Arisi Upma is a simple breakfast option made with ground raw rice and toor dal as main ingredients. It is a mild and comforting breakfast dish with a mild cumin and pepper flavour. This has a soft texture with the tiny grains texture, also the tempering gives a nice aroma to the dish which is perfect for all ages.
Arisi Upma can be made for breakfast and can also be enjoyed as a light dinner or evening snack. It is just served on days for a comforting meal option. Rice and dal needs a bit of pre preparation - but you can rinse, dry and grind it coarse and store it. That way it is easy to make arisi upma without much effort for breakfast.
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About Arisi Upma
Arisi Upma is a popular quick breakfast option in many tamil household which has been made for generations. This version uses raw rice with toor dal, ground to coarse mixture, unlike other regular version made with semolina. Its a simple recipe which is comforting and filling.
This upma recipe has soft grain texture and feels comforting to have, also the black pepper and cumin seeds adds a mild spiced and earthy flavour. This is made with simple flavourful tempering using mustard seeds, dals, red chillies and curry leaves. Fresh coconut adds a mild sweetness and crunch while eating.
You can make this recipe adjust ingredients according to your taste, to make it spicier by adding extra chilli or add in nuts for richer taste and crunch texture. It is traditionally served with chutney or vatha kulambu but tastes great even with pickle.
You can also replace the toor dal with moong dal if you prefer. I usually make this recipe for breakfast or sometimes for dinner as it is easy to make. I always have a batch of rice dal mixture grind and stored so that it comes handy during busy hours.
Arisi Upma Video
Arisi Upma Ingredients
- Raw rice - I have used raw rice for this recipe. It gives the traditional coarse texture and soft bite. You can use idli rice too thats works well too.
- Dals - I have used toor dal with rice for grinding, urad dal and channa dal for tempering. They give a mild nutty flavour, little crunch and good texture to the upma. You can replace toor dal with moong dal if you prefer.
- Black pepper - Black pepper gives gentle heat without making the upma too spicy.
- Cumin seeds - Cumin seeds adds good aroma and goes really well with pepper. It is best not to skip it.
- Water - Water is used to cook the rice mixture until soft. Add little more if the upma looks dry while cooking.
- Salt - Salt gives good taste. Adjust it as per your preference.
- Oil, Mustard seeds - I have used groundnut oil you can use any cooking oil. Mustard seeds is for tempering. They give upma its usual South Indian flavour and aroma.
- Asafoetida(Hing) - gives a mild flavour and blends well with the spices. You can leave it out if you do not have it.
- Dried red chillies - Dried red chillies gives mild spice and good flavour to the upma. Adjust the quantity as per your taste.
- Curry leaves - Added curry leaves fresh flavour and nice aroma to the tempering. Fresh leaves always taste more good.
- Fresh coconut - adds sweetness and soft texture, also frozen coconut works well after thawing.
How to make Arisi Upma Step by Step
1.Take ½ cup raw rice along with 1 tablespoon toor dal. Rinse it well and spread it on the strainer itself and set aside for 30 minutes to dry. If you are making in bulk you can spread it on a cloth for fast drying.
2.It should be dry like this.
3.Transfer to a mixer jar along with ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
4.Grind it to a rava like consistency and set aside.
5.Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a kadai add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
6.Add ⅛ teaspoon hing, 3 red chillies, few curry leaves, ½ teaspoon chana dal and ¼ teaspoon urad dal. Give a quick saute.
7.Now add the rice dal mixture and saute for a minute.
8.Add 1 ½ cups hot water.
9.Add salt to taste.
10.Give a quick mix and cook covered for 15 minutes in low flame.
11.After 5 minutes give a quick mix.
12.Pat it well.
13.Cook covered in lowest flame possible for 10 minutes. The total cooking time of rice and dal is around 15 minutes.
14.Open and gently fluff it.
15.Add 2 tablespoon grated coconut.
16.Give a quick mix and transfer the upma to a serving bowl.
17.Add little oil to the base and let it cook until crisp and golden brown.
18.Scrape using a sharp ladle.
19.This is called 'kaandhal' and tastes so good.
Serve arisi upma hot with thokku or chutney.
Expert Tips
- Grind coarsely - I always grind the soaked rice little coarse. If it becomes too fine, the texture will not come good. Pulse it few times in mixer until it becomes rava like in consistency.
- Dry before grinding - Drain the soaked rice, dal well and leave it for few minutes for drying before grinding. This gives better texture.
- Mix well - I add the rice dal mixture saute well then add hot water and immediately stir well to avoid lumps.
- Cook in low flame - Once everything is mixed, cook in low flame with the lid closed. It cooks evenly and comes out soft.
- Coconut - You can add coconut while adding hot water itself but I prefer to add it at the last stage for better flavour.
- Stir in between - Stir un between to avoid burning at the bottom.
Serving and Storage
Serve arisi upma hot with coconut chutney or plain. It also tastes good with a little pickle on side. I love to sprinkle little fresh grated coconut on top while serving. Store leftover in fridge and just use within a day. Reheat with water before serving.
FAQS
1. Can I grind rice, dal to a fine powder?
No it is better to grind it coarsely just like rava for its traditional taste and texture.
2. Do I need to soak the rice?
Yes, soaking helps the rice grind easily and cook well. It also gives a soft texture.
3. Can I skip the fresh coconut?
Yes, you can skip it if needed. It gives little sweetness and makes the upma taste even better.
4. What can I serve with?
Coconut chutney is the most common side dish, pickle or little jaggery also goes really well with it.
5. Can I make Arisi Upma ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare it few hours earlier. Reheat gently with little water before serving if it becomes dry.
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📖 Recipe Card
Arisi Upma Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw rice
- 1 tablespoon toor dal
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
To temper
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon hing
- 3 red chillies
- few curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon chana dal
- ¼ teaspoon urad dal
- 1 ½ cups hot water
- 2 tablespoon grated coconut
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Take ½ cup raw rice along with 1 tablespoon toor dal. Rinse it well and spread it on the strainer itself and set aside for 30 minutes to dry. If you are making in bulk you can spread it on a cloth for fast drying.
- It should be dry like this.
- Transfer to a mixer jar along with ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Grind it to a rava like consistency and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a kadai add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds. Let it splutter.
- Add ⅛ teaspoon hing, 3 red chillies, few curry leaves, ½ teaspoon chana dal and ¼ teaspoon urad dal. Give a quick saute.
- Now add the rice dal mixture and saute for a minute.
- Add 1 ½ cups hot water.
- Add salt to taste.
- Give a quick mix and cook covered for 15 minutes in low flame.
- After 5 minutes give a quick mix.
- Pat it well.
- Cook covered in lowest flame possible for 10 minutes. The total cooking time of rice and dal is around 15 minutes.
- Open and gently fluff it.
- Add 2 tablespoon grated coconut.
- Give a quick mix and transfer the upma to a serving bowl.
- Add little oil to the base and let it cook until crisp and golden brown.
- Scrape using a sharp ladle.
- This is called 'kaandhal' and tastes so good.
- Serve arisi upma hot with thokku or chutney.
Video
Notes
- Grind coarsely - I always grind the soaked rice little coarse. If it becomes too fine, the texture will not come good. Pulse it few times in mixer until it becomes rava like in consistency.
- Dry before grinding - Drain the soaked rice, dal well and leave it for few minutes for drying before grinding. This gives better texture.
- Mix well - I add the rice dal mixture saute well then add hot water and immediately stir well to avoid lumps.
- Cook in low flame - Once everything is mixed, cook in low flame with the lid closed. It cooks evenly and comes out soft.
- Coconut - You can add coconut while adding hot water itself but I prefer to add it at the last stage for better flavour.
- Stir in between - Stir un between to avoid burning at the bottom.
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