Rava upma is a savory, comforting Indian breakfast dish made from semolina; sautéed with aromatic spices and crunchy lentils, resulting in a light, fluffy, and deeply satisfying recipe in 20 minutes.
Breakfast, a word that either excites folks or brings a frown on their face. Some love breakfast at home, on holidays or at local restaurants. And some other simply hate to eat breakfast or even make it.
When you are responsible for making breakfast seven days a week, it does get daunting. Not everyone will like the same breakfast, not all recipes are easy to achieve before school time and some may not be totally confident of how it will turn out.
We have a variety of rotating breakfasts in our house. Sometimes it is the timeless Gujarati Khakhra, some times it is modifying leftovers like podi idli, vagharela dhokla or vagharela masala bhaat.
But most of the times it is something like oats, batata poha, idli, dhokla, masala oats and so on. And one of our favorites has to be upma; savory and fluffy semolina mixture.
Jump to:
What is Semolina Upma
Semolina upma is a popular Indian breakfast made with semolina (rava or cream of wheat) with a bunch of ingredients. This doubles as a lunch box or dinner recipe. A thick savory porridge, this may feature vegetables or be made without vegetables.
This dish is popular in different parts of the country. While Southern India adds some coconut and enjoys it with coffee; Maharashtra makes Upit; with a heavy hand of peanuts, mustard seeds, and a bright finish of lemon and fresh coriander. And the folks from Gujarat make a version that has some yogurt for the perfect tang and balance it with some sugar.
Why this recipe works
- This is a low effort, high reward breakfast recipe.
- Semolina upma doubles as a great lunch box or dinner recipe.
- It functions as a fridge-clearing dish.
- The recipe is super versatile in terms of vegetables and add-ins that go into the upma.
- It is easy to customize the spice level and make the same recipe for kids and adults.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Semolina: semolina or rava is the key ingredient here. I like to use the coarse kind to get the perfect texture upma that is not super smooth. Start with raw semolina in the recipe and skip the roasted variety. Use rava that is fresh versus a dated one.
- Aromatics: The only aromatics in the recipe includes onions, fresh chili and ginger. I like to use some crushed ginger chili paste along with some chopped chili. Together it adds spice and texture. Plus, chopped onions are great. I use pink ones but white ones work just as fine.
- Tempering Ingredients: Mustard seeds, cumin, urad dal, asafetida and curry leaves are great for the tempering. Adding some cashews is perfect too. Add some chana dal if you like.
- Ghee: I like to temper the upma and roast the rava in ghee. However, use oil for a Vegan version.
- Yogurt: This is the key to the upma I make. Some whisked yogurt keeps the upma from going dry even when cold. Plus, it adds a slight tang to the upma. This however, can be skipped if desired.
- Salt, sugar and lemon juice: The recipe includes fresh ingredients for spice. Salt adds saltiness, sugar adds the sweetness and lemon juice adds he tang. Adjust these three to get the perfect taste in the rava upma.
- Water: The liquid in the recipe is water. I whisk it with yogurt and add the rest to cook the ingredients. The ideal ratio of water to rava is 2:1 when using yogurt.
- Toppings: Once ready, upma tastes great with some chopped cilantro, malgai podi, fine sev and coconut cilantro chutney.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.
How to make this recipe
1- In a large pan add half the ghee. Add the semolina and mix well.
2- Cook this on low medium heat till the rava is fragrant. It takes 10-12 minutes to get the perfect color. Do not roast on high heat as the rava will burn.
3- Turn down the heat and transfer the rava to another pan or bowl. Do not leave it in the pan as it will keep cooking in the residual heat.
4- In the same pan add the remaining ghee. Heat it up.
5- Once hot, add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add cumin seeds, asafetida and urad dal. Let the dal turn light brown but make sure it does not burn.
6- Then add the cashew pieces, curry leaves, ginger chili paste and chopped chili. Mix well.
7- Next add the onions.
8- Cook everything on medium flame till the onions are soft.
9- Whisk together 1 cup water and yogurt till no particles remain. Set aside.
10- Add the water and mix well. Also add the salt and sugar at this stage.
11- Now add the yogurt and water and bring the mixture to a boil.
12- Then add the semolina in small portions and keep mixing. Then mix everything well and cook covered for 7 minutes.
13- Open the lid and see if all the liquid is absorbed. If not, cook for another minute or two.
14- Now turn down the heat, add lemon juice and cilantro.
15- Mix everything well.
16- Serve topped with fine sev, malgai podi and chopped cilantro. This rava upma is great withy some masala chai.
Expert Tips and Notes
- The 'roast' matters: Roasting the semolina is the most crucial step. Simply roast it on medium flame till it is completely cooked. Once ready, the grains of semolina will look just like sand, the entire kitchen will be filled with a nutty aroma and it will be golden brown. Make sure it does not burn.
- Semolina:water ratio: The ratio of water to semolina is important to get a great texture in the upma. The ideal ratio for a yogurt based upma is half a cup of yogurt and 2 cups water for every cup of semolina. However, use 3:1 water to semolina ratio for upma without yogurt.
- Boil the liquids before adding semolina: Adding semolina to cold water makes it clumpy. To avoid that, simply bring all the liquids to a boil and then add the semolina in small portions. Keep mixing to incorporate it all. Using boiling water ensures the starch granules swell instantly and evenly, preventing a sticky or pasty texture.
- Making 'Vegan' upma: It is easy to make upma Vegan. Simply skip the yogurt and use only water or use non-dairy yogurt. Moreover, use oil instead of ghee and enjoy a Vegan version.
- The quickest way to make upma: Either roast the rava and keep it in the pantry or even better, make this premix for upma and use it. Moreover, use a kettle to boil the water. That way the upma comes together in a matter of minutes.
Variations
There are several variations to this upma recipe. Making a different one each time keeps the dish interesting for breakfast.
- Vegetable Upma: Add some frozen or freshly chopped vegetables to the upma when adding onions. Peas, green beans, carrots, green pepper, potato, cabbage and corn are popular.
- Tomato Upma(Thakkali Upma): Mix in two chopped tomatoes after cooking the onions. And wait for it to become mushy before continuing. This makes a light pink/ orange colored tomato upma.
- Adding some turmeric: It is also popular to add some turmeric powder to upma. This light yellow upma is often made in Gujarati households.
- Adding coconut: Topping the prepared upma with some fresh or frozen shredded coconut is common for South Indian style upma.
- The Hotel-Style (Khara Bhath): This is the popular Karnataka-style version, known for its vibrant orange-yellow color and bold spice. Add a teaspoon of Vangi Bhaat masala or sambar powder with the tempering. Also add a mix of carrots, beans, and green peas and some shredded coconut after the upma is ready.
Serving Suggestions
Once ready, upma can be enjoyed in many ways. It should be served piping hot topped with some sev or freshly grated coconut.
Serve it with some coconut cilantro chutney for the perfect flavor. I often serve this with filter coffee or masala chai. It makes a wholesome breakfast.
Plus, this upma is the starting point for pesarratu upma, another popular breakfast or dinner recipe.
Recipe FAQs
There are three usual culprits for this.
1- Under-roasting the rava makes it lose its structural integrity.
2- You may have exceeded the 1:3 ratio of semolina:water.
3- Once you add the rava to the water, stir only enough to combine. Vigorous stirring breaks down the grains and releases excess starch, leading to a gummy texture.
No, they are not. Idli rava is generally made from rice and used for making idli. Sooji is made using wheat and works in recipes like rava idli, upma etc.
For perfect upma, the ratio of rava to water is 3:1. However, when we add yogurt; it changes to 2.5:1 and 0.5 cup of yogurt.
Yes certainly. However, it is best to lightly roast to warm the rava before proceeding with the recipe. It brings back some freshness in the upma. Moreover, if it is stored in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature and then use it.
More Indian Breakfast Recipes to try
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments whilst you are there, thanks!
Rava (semolina) Upma
Ingredients
- 1 cup semolina (coarse)
- 3 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon asafetida
- 1 tablespoon urad dal
- 4-5 curry leaves
- 1 fresh chili (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon ginger chili paste
- 4-5 cashews
- 1 medium onion (diced fine)
- ½ cup yogurt
- 2½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
- ½ lemon (juiced)
- 2-3 stalks cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
- In a large pan add half the ghee. Add the semolina and mix well.1 cup semolina, 3 tablespoon ghee
- Cook this on low medium heat till the rava is fragrant. It takes 10-12 minutes to get the perfect color. Do not roast on high heat as the rava will burn.
- Turn down the heat and transfer the rava to another pan or bowl. Do not leave it in the pan as it will keep cooking in the residual heat.
- In the same pan add the remaining ghee. Heat it up.
- Once hot, add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add cumin seeds, asafetida and urad dal. Let the dal turn light brown but make sure it does not burn.1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ⅛ teaspoon asafetida, 1 tablespoon urad dal
- Then add the cashew pieces, curry leaves, ginger chili paste and chopped chili. Mix well.4-5 curry leaves, 1 teaspoon ginger chili paste, 4-5 cashews, 1 fresh chili
- Next add the onions.1 medium onion
- Cook everything on medium flame till the onions are soft.
- Whisk together 1 cup water and yogurt till no particles remain. Set aside.2½ cups water, ½ cup yogurt
- Add the water and mix well. Also add the salt and sugar at this stage.1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon sugar
- Now add the yogurt and water mixture and bring it to a boil.
- Then add the semolina in small portions and keep mixing. Then mix everything well and cook covered for 7 minutes.
- Open the lid and see if all the liquid is absorbed. If not, cook for another minute or two.
- Now turn down the heat, add lemon juice and cilantro.½ lemon, 2-3 stalks cilantro
- Mix everything well.
- Serve topped with fine sev, malgai podi and chopped cilantro. This rava upma is great withy some masala chai.
Notes
- The 'roast' matters: Roasting the semolina is the most crucial step. Simply roast it on medium flame till it is completely cooked. Once ready, the grains of semolina will look just like sand, the entire kitchen will be filled with a nutty aroma and it will be golden brown. Make sure it does not burn.
- Semolina:water ratio: The ratio of water to semolina is important to get a great texture in the upma. The ideal ratio for a yogurt based upma is half a cup of yogurt and 2 cups water for every cup of semolina. However, use 3:1 water to semolina ratio for upma without yogurt.
- Boil the liquids before adding semolina: Adding semolina to cold water makes it clumpy. To avoid that, simply bring all the liquids to a boil and then add the semolina in small portions. Keep mixing to incorporate it all. Using boiling water ensures the starch granules swell instantly and evenly, preventing a sticky or pasty texture.
- Making 'Vegan' upma: It is easy to make upma Vegan. Simply skip the yogurt and use only water or use non-dairy yogurt. Moreover, use oil instead of ghee and enjoy a Vegan version.
- The quickest way to make upma: Either roast the rava and keep it in the pantry or even better, make this premix for upma and use it. Moreover, use a kettle to boil the water. That way the upma comes together in a matter of minutes.
Srivalli says
Smruti, if a upma can be made to look beautiful, I must say these are perfect example of that..love your pretty clicks..those purple onions, red chilies and wow everything looks amazing in that picture!..Upmas are our saturday dinners always..sometimes the south indian version of kichidi as we call with vegetables and mostly this one..your pictures surely make this droolworthy!
vaishali sabnani says
You are right Upma is a little tricky , but if follows the measurements it works well . This bowl of Upma looks perfectly made and looks very tempting .
Sharmila kingsly says
My fav go to breakfast anytime!!
Mayuri Patel says
I often make Upma with loads of veggies as a lunch option. I love the way one can add anything to it to make it into a healthy and filling meal. Your preparation is tempting.
Archana says
I love upma with curd and chutney pudi. Cannot take out the South Indian from me. 😀 Love it.
Priya Suresh says
My family favourite breakfast, serve me with some coconut chutney, i wont mind eating a big bowl.
Srividhya says
Love your presentation and that cute little bowls are great.
Chef Mireille says
looks so flavorful and inviting
Priya Srinivasan - I Camp in My Kitchen says
One of the easiest to make dishes and also hated by many! We love upma with lots and lots of veggies and ghee on top! Even today i made it for my kiddo's lunch! So beautifully presented smruti!