Wash and soak rice for at least 2 hours.

Peel off the bottle gourd and chop it in to big chunks. Remove the seeds if any.

Take soaked rice, chopped bottle gourd, salt and coconut in a mixer grinder, grind it in to coarse batter. Add half cup of water while grinding.

Next transfer the batter in to a wide bowl and add rava to it. Combine well and adjust consistency to idli batter by adding little water. Prepare seasoning with mustard seeds and curry leaves, add it as well. Pour this batter over a idli plate.

Steam cook the plate idli for about 20 minutes. I have used my pressure cooker itself with first 5 minutes in high flame and rest 15 minutes in simmer. When done, using knife cut in to desired shape.

Bottle gourd idle is ready. Serve it hot with coconut chutney and any sambar.

Choose tender bottle gourd for this recipe which has no or less seeds.

You don't have to ferment the batter, you can immediately cook the idli.

Seasoning is absolutely optional, you can skip it any way.

If you like savory taste, you can consider adding some green chilli paste too to the batter.