Instant Upma Mix

A make ahead mix using semolina and a handful of ingredients; this Instant Upma Mix can be used to make upma within ten minutes.

It is super handy for breakfast, for a light meal or for traveling. Plus it is great for toddlers and kids too.

Breakfast is always something we love. From wholesome American classics to traditional Indian recipes, the menu changes each week and we all have our breakfast together.

The Indian breakfasts range from Upma, Poha, Pudla, Masala Oats to sometimes Dhokla or Idli Chutney.

While some breakfasts take a long time to come together, there are days that we need super easy, quick yet fulfilling recipes. This Upma mix comes handy on such days. After the mix is ready, the Upma comes together in 10 minutes.

Jump to:

• What is Upma?
• What is Instant Upma Mix?
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Recipe FAQs
• More Breakfast to try
• Instant Upma Mix

What is Upma?

A comforting recipe for breakfast, Upma is a mix of roasted semolina with tempering. It may include vegetables like onions, peppers, carrots, peas and beans or can be made without vegetables.

Similar to prepared Polenta; this semolina pudding is a popular South Indian restaurant staple. The grainy texture that is bursting with flavors complements the piping hot tea that is served with it.

While the recipe is great for breakfast, we sometimes have it for light dinner too. It is easy to add a lot of vegetables and spices to the upma to make it flavorful. And that is a great way to get kids to eat their veggies too.

What is Instant Upma Mix?

In order to make upma we need to roast coarse rava or semolina and add tempering. Then we cook the mix with water, salt and sugar.

So in order to reduce the time required to so these steps each time or to make upma instantly, we make this premix.

The premix is made by roasting the semolina in ghee and tempering the mix. This mix then converts to upma in 2 easy steps and under 10 minutes. The texture, flavors and taste are pretty much like the traditional one and this comes handy when traveling too.

Why this recipe works

• The recipe to make Instant Upma mix takes 20 minutes from start to finish. And once the mix is ready, it takes under 10 minutes to make the Upma. Thus, the recipe is perfect to use for busy weekday mornings.
• This Instant Upma mix can be made in advance and used for a long time. It is shelf stable up to two weeks and stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to four months.
• While I have used ghee to sauté the mix and for the tempering, oil works great too. Plus, it helps make the recipe Vegan.
• A super easy to customize recipe; we can add the ingredients as per our wish. Add extra urad dal, leave out curry leaves, add some chana dal etc. the possibilites are endless.
• Traveling somewhere? Take the mix with you and microwave with boiling water for 3-4 minutes. You will have perfect upma within ten minutes.

This recipe is a super traditional one in my household. My grandmother would roast a whole bag of semolina and keep the mix with all the tempering ingredients ready. As a large Indian family we went through these bags within a couple of weeks and the mix never reached the stage of refrigeration.

And now each time I stand by the stove slowly roasting the semolina, I recall all the lovely memories I have shared with my grandmother. All the different recipes, techniques and tricks she taught me top better myself in the kitchen.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Rava/ Semolina: This is the key ingredient in the instant upma mix recipe. I like to use coarse rava as it gives a great texture to the recipe. If using raw rava like me, it has to be roasted before cooking. Alternatively, roasted rava can be used directly to make the process quick.
• Ghee: I use ghee to roast the rava and for the tempering. This can be substituted with oil for a Vegan version.
• Tempering Ingredients: I use all the ingredients to the tempering that we use in a traditional upma recipe. I add mustard seeds, asafetida, cumin seeds, urad dal, cashews and curry leaves. Adding green chili is an option too. I leave that out to make non-spicy upma for the kids.

Apart from these ingredients, salt and sugar can be added to the mix too. However, these do not tend to mix perfectly and yields a mix that is salty in parts and sweet in some. Therefore I add these while making upma.

In order to make upma from the mix I use water, salt, sugar, lemon juice and cilantro. However, diced onions, mixed vegetables and ginger may also be used.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- In a pan add one tablespoon ghee.

2- Then add the raw semolina/rava.

3- Roast on medium flame for 10-12 minutes; till the rava is fragrant and roasted well. Remove and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

Pro Tip: Do not roast the rava on high flame. Plus, make sure the color does not change much as we do not want to burn the rava.

4- In the same pan add the remaining 2 tablespoon ghee. Let it heat up.

5- Once hot, add mustard seeds and asafetida.

6- Then add cumin seeds and urad dal. Let the seeds pop.

7- Finally add the raw cashews. Let them brown a little.

8- Add curry leaves and let them fry for a few seconds.

9- Transfer the roasted rava back to the pan. Mix well and distribute the tempering evenly in the rava.

10- Let the instant upma mix cool down before transferring to an airtight container.

To make the Upma

1- Heat water in a pan till it starts to boil.

2- Add salt and sugar and mix well.

3- Once the water comes to a boil, add the upma mix slowly into it.

4- Mix well and let the mixture cook.

5- Add green chili if desired and cover the upma. Let it cook for 5-6 minutes; till thick.

6- Uncover, add lemon juice and cilantro. Mix well and serve.

Expert Tips and Notes

• Ensure that the rava is roasted well but on medium flame. Rushing through the roasting process will burn the rava and make it bitter.
• In case all the tempering ingredients are not available, leave out the unavailable ones. However, adding them all gives the upma a great taste and flavor.
• The mix should be kept in an airtight container. It can be refrigerated for up to a month.
• Use the upma mix to make intstant upma with just boiling water, salt and sugar. However, adding diced vegetables like carrots, onions, peppers and tomato is an option too.
• Moreover, the same mix can also be used to make rava dhokla and rava idli.
• The nutrition below shows the values for ½ cup of the mix. Additional ingredients to make the upma are not accounted in it.

Recipe FAQs

More Breakfast to try

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