Upma Recipe | Rava Upma

Upma or Rava Upma is a classical, delightful dish made by dry roasting semolina / rava & then cooking it with ghee / oil, tempered onion and spices. Upma Recipe is an effortless, wholesome dish that can be cooked in minutes. This is my go to dish for sudden food cravings & when photo shoots keep me busy.

Upma is a sure healthy alternate to noodles & pasta. This Recipe gives confidence in moving from novice to matured level of cooking or when we start cooking.  Upma Recipe is explained in this post with step by step pictures & video.

About Upma Recipe

Upma is a popular South Indian tiffin cooked by tempering roasted rava with onion, spices and ghee. This is savoured with sambar, chutney, powdered jaggery, powdered peanuts and sugar! This is an all-time / any time meal that is relished as breakfast, dinner, evening snack and for sudden food cravings.

I have always wondered why this is cornered and disliked by many. I love all upma varieties either bread upma, idli upma, aval upma, or wheat rava upma etc. I had/have no complaints eating upma anytime of the day but only thing that matters to me the most is the consistency, it should be not be gooey it should be fluffy.

You can add vegetables to this like in rava kitchadi but I make it plain to enjoy the simple flavour. You can have any spicy chutney or pickle or sugar as side dish.

This recipe comes to a rescue when we run dry of idli / dosa batter, wheat flour or veggies.  Upma is called in many names – Rava Upma (South India), Semolina Upma (English Translation), Sooji Upma(Hindi).

Recipe Secret for fluffy upma

Upma often cooked mushy / gooey in earlier years and that’s how this turned to be cook friendly but not eater friendly. The Rava Upma that Indigo flight offers is heart filling, tasty meal that lingered in my mouth for a long time. The secret to the wonder is the slow roasting of rava, the addition of ghee instead of oil added at homes and covering it while cooking. Ofcourse adding milk is my touch as it not only gives tastier, fluffier and also a milky white coloured upma. Ever since, whenever I prepare this the kids & family will come for more!

Ingredients

• Rava / Sooji / Semolina: I have used store bought rava (hard wheat / semolina) for this recipe. Make sure to slow roast rava into slight golden brown color. Use 2.5 cups of water for 1 cup of rava if you wish it to be loose & crumbled – Use 3 cups of water if you want it to be mushy.
• Spices & Basic Veggies : Upma recipe needs a simple tempering with urad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves and chilli. Use a pinch of turmeric powder if you prefer Upma in yellow color. Adding onion after sauteing adds taste to it.
• Ghee / Oil : Use ghee when available as ghee takes upma to a different level of taste. Alternatively you can use regular refined oil / gingelly oil / groundnut oil.

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Upma Recipe Step by Step

Roasting rava

1.Dry roast 1/2 cup sooji(fine rava) in a heavy bottomed kadai. Just roast for 3-5 mins in low flame until aroma comes, do not burn or change the color. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Even if the pack of rava says its roasted variety, do roast it for a while as it makes a difference.

Tempering

2.Heat 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon ghee – add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, let it crackle.

3.Now add 1/2 teaspoon urad dal, 1/2 teaspoon chana dal, few curry leaves.

4.Fry until dals turn golden.

5.Now add around 9 cashews, fry until golden. By now dals would have turned crisp and golden.

Adding onion

6.Add 1 green chilli chopped and 1/2 teaspoon ginger finely chopped. Add 1 medium onion roughly chopped.

7.Saute until golden. You can add 1 small tomato if you like.

Adding water and milk

8.Add 1 and 1/4 cups water. The basic ratio of rava : water is for 1 cup rava it is 2.5 cups water so for 1/2 cup I have used 1 and 1/4 cups water.

9.Add 2 tablespoon milk. Though adding milk is optional, I would recommend adding milk for a more white colored, soft and fluffy upma.

10.Add required salt.

11.Give a quick mix.

12.Keep flame in medium flame. Let it come to a rolling boil.

Adding sooji

13.Add roasted rava in a sprinkled manner and keep stirring.

14.Keep stirring continuously to avoid lumps.

15.Keep cooking until water is almost absorbed.

16.Once it becomes thick, pat it well.

Cooking upma

17.Cover and cook for 2 mins.

18.Open and gently fluff the upma.

19.Give a quick mix.

20.Add 1/2 teaspoon ghee. Give a quick mix. Switch off.

21.Keep covered for 5 mins.

22.Open and fluff the upma.

23.Fluffy nonsticky upma ready.

Rava Upma is ready. Serve hot!

Expert Tips

• Take care while roasting the rava– Roast rava in low medium flame for 5 minutes till nice aroma comes and the color turn slightly golden brown. Cooking in low mediun flameavoids over-roasting of rava.
• If roasting is perfect then Upma will be fluffy, else over-roasting makes it sticky and mushy when cooked.
• Water level depends purely on the consistency you want the upma to be. We like ours a bit fluffy so added 1:2.5 cups of water. If you want a gooier version then add 3 cups of water.
• Cooking covered absorbs the extra moisture making it fluffy.
• Adding ghee at the end gives a nice flavour and avoids stickiness.

Variations

• Replace rava with wheat rava, oats, quinoa- a healthier version.
• Add cashews, peanuts (after roasting & peeled) if you like crunch while eating.
• Add a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice after switching off for a lemony flavour.
• Add pinch of turmeric powder along with tempering items for color.
• You can add vegetables like carrot, beans, potato, gobi after boiling them to make it wholesome and healthy
• Add 1 small tomato along with veggies for a tangy flavour.
• You can even add lemon juice.
• Add coriander leaves if you prefer.

Serving & Storage Suggestion

Upma is savoured with sambar, chutney, powdered jaggery, powdered peanuts, sugar and sauce for kids. This keeps good for a day – For later use within the day, refrigerate and reheat it before serving.

FAQs

1.What is Upma?

Upma is a classical, delightful dish made by dry roasting semolina / rava & then cooking it with ghee/ oil, tempered onion and spices. This Recipe is an effortless, wholesome dish that can be cooked in minutes.

2.How do you make Upma?

• Dry roast rava for 3-5 mins till nice aroma rises in a kadai in low medium flame and set aside.
• Temper the spices.
• Then add onions and fry for 2mins then add water along with salt and let it boil.
• Once it starts to bubble and boil, add rava slowly in a sprinkled manner, stirring simultaneously.
• Then close it with a lid and cook for 5mins or till it becomes fluffy.

3.Why is my Upma mushy  /gooey?

Not roasting rava well or addition of more water can make it mushy & gooey.

4.Is Upma healthy?

Rava Upma has to be taken in moderation if you are diabetic and go for wheat rava for a healthier version.

5.Can I add vegetables in Upma?

Sure – Boil the vegetables and add while the rava is half cooked.

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