of green and orange and some of the mustard seeds peeping from within each Idli makes them attractive for kids too! 🙂 I usually use recipes off YouTube for these idlis but this time around I have tried my friend Gloria’s recipe, who blogs at Pepper, Chilli and Vanilla and I can swear by her recipes! As expected these idlis turned out just as I wanted them, though her version doesn’t include veggies but it’s a killer recipe! 🙂
Vegetable Poha Idli | Red Coconut Chutney tastes equally delicious with a podi (lentil and spice powder) mixed with a bit of oil, it is quite spicy though, so I have enjoyed my Idlis with a generous serving of Red coconut chutney. It is mildly spicy but has the most amazing flavor.
Vegetable Poha Idli is best enjoyed when it is fresh. We prefer to consume it within 3-4 hours. The batter is instant, non fermented and making these takes hardly any time. You can also serve them with my Udupi Style White Coconut chutney or Classic Green Coconut chutney.
Also try
Instant Oat and vegetable Idli
Instant Rawa Idli
Udupi Style Idli
Let us quickly see the recipe for Vegetable Poha Idli | Red Coconut Chutney.
For the Idli Batter –
Rinse and soak Poha with 1/2 cup of curd for 15 minutes or till they turn soft.
Then mash these two together until smooth.
Next add the fine rawa, the remaining 1/2 cup of curd and water as needed to the mashed Poha and curd.
Again allow the batter to rest for another 10 minutes. Add more water if necessary to adjust the consistency of the batter.
Season with some salt.
Add chopped carrots and capsicum. Mix well.
For the tempering –
Heat oil in a small pan, add hing (asafoetida), curry leaves, mustard seeds, split white lentils. Let them crackle for a minute.
Add this tempering to the ready batter and mix well.
Steaming –
Add baking soda just before steaming the Idlis.
Brush the Idli plates with oil and pour the batter immediately and steam the Idlis for 10-12 minutes on medium flame.
Once the Idlis are steamed, rest them for a few minutes before unmolding.
Serve them hot with chutney and sambhar.
For the Red Chutney –
Grind together grated coconut, dry red chilies, garlic cloves, salt and some water to make a smooth paste.
Temper –
Heat oil in a small wok, add curry leaves, mustard seeds and some (hing) asafoetida. Once these splutter together, add the tempering to the ground chutney/ relish. Mix it well and serve. This chutney/ relish keeps well in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Vegetable Poha Idli | Red Coconut Chutney
Delicious, instant and no ferment Idli is a great breakfast or brunch option. Paired it with some lipsmacking red coconut chutney, these Idlis are loved by everybody!
Ingredients
Vegetable Poha Idli -
- 1/2 cup Thick Poha flattened rice
- 3/4 cup fine semolina chiroti rawa
- 1 cup yogurt
- a pinch or two of baking soda
- salt to taste
- oil to grease the Idli plates as needed
- 2 tbsp finely chopped carrots
- 2 tbsp finely chopped capsicum
Tempering -
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
- a pinch of asafoetida hing
- a sprig of fresh curry leaves
- 1 tsp split white lentils dhooli urad dal
For the Red Chutney -
- 1 cup freshly grated coconut
- 7-8 nos. whole red chillies
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- salt to taste
- water as needed
Temper -
- 1 tbsp oil
- a few fresh curry leaves
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
- a pinch of asafoetida hing
Instructions
For the Idli Batter -
-
Rinse and soak Poha with 1/2 cup of curd for 15 minutes or till they turn soft.
-
Then mash these two together until smooth.
-
Next add the fine rawa, the remaining 1/2 cup of curd and water as needed to the mashed Poha and curd.
-
Again allow the batter to rest for another 10 minutes. Add more water if necessary to adjust the consistency of the batter.
-
Season with some salt.
-
Add chopped carrots and capsicum. Mix well.
For the tempering -
-
Heat oil in a small pan, add hing (asafoetida), curry leaves, mustard seeds, split white lentils. Let them crackle
Add this tempering to the ready batter and mix well.
-
Add this tempering to the ready batter and mix well.
Steaming -
-
Add baking soda just before steaming the Idlis.
-
Brush the Idli plates with oil and pour the batter immediately and steam the Idlis for 10-12 minutes on medium flame.
-
Once the Idlis are steamed, rest them for a few minutes before unmolding. Serve them hot with chutney and sambhar.
For the Red Chutney -
-
Grind together grated coconut, dry red chilies, garlic cloves, salt and some water to make a smooth paste.
Temper -
-
Heat oil in a small wok, add curry leaves, mustard seeds and some (hing) asafoetida. Once these splutter together, add the tempering to the ground chutney/ relish. Mix it well and serve. This chutney/ relish keeps well in the refrigerator for 2 days.
Recipe Notes
You can use eno (fruit salt)in place of baking soda.
Adding veggies is optional.
Use a day old home made yogurt as it has a slightly tangy taste.
If you wont steam the idlis immediately, then add salt and baking soda to the batter just before steaming the Idlis.
Love,
Shreya 🙂
Adapted from here.
Looks super..the chutney also is super tempting 👌💗
Thanks so much dear! So happy you liked them 😘