Take a dry pan, and get it very hot. Add a teaspoon of oil. Add the rava, and flash roast it until the aroma changes, and it starts emitting a nutty smell. Keep the rava aside.

In the same pan, take the remaining oil. Add all the tempering ingredients ( mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, cashew nut pieces ). Once the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves and the asafoetida.

Add all of the tempering into the rava. Also add the ginger and green chillies.

Add the yogurt and the salt to make a lump free batter. The batter should be thick, and just pourable.

Add the shredded cilantro leaves and the optional vegetables (except the tomatoes)

In a tall vessel ( an idli cooker), take some water and bring it to the boil.

Smear some drops of oil on each of the idli moulds. Add the tomato slices at the base of each mould.

Then, just before pouring the batter, add the fruit salt to the batter, and whisk thoroughly. Dont whisk for too long, or else you'll lose the fizz from the fruit salt reacting with the yoghurt. Thats what makes the idlis soft and fluffy. Take some of the batter on each of the moulds.

Place the idli stand into the steam from the idli cooker. Cover with a tight lid, and cook for 15 minutes.

Take the idli stand out of the cooker, and leave it in the open air for a few minutes, until the stand is cool to handle. Using a sharp knife, scrape idli clean from the mould.

Serve hot, with your chutney of choice and/or sambar (recipes on my account)