Rava (semolina) Upma
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 under 20 minutes.
Servings: 3
Calories: 420kcal
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 859mg | Potassium: 285mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 4mg