Upma Recipe
Upma is one in every of the underestimated food in Indian breakfast menu. But I believe sooji ka upma recipe is probably the most versatile dish to arrange. We make it no less than once every week for the family. A lot of the times i make it easy with spices and onions. After I am serving this for teenagers, I load it up with vegetables. We make mini tiffin during weekends often, I prefer to add upma and kesari together with medu vada and tomato chutney which is my family top favorite.
About Rava Upma
Upma is a tasty, flavourful staple Indian breakfast dish which is made with sooji | suji or semolina flour. Sometimes suji can also be generally known as cream of wheat. This dish is very talked-about within the South Indian region but equally popular around North a part of India as well.
Traditionally dish is made by tempering spices like mustard, urad dal, split chana dal, cashews in oil or ghee. Onions, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves is stir fried for few seconds before adding suji or rava.
The important thing to make a fluffy and engaging upma is to roast suji rather well before adding water. I prefer to roast them till golden brown. This makes the upma fluffy. This hot breakfast dish could be made completely vegan if you happen to use oil as a substitute of ghee. It would be your loved ones favorite breakfast recipe like my semiya upma recipe.
The foremost ingredient in making upma recipe is rava as we call it in South India. It is usually called as ‘suji’ or ‘sooji’ in Hindi, ‘semolina flour’ or ‘cream of wheat’ in English. Why not do that Rava upma a staple breakfast dish which is so flavourful than regular oatmeal.
Watch Upma Video

My Upma Recipe
I make rava upma the essential way with tempering spices and cooking them. Depending on what you serve, this breakfast dish could be transformed into sweet or savoury. Serve it with coconut chutney and sambar for a savoury breakfast. Sprinkling of sugar or jaggery for a sweet one.
Growing up my mom makes upma the identical way I’m showing here. This dish is just not only popular in South India but enjoyed in Maharashtra, Mumbai & some parts of Karnataka,
Rava Upma Ingredients

Rava | Suji – I prefer to make use of roasted rava which is instantly available out there. Use barely coarse rava if you happen to prefer texture.
Onions – One of the crucial vital ingredient in making upma. Use onions or shallots which is peeled and chopped finely for even distribution.
Green Chillies – depending in your spice tolerance you may increase the amount. Some times I add broken dry red chillies when tempering spices.
Ginger – I prefer to grate or mince my ginger using a microplane zester or grater since I don’t need to bite into bits of ginger.
Tempering Spices – split chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves adds the flavour to upma.
Cashews – cashews adds a crunch to the upma when toasted within the oil.
Oil | Ghee – this recipe needs generous amount of oil or ghee to make it tasty.
Optional – you may bulk up upma with mixed vegetables which supplies added nutrition. Lemon juice and coriander leaves is added ultimately of cooking for taste.

Selecting Rava
There are few varieties of suji available out there lately. Bombay rava, wonderful suji, kesari rava, bansi rava are probably the most common suji you could find. Bombay rava is probably the most common one used to make upma. But you should utilize bansi rava which is a coarsely ground type of wheat constructed from “Bansi” a conventional wheat.
Wheat rava is commonly confused with bombay rava. Although each could be used to make upma, it’s entirely different.
Unroasted Rava
As mentioned within the name it’s a non roasted rava. Essentially the most common rava which is on the market out there. In case you are using this, you have got to roast it prior cooking. Heat 1 tsp of oil or ghee and roast unroasted rava for minimum 3 to 4 minutes till flippantly golden in color. Once I add it into the onion mixture, I roast it again for jiffy. This manner my upma seems fluffy.
Most organic brands available out there is unroasted. Because it is just not roasted, it has very low shelf life. You’ve to store in fridge or freezer else it would get small bugs or insect.
Double Roasted Rava
I prefer to purchase this number of sooji since it has longer shelf life and I store them in pantry.
Although I take advantage of roasted suji when making upma, I prefer to roast it further for two to three minutes till golden brown which adds nutty aroma to the cooked upma.

Expert Suggestions
I actually have learnt many suggestions and tricks for making perfect upma from over a decade of experience. I’m sharing all the information here for you. Learn make upma with step-by-step pictures, video & guide with faq’s & expert suggestions.
Roasting Rava
This step is crucial to get best tasting upma. Even if you happen to use unroasted, single roasted or double roasted rava, I suggest you to roast it well before cooking.
In case you are using unroasted rava, roast them in a separate pan with some ghee or oil for jiffy. Double roasted rava doesn’t have to be roasted in a separate pan, as a substitute I roast them with the onion or vegetable mixture.
Rava & Water Ratio for Upma
Water to rava ratio totally depends to your taste and preference. The more water you utilize the softer the feel will likely be. I’m sharing the water ratio below so you may select how you would like your upma to be. The one thing you have got to have in mind is to make use of hot boiling water when cooking.
- 2 cups water : 1 cup rava – for fluffy suji ka upma which my family prefers.
- 21/2 cups water : 1 cup rava – cooking upma in heavy bottom pan like forged iron or ceramic will absorb more water.
- 3 cups water : 1 cup rava – softer upma which is equally delicious.
- 4 cups water : 1 cup rava – ends in kichadi like texture. I take advantage of this measurement for making rava kichadi.
Cooking Method
Pour hot water slowly while mixing the rava evenly for lump free upma. Also mix the sooji with the water till it get thick then cover the pan and cook. Once upma is cooked, you have got to let it rest covered for no less than 5 minutes before serving which makes the upma fluffier.
Ghee vs Oil
The mixture of oil and ghee enhances the flavour of the upma. I like to start out cooking the upma in oil. Ghee could be added ultimately for flavour.
Lentils & Nuts
Split urad dal, chana dal, peanuts and cashews adds crunchy texture to upma. Toasted nuts and lentils adds nutty aroma to upma.
The way to Make Upma (Stepwise Pictures)
Tempering spices
1)Heat oil in a kadai. Once oil is hot enough, add in chana dal

2)Now add in mustard seeds and urad dal. Allow them to sizzle till golden.

3)Add in asafoetida and curry leaves. I used asafoetida which is in gum form which I what I had available at that moment. You need to use powdered asafoetida which is what preferred.

4)Add in finely chopped onions, green chillies and grated ginger.

5)Saute for 1 minute till the raw smell leaves.

Roasting Rava
6)Add in suji | rava into the onion mixture and begin roasting.

7)I add a tsp of ghee when roasting the sooji for added aroma. This step is optional.

8)Although I used roasted suji, I prefer to roast it further for two to three minutes till golden brown which adds nutty aroma to the cooked Upma.

9)Meanwhile I took 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rava. Bring water to an excellent boil. It must be hot while you pour into the Upma.

Cooking Upma
10)Once the suji is roasted well, reduce the flame and pour the recent water little at time and blend gently till sooji starts to thicken.

11)Now the upma has thickened up.

12)Add a tbsp of ghee over the Upma. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves.

13)Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for five minutes.

14)After 5 minutes, open the lid, fluff up the upma and add extra 1 tbsp ghee, squeeze of lemon juice and blend.

15)Turn off the flame. Cover again and let the Upma sit covered for one more 5 minutes.

16)Serve hot with coconut chutney.

The way to Make Upma with Vegetables
Delicious and health upma made with a number of vegetables. On this version of upma preparation, I used mixed vegetables and turmeric powder for golden yellow color. Within the cooking upma, I used a mix of milk and water.
The important thing for a fantastic soft upma is you have got so as to add a generous amount of oil and ghee while making it and in addition a cup of milk will do the trick. Yes adding a cup of milk will make this upma so soft and delicious.

The way to Make Upma with Vegetables
1)For making this upma, I used 1cup of rava | suji. In a sauce pan. Take 1 cup water and 1 cup milk. Heat and convey this to a boil.

Tempering spices
2)Now let’s start making the upma. Heat oil and in a kadai or a pot. Add within the tempering spices and allow them to sizzle within the oil till golden brown.
- 3 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Channa dal
- 1 tsp Urad dal
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 10 Cashews
- ¼ tsp Asafoetida

3) Add in onions, green chillies and curry leaves within the oil and saute for 1 minute. Now add in all of the vegetables and saute for 3 to 4 minutes the raw smell from the vegetables leaves.
- 1 Onion chopped finely
- 3 Green Chilli chopped finely
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 1 tbsp Ginger minced
- 1 large Carrot chopped
- 5 Beans chopped

4)Add salt to taste.

5)I added 1 tsp of turmeric powder. You may skip this if you happen to want your upma to be white in color.

6)Add in suji | rava. I used roasted sooji. In case you are using un roasted suji, you have got to roast for five to six minutes to get it roasted.

Roasting sooji with vegetables
7)Although I used roasted suji, I prefer to roast it further for two to three minutes till golden brown which adds nutty aroma to the cooked Upma.

Milk in Rava Upma
8)Now pour in the recent water and milk mixture. As you pour, keep mixing it so no lumps are formed within the upma.

9)Cook upma on low flame. As you pour the water milk mixture the upma will begin to thicken almost immediately.

10)Now the upma has thickened well.

11)Cover the kadai with a lid and let it cook on low heat for 10 minutes.

12)Once it’s cooked, Add in a tbsp of ghee and blend well. Once mixed turn off the warmth and let it sit covered for one more 10 minutes.

13)Fluffy upma is able to serve. Enjoy with coconut chutney or sugar.
