Upma (Breakfast recipe)

Why you should try it?

It is mild for the palette, healthy and keeps one full for a very long time. Also it takes much less time than other breakfast options.

Thinking of what to make for breakfast is a nightmare for most of us.  

Anything that’s healthy and quick to cook usually tops our chart. One such loved and popular breakfast recipe is upma. People from different regions of India add a touch of uniqueness to it in terms of flavour and ingredients. Commonly made with sooji or rava (semolina), it can also be replaced with vermicelli.

Down in South and some other parts of the country it is served along a coconut chutney. Kids also enjoy having it with ketchup.

So wake up and be sorted for breakfast with this simple and quick upma recipe.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients   

Semolina/rava (2 cups for 4 people)

Oil (2-3 tablespoons)

Cumin seeds (half teaspoon)

Mustard seeds (half teaspoon)

Curry leaves (5-6 leaves)

Grated ginger (half teaspoon)

Chopped green chilies (half teaspoon)

Chopped onion (1 medium size)

Chopped capsicum (half)

Chopped carrots (1 small)

Roasted peanuts/cashews - optional (2 tablespoons)

Salt to taste

Turmeric (half teaspoon)

Water (4 cups - double of rava quantity)

Tip: You can add any choice of vegetables (peas, cauliflower, beans). If you don’t have curry leaves at home you can skip. It won’t have a difference in taste but flavour. Also you can use lime juice (if you like sour taste) in step number 5.  

Procedure 

1. In a kadai, dry roast the semolina for 4 to 5 minutes. It must not change colour. When it releases an aroma take it off from heat and transfer it on a plate to cool.

2. In one tablespoon of oil, fry the nuts you are using. When golden brown, remove from heat and keep them aside.

3. Heat remaining oil in the same kadai. When it’s hot, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves and cover with lid (as they will splutter wildly). Once it stops, open the lid and add the grated ginger, chopped onions, chilies, capsicum and carrots (other veggies if you are using any), and nuts.

4. Stir nicely. Add the salt and turmeric and fry till they change colour. Don’t fry them too much as you wont like caramelized veggies in your upma.

5. Now add water in 1:2 ratio (if you are using 2 cups rava, add 4 cups water). Wait till the water starts boiling vigorously.

6. Be careful now. During this step keep your face far from the kadai. Turn down the heat to lowest, and very slowly add the roasted rava in the hot water stirring continuously to avoid lump formation. Be careful, hot rava tends to bubble out of the vessel. Keep mixing properly till all the water dries up. Turn off the heat immediately and keep the upma covered for few minutes.

Serve hot with ketchup and your favourite morning beverage, like tea or coffee.

Leave a reply below or comment how it turned out for you.

💚

Rini