Upma is a popular South Indian breakfast made with cream of wheat or semolina flour (called rava or suji locally), veggies, spices and herbs. The upma recipe I share here is adapted from my mom’s recipe and continues to be a favorite in my home. The ingredients used to flavor the rava upma (also called suji ka upma) give it a deliciously satisfying taste that will make this dish one of your new preferred go-to breakfasts.
About Upma Recipe
Upma is a flavorful, tasty, savory and popular South Indian breakfast that is made with cream of wheat or semolina flour (called rava or suji), a few lentils, nuts, vegetables, herbs and spices.
This traditional dish involves cooking roasted rava in water that has been flavored by ghee (or oil), cashews, urad dal (white lentils), chana dal (husked and split bengal gram), onion, ginger and additional herbs and spices. Sugar can be added for a mildly sweet and savory dish.
Table of Contents
This steaming hot breakfast dish can be made vegan by using oil instead of ghee. Full of warmth, flavor and deliciousness, this upma tastes so good. So why not take a break from that boring oatmeal and try something new? You can’t lose!
The main ingredient in any upma recipe is rava. Also called ‘suji’ or ‘sooji‘ in Hindi and ‘cream of wheat’ or ‘semolina’ in English, it is simply granulated wheat. Thus this breakfast food is known as Suji ka Upma in North India.
What really makes an upma recipe special are all the fried and sautéed ingredients that are used for tempering. These ingredients can vary depending on the recipe, but usually include some sweet, savory and nutty flavors.
Upma is a traditional breakfast served in restaurants throughout South India, including Maharashtra. It is also a common breakfast prepared in South Indian homes. In fact, upma was a regular breakfast or evening snack in my house while growing up.
What is Rava
Rava is coarsely ground wheat to a fine or semi-fine texture. It is not floury but has a fine grainy texture. Rava is also called cream of wheat or farina or semolina flour in English.
To make upma, use the finer textured rava. You can also use the rava variety sold as Bombay rava in the Indian market.
Pro Tip to Make Upma Quicker
This warm, homemade breakfast can be made relatively quickly, especially with this one easy tip. In the step-by-step photo guide below, you will see the first few steps of roasting the rava (cream of wheat).
This can easily be done ahead of time and I actually recommend roasting your rava and keeping it in an air-tight container right after purchase. This will help it stay good longer and prevent it from becoming moldy or spoiled.
Having your rava already roasted means this hot breakfast of upma recipe can be prepared in only 15 to 20 minutes. Roasted rava can also be used in a variety of other recipes, including Rava Cheela and Rava Pongal.
How to make Upma Recipe
Prep and Roast Rava
1. Prep the ingredients first to make upma recipe. Take 1 cup rava (fine variety) and set it aside. Next gather the aromatics, lentils, nuts, spices and herbs ready. You will need:
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon chopped green chillies
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (cilantro)
- 8 to 10 curry leaves
- 10 to 12 cashews
- 1 teaspoon chana dal (hulled and split bengal gram)
- 1 teaspoon urad dal (hulled and split black gram)
2. Heat a pan or kadai first. Add 1 cup rava or cream of wheat (fine variety).
3. Begin to roast the rava. Stir often while roasting the rava.
4. The rava or sooji grains should become fragrant and start to look dry, separate and crisp. Don’t brown the rava.
5. Once the rava becomes fragrant and starts to look dry and crisp, switch off the flame and put the roasted rava on a plate and set aside.
Fry and Sauté Spices, Nuts & Aromatics
6. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or oil. You could use sunflower oil or peanut oil or safflower oil or any neutral tasting oil.
7. Lower the heat. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds. When you hear the crackling sound of mustard seeds, it means they are getting fried.
8. Now add the following ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon chana dal (husked and split bengal gram)
- 1 teaspoon urad dal (husked and split black gram)
9. Stirring often fry until the chana dal and urad dal begin to brown a bit.
10. Immediately add 10 to 12 cashews and begin to fry on a low to medium-low heat.
11. By the time the cashews get golden the dals should also be golden.
12. Now add the ⅓ cup of finely chopped onions.
13. Sauté the onions until they soften and become translucent on a low to medium-low heat.
14. Then add 1 teaspoon chopped green chillies, 1 teaspoon chopped ginger and 8 to 10 curry leaves.
You can also add 1 dried red chilli (halved and with seeds removed) at this step.
15. Mix well and sauté for a few seconds.
Boil Water
16. Then add 2.5 cups water to this mixture.
17. Add salt as required. Mix well and check the taste of water. It should be a bit salty but not too much.
In case if the salt becomes less in the dish, you can always sprinkle some salt from the top when eating.
18. Then add ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar.
Sugar is optional and you can skip it. We prefer a slight sweet taste in the upma and hence we add it.
19. Stir again. On a medium to high flame, heat the water and let it come to a rolling boiling.
Make Rava Upma
20. When the water comes to a rolling boil, lower the flame to its lowest. Then add the rava in 4 to 5 batches with a spoon.
21. Once you add the first batch of rava, stir and mix immediately so that the roasted rava gets mixed evenly with the water.
22. Then add the next batch of rava. Mix and stir again very well ensuring that the batch of rava is mixed evenly in water.
23. Continue to add and stir the rava up to the last batch.
24. Quickly stir and mix very well. The rava grains will absorb water, swell and get cooked.
25. Cover and allow the rava upma to steam for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat.
26. Then turn off the heat. In the below photo, the rava is cooked well and the suji ka upma is ready.
27. Lastly add about 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves (cilantro). You can add more coriander leaves if you like.
28. Mix again.
30. Serve upma hot or warm with slices of lemon or a side of lemon pickle or coconut chutney.
You can opt to drizzle half to one teaspoon of ghee while serving. If you like you can garnish with some coriander leaves.
I also sprinkle some sev (fried gram flour vermicelli) on upma while serving. Though this is not the way upma is traditionally served, the folks at home prefer this Mumbai style. You can also serve it with idli podi.
Expert Tips
- Roasting rava: For an even roasting or toasting of rava, you need to stir rava often on a low or medium-low heat of the pan. See for signs of color change and the rava granules looking separate, crisp with a nice toasted aroma.
- Adding rava in batches: Always add rava to the hot water in batches. After adding each batch mix the rava evenly with the water. This ensures that your upma will turn smooth and soft.
- Fats: Upma recipe can be made with both ghee (clarified butter) or oil. With ghee the suji ka upma tastes better though. You can even drizzle a bit of ghee when serving upma. I also on occasions make upma with coconut oil. You can use oils like sunflower oil or safflower oil or peanut oil or any neutral tasting oil.
- Rava and water proportion: For a softer rava upma, you can use the proportion of 1:2.5 or 3 for rava and water respectively. Which means that for 1 cup of fine rava you can add 2.5 to 3 cups water.
- Variations: There are a few variations, you can make like tomato upma recipe or vegetable upma or even ragi rava upma. I have listed them in the FAQs section below.
- Serving suggestions: Upma is best served piping hot or warm. Like me, you can top it up with some sev or bhujia with a drizzle of lemon juice. You can even serve suji ka upma with coconut chutney or lemon pickle or idli podi.
- Scaling and storing: You can easily halve or double this recipe. Leftover rava upma can be refrigerated for a couple of days. You can even freeze it. While reheating, sprinkle some water and reheat the upma in a pan.
FAQs
Use Kesari rava or Bombay rava as they are a fine variety of rava. Idli rava is used for making idli.
Yes, you can. Check the method I have listed in the below question.
Either steam the vegetables separately and then add once the rava is mixed with the water.
Or after sautéing onions, add the veggies (grated carrots, green peas, grated potatoes, finely chopped french beans, chopped capsicum) and sauté until lightly golden. Add water and follow the recipe. You can garnish upma with grated coconut.
Upma becomes lumpy when the rava is not mixed very well with the water. So add rava in batches and mix each batch of rava evenly in the water.
Remember to use fine rava for this recipe. If you use a coarser rava, you will have to add more water so that the upma does not become lumpy.
Rava has to be roasted very well. If the rava is not roasted properly the upma will become sticky.
More Questions Answered
Can I skip green chillies?
Yes, you can. Some crushed black pepper can be added in place of green chillies.
Can I add peanuts?
Yes, you can add peanuts. Fry or roast the peanuts separately and then add as a topping or garnish on the upma while serving.
Can I add tomatoes?
You can add tomatoes. Add them when the onions soften. Then sauté until the tomatoes soften.
How to make ragi rava upma?
Roast both the rava and ragi flour separately. Follow this recipe. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the rava and ragi.
Depending on the amount of ragi and rava added you will need to increase the water quantity. Do roast ragi really well as undercooked ragi can cause stomach aches.
What is urad dal and chana dal and what are their english names?
Chana dal is called Bengal gram in English. These are black chickpea lentils. Urad dal are called as black lentils or white lentils.
They are shaped like mung beans except that the husk is black in color and the lentils are in white color. The other name for it is vigna mungo or black matpe beans.
More Tasty Upma Variants To Try!
Breakfast Recipes
Bread Snacks
Breakfast Recipes
South Indian Food Recipes
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Upma Recipe (South Indian Rava Upma)
Ingredients
For roasting rava
- 1 cup rava – finer variety (sooji or cream of wheat or semolina)
Other ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter) or oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon chana dal (split and husked bengal gram)
- 1 teaspoon urad dal (split and husked black gram)
- 10 to 12 cashews – optional
- ⅓ cup onions – finely chopped or 1 medium-sized onion
- 1 teaspoon green chilli – chopped or 1 green chilli
- 1 teaspoon ginger – finely chopped or 1 inch ginger
- 1 sprig curry leaves or 10 to 12 curry leaves
- 2.5 cups water
- salt as required
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar or add as required, optional
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves – chopped (cilantro)
Instructions
Preparation
- Finely chop 1 medium sized onion, 1 to 2 green chillies and 1 inch ginger and some coriander leaves.
- Also set aside the remaining ingredients.
Roasting rava
- Heat a pan or kadai first. Add rava or cream of wheat.
- Begin to roast the rava. Stir often while roasting the rava.
- The rava or sooji grains should become fragrant and start to look dry, separate and crisp. Don’t brown the rava.
- Switch off the flame and then add the roasted rava in a plate and keep aside.
Frying and sautéing
- In a pan, heat ghee or oil. add the mustard seeds.
- When you hear the crackling sound of mustard seeds, it means they are getting fried.
- Now add the cumin seeds along with chana dal and urad dal.
- Fry till they begin to brown a bit or get lightly golden
- Immediately add cashews and begin to fry. By the time, the cashews get golden the lentils will also get golden.
- Now add the finely chopped onions. Saute the onions till they become translucent.
- Then add the chopped green chilly, ginger, curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds. You can also add 1 dried red chilli at this step.
Boiling water
- Then add 2.5 cups water, sugar and salt as required. Mix well and check the taste of water. It should be a bit salty but not too much.
- Sugar is optional and you can skip it.
- On a medium to high flame, heat the water and let it come to a rolling boiling.
Making upma
- When the water comes to a rolling boil, lower the flame to its lowest. Then add the rava in 4 to 5 batches with a spoon.
- Once you add the rava, mix and stir immediately. The entire batch of rava should get mixed with the water evenly. Then add the next batch of roasted rava. Mix and stir again.
- This way keep on adding and stirring the rava up to the last batch.
- Quickly stir and mix well. The rava grains absorb water and thus swell and get cooked.
- Cover and allow the rava upma to steam for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat.
- Then switch off the flame. Here the rava is cooked and the upma is ready.
- Lastly add chopped coriander leaves. Mix again.
- Serve upma with coconut chutney or lime slices or lime pickle.
Video
Notes
- Roasting rava: The rava has to be roasted evenly. For this you need to stir rava often on a low or medium-low heat of the pan. See for the signs of the color change and the rava granules looking separate, crisp with a nice toasted aroma.
- Adding rava in batches: Always add rava to the hot water in batches. After adding each batch mix the rava evenly with the water. This will make sure that your upma will turn smooth and soft.
- Avoiding lumpy and sticky upma: To avoid lumps add rava in batches and mix each batch of rava very well with the water. Remember to use fine rava for this recipe. If you use a coarser rava, you will have to add more water so that it does not become lumpy. If the rava is not roasted properly the upma will become sticky.
- Oil or ghee: You can easily make upma with either oil or ghee. With ghee the upma tastes better though. You can even drizzle a bit of ghee when serving upma.
- Rava and water proportion: For a softer rava upma, you can use the proportion of 1:2.5 or 3 for rava and water respectively. Which means that for 1 cup of fine rava you can add 2.5 to 3 cups water.
- Serving suggestions: Upma is best served hot or warm. You can top it up with some sev or bhujia with a drizzle of lemon juice. You can even serve upma with coconut chutney or lemon pickle or idli podi.
- Scaling and storing: You can easily halve or double this recipe. Leftover upma can be refrigerated for a couple of days. You can even freeze it. While reheating, sprinkle some water and reheat the upma in a pan or microwave.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Upma recipe from the archives was first published on August 2009. It has been updated on November 2024.
I’ll try this recipe tomorrow.
Really tasty
I made this upma today, following your recipe. It was really tasty. I have made it earlier but always turns out lumpy. Mixing in batches is an amazing idea. It also helps newbies to control the speed at which rava is soaking in the water.
Thank you for the feedback on the upma recipe. Agree adding rava in batches makes for a non-lumpy texture and also helps in mixing the rava evenly with the rest of the ingredients.
Amazing and simple recipe as always 👍. I love cooking inspite of being a surgeon. Your recipes make the tasks more enjoyable.
Thanks a lot and nice to know.
How many ml is your cup please?
approx 240 ml.
I tried your recipe and it turned out to be super tasty. Thank you Dassana. I often follow your recipes. They are easy and manageable and moreover tastiest ever.
Welcome and thank you for sharing a lovely feedback on upma as well as other recipes. Glad to know. Happy cooking.
I tried out your recipe and the upma turned out SUPERB! Thank you Dassana for sharing
Wonderful, thank you, Dassana 🙏
Welcome Ana.
Though it is a breakfast item, it goes well for lunch as well since I don’t eat breakfast. And yes, all your recipes are great!
Thank you.
Can’t see ur video link
The video plays on top of the page and as you scroll down it will keep on playing on top. Hope this helps.
Made upma for the first time, following your recipe completely. It came out super tasty!!! Best part, hubby who hates upma, loved it!!
Thanks a ton!!
I always follow you for any new recipes I want to make.
Wonderful and thanks for sharing. Nice to know. Thanks for the rating too.
All your recipes are great
Thanks so much Asha.
This turned out so good. Thanks for making our day
I’m a diabetes patient. Also I’m a vegetarian. I want south and north Indian & also Maharashtrian breakfast receipes.
I have tagged many recipes Indian cuisine wise (links below). Kindly also go through the menu shown on top. I have not categorized recipes with a diabetic friendly tag. But I have shared some recipes which are diabetic friendly.
– For North Indian recipes – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/recipes/north-indian-recipes/
– Maharashtrian Recipes – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/recipes/maharashtrian-cuisine/
Hi, that really looks so good. I was wondering if you have tried upma with malgapodi. It is a combination that goes really well!
Yes, I have tried and it is so good. Thanks for reminding. Got to make upma soon and have it with the podi!
Thanks.
What a beautiful way of displaying how to make upma! I have made it several times before, but never does it taste as well as how my Indian husband makes it. Your thorough but simple presentation with pictures rates a perfect 5 for me! Thank you!
Thanks lot for the feedback on the presentation and for the rating as well. Welcome.
Hi, I never usually comments on sites. But I have been following your recipes religiously. I didn’t cook ever, then had my son and that’s when I started. I find your recipes easy to follow I do not get nervous, they are my go too! Till date everyone enjoys what I have made from your site. I tell everyone about your recipes/site. I now enjoy cooking. This Upma recipe is one of my favourites! So a big THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for the kind words and the super feedback. So glad to read your comment. I feel good to know that you enjoy cooking. I personally feel when we cook for our loved ones, we should enjoy cooking as well cook with love. Thanks again and most welcome.
Nice but it does not mention adding salt. I went through the recipe because I was adding the correct amount of water. Now things are better with my upma. I also add finely chopped carrots and beans, which give it a nice taste.
I have mentioned adding salt both in the step-by-step photo guide as well as in the recipe card. I am not sure how you have missed this. Yes you can add veggies like carrots, beans etc and they give a good taste. Thanks for the feedback.
I tried upma yesterday as per ur recipe and it turned out super perfect and tasty. I just love your recipes, the presentation of recipes are so wonderful.
Thank for the lovely feedback. Glad to know. Happy cooking.
I always like your recepies. I have made previous recipes. It turned out v.good. Thanx. Keep in touch
Thank you Rekha.
Bhai sau baat ki ek baat ! Kuch bhi banane se pehle aapka blog dekho copy karo aur master chef ban jao bahot man se banati hai aap aur mehnat se likhti hai tabhi sabka khana itne dur rehke bhi perfect ban jata hai
bahut bahut dhanyawad aapka. aapka comment padh ke achcha laga. wish you all the best.
Awesome recipe…
thank you.
Peas & carrots, thinly sliced one small potato can also be added to this recipe. Garnish with grated coconut.
I made this today and my family loved it. Since my inlaws can’t have chilli and husband and I love spicy after removing the non spicy portion I fried some chillies in lil oil and added to the upma and we enjoyed the spicy version while inlaws enjoyed the original version. Thank for your recipes
thank you nausheen for the review and rating on upma recipe. thanks also for the chilli tip. it will help readers too. welcome and happy cooking.
Made upma for the first time and it turned perfect with this recipe!!!
thank you rashmi for this super feedback. happy cooking.
Hey Dassana
Loving the new look site. Just wanted to say thank you for all your perfect recipes. I have been visiting your site and using your recipes since 2011 and they never fail me! Love this upma recipe and haven’t made in a long time – will enjoy it today!
Thankyou for this super recipe…I have been making upma for so long but today after trying your method I realised I never made it that tasty and so fast????????
I have been following your recipies for almost 4 yrs now.. and I’ve never missed the mark. Thanks for sharing these recipes. And the Upma was delicious.
thank you loreta. glad to read your feedback on the recipes and also on the upma recipe. happy cooking.
Very useful guidance
Thank you for sharing. Made for a perfect Sunday breakfast!! 🙂
Welcome Mischelle
This was a success! Thank you so much. My older daughter who pretty much hates Upma grudgingly said it was okay 🙂 My younger one loved it!
thanks tannaz for sharing this. glad that your kids liked the recipe. happy cooking.
I hail from north India and never had upma at home. I absolutely loved upma whenever we ate outside. We tried many recipes but it never quite matched the ones at restaurants. Thanks for this recipe. Just two questions: can we cook in the same way if we add veggies like carrots, peas,etc. The amount of water is o.k. or do we need to add twice the amount of water as suji.
yes cook in the same way, if you add vegetables. yes the amount of water is fine. for a very smooth texture in upma, you can add 3 cups water for 1 cup of fine rava. add the vegetables once the ginger, green chillies and curry leaves are sauteed. after adding vegetables saute them for a minute. then add the water and bring to a boil. you can also cover the pan while cooking vegetables. make sure to finely chop the carrots or beans.
Dear Dassana,
Greetings from Bahrain♥️
I’m a good blogger myself and come from a family of foodies both maternal and paternal. We are hard core meat eaters but today I thought I’ll try something that’s 100% Vegetarian (except the ghee of course ????) and my husband just loved it. There was a perfect balance of salt spice and sweetness. I’m gonna start following most of your recipes going forward cz they are all foolproof unlike most recipes you come across. Keep up the good work hun!
Love!
thank you nisha. first of all i wish you all the best in food blogging. it was nice to read your feedback on upma recipe and i am glad that your family liked it. thanks again. sure do try the recipe and i hope you like them.
It was awesome …today for the first time i cooked upma n was delicious as my mom said… Tqsm for the reciepe
thats nice to know and thanks for sharing. happy cooking.
I never ever got my upma right till I followed this recipe.The step by step pictures with detailed explanation is of great help.My husband just loved it and now even I have become a great fan of this dish.(I always hated upma).It tastes just awesome with a little topping of ghee.
that is nice to know winnie. thanks for sharing this honest feedback and the rating as well. yes a bit of ghee tastes good.
any recipe if made well can be liked and loved even by people who do not like it. sometimes we do not have good memories with food when it is not made correctly and we avoid these dishes. eg i never liked the thai curries that is served in restaurants. it is too sweet for my taste. but once i made it home many years back and i have been making them often. the homemade ones taste exactly like the way a thai curry should authentically taste.
Hi Dassana. Tasty Upma recipe. Made this today and everyone in my family liked it. The pictures with details are really helpful and easy. Thanks for sharing.
thanks for the feedback saumya and rating as well. happy cooking.
Can we add peanuts????
yes, you can add peanuts. but fry or roast the peanuts separately and then add. if you add with the onions, the peanuts will not get cooked properly. also add the peanuts once the upma is cooked so that they don’t become soft and have their crunch.
Hi….I just made this recipe… turned out so nice…. thanks so much….
Easy to follow.
Great tasty, very nutritious !!
thanks for the feedback and review.
I was alone at home.
I tried it. My first attempt was tasty, healthy..
Thank to you.
I earned a good cooking confidence now.
Achievement for me.
Simple explanation, easy to refer.
thanks ratnajit. glad to know. i have replied to your earlier comment as well.
This is a fantastic recipe. Never before has Upma tasted so awesome!! Thank you so much for this.
Welcome Dr. Himangi. Glad to know that you liked this upma recipe.
Dear Dassana
I tried this recipes and turned out awesome.
I have prepared Upma several time before but it never taste as per expectation.
But your recipe has made the dish finger licking.
Thanks
Welcome Namita. Glad to know that you liked the upma recipe posted here. do try some more recipes.
hi – v nice recipe – but i used half the quantity of rave (1 bowl equal to 125 grams) – if i have used 250 gems, i’m afraid it wouldn’t have turned out so nice – what do you think? thanks
vini, the rava mentioned here is not 250 grams. it is 1 cup. 1 cup rava weighs about 165 grams. the measuring cup used is 250 ml cup. now any ingredient added in this cup will weigh differently depending on its density. so 1 cup of rice weighs 200 grams, 1 cup of whole wheat flour weighs 120 grams. hope this helps.
I made this today and it turned out great. I made a few modifications according to our taste but the overall result was fabulous. It was polished off in 5 minutes. Thanks for the recipe
thats nice to know cynella and thank you for this lovely feedback.
I tried this recipe and the upma turned out very tasty. Thanks.
Welcome Paankhuri. Glad to know this.
I followed all the steps and it turned out to be super delicious. I love all your recipes.. best wishes
Thanks Karnika for your positive feedback on recipes.
Hello dear
Today morning i tried the recipe and it came out too good. It was not at all sticky. As i always use to get. Thanks a lot lot lot for sharing.????
Welcome Anamika. Glad to know this.
Super I really like your recipe.
Thanks Sahana
Hi all your recipes are very yummy and easy to prepare even for beginners like me .. Thanks a lot !!! Going to try rava Upma today ..
Welcome Spykid
Hi Dassana…..simply well explained with pictures….. going to try now…. thanks ya
Welcome Kohila
Hi,i tried but my upma is stick, what could be the reason?
Kani, the rava has to be roasted very well.
Hi Dassana,
Tried your rawa upma. Was awesome. Thanx a ton
thanks a lot louiza for this feedback. welcome.
my upma always turns out too sticky…what could be the reason?
roast the upma very well. could be the upma is not getting roasted well and hence the stickiness.
Lovely, easy to follow, hv already made it twice in last 3 days 🙂
Thanks Anil for your positive feedback on upma.
Tried it today and it turned out too good. Added grated coconut and lime juice towards end .
Thanks Seema for sharing your positive feedback and variation.
HI .
I really liked this recipie.
It came out awesome.
Thank u
Welcome B Atulya
Hi Dassana,
Thanks for this awesome recipe. I am having some trouble with rava/sooji with upma and also halva. I find it very hard to tell when it’s roasted enough. Could you provide how long roughly it takes to roast the rava in this recipe? I do look for the distinct fragrance of properly roasted rava, but it seems my untrained senses can’t properly tell the difference. Are there any other tell tale signs?
Many thanks for your help 🙂
Welcome Kate. You can roast for 4 to 5 minutes on a low flame. The color will change and the grains will look separate and crisp. There will be a nice roasted aroma coming from the sooji.
I really love your way of cooking and explained well so even learners can cook better. ….
Thanks for your valuable time
I prepared today upma it came out so delicious my family liked it. ..
Welcome Deepthi. Glad to know this. Thanks for your appreciation.
For us in Kerala, Upma is something that my mum cooks for breakfast whenever she feels too lazy… except that she doesn’t put any coriander or cumin or sugar while cooking…in Kerala, its often eaten with sugar or with a ripe banana!!
sree, thanks for sharing the kerala variation of upma. this recipe is my family version and more like the maharashtrian style of preparing upma.
since im a Msc student…i find difficult to cook n go for classes. ..i found ur blog recently. ..
all ur recipes r yummy n easy to prepare. …today i tried upma…it was really so tasty. ….thanks a lot ji…..ur site is really helpful. …
welcome bhargavi, thanks for positive feedback. glad you liked the upma recipe.
I tried Upma your way it was great , thanks.
welcome and thanks for positive views.
I made it yesterday and it tastes so good, but it was too sticky like dough. why is that so? any suggestions?
less water. did you use fine rava or coarse rava. usually the proportions are 1:2 for rava and water respectively. for a more smooth silky consistency, the proportion will be 1:2.5 or 3 for rava and water. these proportions are for fine rava. if using a coarser rava, then the water proportion will increase. hope this helps.
Thanks for the recipe, i cooked myself and really enjoyed the delicious taste of upma.
thank you sunil for the positive views, glad you liked the upma.
Your recipes are so simple to follow, and never fail to please. Have tried most of them, with success. Recently, had something called”ragi upma”,can you guide me, at which stage, I should add the ragi powder? Thanks
thanks margaret. first roast both the rava and ragi flour. you can either roast them separately or together. then when the water comes to a rolling boil, add the ragi and rava together. depending on the amount of ragi you will add along with the rava, you need to increase the water amount. also cook ragi really well as if not cooked well, then it can cause stomach aches.
I made it today morning, it taste awesome. I tried so many recipes of urs and they are simply amazing.Today is my daughter’s 10 months bday and I will make black Forest cake and will post the pics also.
pleased to know this shivangi 🙂 thank you for your positive feedback. surely try the cake and let us know how it was? please do wish your daughter a happy birthday on behalf of us.
This turned out to be the best recipe..thank you so much! 🙂
welcome aditi and thankyou for your positive feedback 🙂
Nice recipe. I loved the crunch of dals and cashew.
Thanks for the recipe! This is delicious. I omitted the cashews as I don’t really like them, but the dish still turned out great. My husband loves Upma!
thankyou lily 🙂
Nice idea
I always find your recipes perfect.. Whenever I follow your recipe for any new item, it turns out ‘awesomely’ delicious. Thanks a lot..
pleased to know this kalpita thankyou so much for your kind and positive words 🙂 and you are welcome.
I made upma, first time in my life, and it turned out to be delicious. Thanks to you.
glad to know this and thankyou 🙂
I liked very much
the upma recipe.
Thank you.
welcome mushtaq glad you liked the upma recipe 🙂
Beginner in cooking and this recipe received compliment from my husband 🙂
pleased to know this shami thankyou so much 🙂
Had forgotten my mum’s instructions and needed a revision.
thank you. 🙂
welcome always harish 🙂
hii Dassana,how are you..i have tried so many recipes..the way u put up all ur recipes is wonderful n very easy…even my 10 month old son enjoys eatin them…thank you n congrats…keep up the good work…
glad to know your baby also enjoys our recipes 🙂 thankyou so much and god bless you.
Upma recipe worked beautifully! It is a challenge to make good upma, I have tried several recipes and foaled despite using more ghee ;)…this was spot on…been trying a lot of your recipes lately…thanks dassana!
thankyou divya for trying so mnay recipes 🙂 glad you liked the upma recipe.
Easy way to a yummy upma recipie. Luv ur recipies and step by step illustrations. It does help m in making delicious food fr my fmly. Thanks a lot ?
thankyou naila and you are welcome god bless you.
I often visit your site to look at the recipes. I love it how you illustrate them. I made Upma and it came out delicious.
thankyou harshita pleased to know this and we are glad you liked the upma recipe 🙂
I am from central India, and have recently shifted to Hyderabad. Here, there is a huge variety of rava that is available including kesari rava, idli rava, bombay rava etc. According to you which one should I opt for?
you can try with bombay rava which is a fine variety of rawa. the rawa variety should be fine. idli rawa is for making idlis.
I also made it before…but today mor I followed ur recipe step…it was perfectly made…and made more delicious than before thanks lot..
welcome ritu. nice to know this.
Very nice and simple recipe. You could add some vegetables too like beans, peas or carrots. Thanks
welcome nupur. thanks for your suggestion.
It is very tasty. thank u for upma recipe…
welcome shalini
Made it this morning Dassana. Delicious! Thanks for a perfect recipe. I even impressed myself!
welcome tina. glad to know this.
For any recipe i go with this blog only.. how one can b so perfect in every single dish.. Upma came out so tasty.. I added tomato as well coz I luv d flavor. The way u detail ur recipes by showing pics step by step helps a lotttttts. Keep blogging. Thnku 4 such amazing recipes
welcome shalini. thanks for sharing your kind words and positive feedback.
This is a very useful website,and i am learning lots of recipes here. That help for maintaining my kitchen and to keep my family happy.i always love this website and thankful to you. One request please see various types of cakes recipes.
thanks monalisa for sharing positive feedback. i have shared many eggless cakes recipes. kindly use the search icon or search form to find the relevant recipes.
Thanks for recipe. Today I will try it for breakfast
welcome pallav
Hi dasanna!! Tried for the first time..usually don’t like upma..came out really well..picture process was of great help..Enjoying with cousins… 🙂 thank you!!
welcome pooja. thanks for sharing positive feedback on upma recipe.
Awesome links.. the recipes are too good.. 🙂
thanks sneha
If you want kharabhath like in MTR follow this
Rava/semolina medium should be roasted till light red with little oil and let it completely cool. (Good tip is use iron wok/ copper one which results in even roast)
Take thick bottom kadayi add oil, mustard seeds when it starts spluttering add chana dal, urad dal and green chilies. When dal turns color add finely jullioned onions, carrots, capsicum, French beans and fresh peas.
Then add salt, sugar and vangibath powder and fry them till they lightly caramelizes. And then add 2 cups of hot water, let it boil for a minute. (Good tip is make sure there is extra hot water available if necessary)
Then add a cup of semolina slowly while stirring. And cover with lid and lower the I intensity of fire.
Let it cook for good 10 min and then open lid add ghee (more the merrier) and coriander/cilantro.
You can enjoy this upma/ kharabhath with coconut chutney.
thanks again madhusudhan for sharing the method. i will give it a try.
Hi Dassana, Will you please tell me what kind of rava should I use for Upma. Is it fine rava or thick rava. I want to try it out since my daughter loves upma.
vanessa, use fine rava. thick rava gives a different texture. i have used both but my family prefers fine rava.
After tadka just add Jullion carrot, capsicum, French beans and peas. Add some sugar and salt, fry until veggies caramelises. Then add couple of tablespoons of vangibath powder, quick stir fry and hot water and semolina will yield Kharabhath just like in Brahmin’s coffee bbar or vidhyarithi bhavan hotel.
thanks madhusudhan for this excellent suggestion. i will give it a try.
Thanks for the excellent Upma recipe. It tastes just perfect. The pics make it much easy to understand. Tell me can I make Vermicelli upma the same way instead of using Rava? My friend had once offered it to me, but I forgot to ask him the recipe.
welcome smitha. glad to know this. i have already posted vermicelli upma recipe. kindly use the search icon or search button to get the recipe.
Thanks! It turned out awesome! N this was my first time with rawa upma!
welcome praveena
Hi. Thanks for the recipe. I made this for the first time and it came out perfect! The pictures really help! I can make this with mixed vegetables for the kids. Thank you!!!!
welcome aman. glad to know that you liked the recipe.
upma receipe is superb . Its very yummy but u can add like groundnut and peas also .
thanks rashmi. i know many people add them.
This was the best and the easiest recipe of Upma ever! I’m a Mumbai girl too and I love the Upma served in all the Udipi restaurants in Mumbai n I was looking for the exact same recipe. Thank you so much! And thank you more for going through the trouble of clicking a picture at each step. That is most important, it makes us know what the food is supposed to look like at each step so we know we are going in the right direction. The step by step pictures were the best and most helpful. Thank you once again! 🙂
welcome divya. glad to know that you like the dish. thanks for sharing your positive feedback on pictorial presentation of recipe.
Good and easy .I picked a lot from here.thanks dassana!
welcome srinka.
I consider myself a pretty hopeless cook. I’ve been following your recipes and it’s truly amazing I can make good food :)) thank you for sharing with us, God bless!!
Welcome Chitown-eg. glad to know that that recipes are helping you in cooking good food. thanks for sharing your positive feedback and blessings.
I have recently married and for me its really important to cook good in order to keep him impressed and also away from market food items. Although I have been making upma for long but your recipe gave my upma,altogether a different taste and aroma. Made it for breakfast today alongwith Tea and namkeen bhujia ..he loved it.Its really healthy and good for people who are weight conscious or likes to eat different dishes every morning.. Just like him.Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
A query: What if I try some tomatoes too alongwith onion ..will it give a good sour taste to upma as I had once tried and it was really tasty! And how to make the chana daal more crispy?
P.S : And of course the picture you have posted along increases the hunger..:-)
thanks a lot komal. wishing you all the best for your future. you can add tomatoes. in fact i was planning to add tomato upma recipe. fry the chana dal till they get a nice golden. they won’t be crisp but they will have a crunch.
Thank you so much…well I did try tomatoes and it was yummy 🙂
Liked it so much that made it for the breakfast for 3 consecutive days
welcome komal. thats nice to know.
It is probably the best description I have seen .The images really glorify even a simple recipe and make it look appetizing . Thanks for sharing the recipe in such a beautiful way.
welcome shubham. thanks for your appreciation.
I am a maharashtrian and we also make upma for breakfast quite often… But the way you have described this recipe Mr Amit, even upma haters in my family will start loving this dish. You write so passionately and what lovely detailed photographs!! Loved your blog!
Simply awesome!!! 😀
thanks avanti for your encouraging words. its because i love upma and grown up eating it.
I loved the tip about keeping the semolina in air tight container. It is indeed very helpful for making quick breakfast. And of course, upma is one of the most tastiest south Indian dishes I have ever came across.
I remember, during my college days, I wasn’t allowed to cook a lot in the kitchen of my rented apartment. I was allowed to make stuff like maggi, tea only. And upma came to my rescue then.
However, I usually get confused with the recipe and I always get surprised by the kind of outcome I get while preparing upma. 😛 Looks Like I should book mark this recipe and keep it with me until I perfect the art of making upma 😉
thanks manpreet. glad to know your experience. i agree upma is a quick and tasty dish for breakfast. i hope you like the recipe.
Yummy…………!!!!!! My favourite upma recipe. Thank u so muchh.
welcome sriranjani
Very nice direction. After reading the recepie supplied by you I have corrected the procedure I knew in general. Thanks.
welcome tapas. glad to know this.
Whenever I want to cook something I always visit ur blog. Very easy to cook reciepes with step by step pictures. Thanks for making cooking so interesting and easy.
welcome arti. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive feedback on website.
Hi dassana,
Can’t tell you how much dependable your blog is to me 🙂 I love veggies and I have totally bowled my hubby with your recipes.
Esp for proportions, I cook for me and my husband, so your quantities match me perfectly.
I have one basic issue with recipes like these which require to fry chana/urad dal.
My dals turn very hard after the dish is done. Not sure why. I don’t fry them too much, but still happens.
Please advise why it could be happening and how do I avoid it?
thanks a lot aimee. they do turn hard when fried in dishes like these. for a softer texture, i would suggest to soak them in warm water for 30 to 40 minutes. drain and then fry them. they will be soft. usually when i make coconut chutneys too, the fried urad dal in the tadka has a bite. even for masala dosa, potato filling, i soak the chana dal and then add. this way they texture is softer.
I really enjoyed your upma recipe. This was just perfect for a quick hot lunch.
Thank you.
welcome manisha
Hello
ive been collecting all the ingredients from here and there, i just need to find the lentils for the dals. I know its silly of me, i got the semolina but i dont know how to roast it…. can u pls tell me? 🙂 i saw some ways on youtube but i prefer your way.
heat up a shallow pan and just add the semolina. on a low flame continuously stirring, dry roast the semolina till the grains become fragrant. you will see a slight change in color too, but don’t make them brown. then remove them on a plate carefully. since if they spread, it becomes kind of difficult to clean up.
i love this site. the best thing about is the step by step process of cooking through the PICTURES. thank-you. hope you post more pictures for these recipes, some of them don’t have it. It becomes so much easier to follow it visually. thanks
welcome sama and thanks for sharing your suggestion. yes, some recipes don’t have step by step photos. we are slowly updating those posts with step by step photos.
I tried kanda batata poha recipe it is amazing to cook !!!!!!!
thanks zinal
delicious thanks to my buddy atul
I made this today morning it’s turn out so delicious and parefct
Thanks for sharing
welcome madhuri
Wonderful 5 stars recipe! I made it today and loved it. I always try making Upma, but somehow doesn’t get taste right. I loved it today, when is made it with your recipe. Thanks a lot.
welcome sofiya. glad to know that you liked this upma recipe.
Hey I absolutely adore your website is there a way u can msg me all receipes new and ols ones as I love all the receipes. Many thanks
welcome shareen. there is no way, i can not email or send all recipes.
Awesome recipe!Tried upma for the first time and turned out perfect..Thanks for a wonderful recipe..Keep up the goodwork
welcome.
Nice, ravai vs water quantity is clearly mentioned. i get stuck during the rava cooking time. how much time is needed for the rava to cook in water?.
i have never measured the time. so not sure how much it takes. i usually see the consistency and know if the rava is cooked well or not.
Tried this recipe for my mom today. She is getting on in her years and has blood sugar. She can’t eat a lot of things she once used to enjoy. This worked beautifully even without the sugar. A big hug and thanks from my mom and me 🙂
thanks geetanjali for this sweet comment. please give me regards to your mother.
I just now subscribed, Dassana :). Your site is amazing. Gonna make upma again today ♡
thanks naznin
I tried it today with pretty much all the ingredients save urad dhal and cashews, I didn’t have them. This turned out really delicious. Thanks for this great recipe! I felt like a child again eating it.
welcome jacob. nice to know you liked the upma so much.
I made this just now!. I loved it and more than that my husband absolutely loved it. Called it special :). Thank you so much for posting this online. Happy new year!
welcome naznin. happy new year to you and your family.
very nice and simple dish
hello,
I live in Austria , and I do not knwo what •1 tbsp chana dal/spilt and skinned bengal gram
•½ tbsp urad dal/spilt and skinned
is , Im originally from Banglore and miss the sounth indian food as my wife is Austrian,
what si urad dal and skinned bengal gram is there an english name for it.
Regards
Baldwin
chana dal is called as bengal gram in english. these lentils are made from black chickpeas.
urad dal are called as black lentils or white lentils. they are shaped like mung beans except that the husk is black in color and the lentils are in white color. i referred wiki and the other name for it is vigna mungo.
Really a very simple and easy understandable recipes.Thanks to the author
Welcome SUBRAMANIAM
Good recipe for upma. Thanks for the same.
welcome calvin
Thanx for this wonderfully delicious and easy to make recipe. I followed Thangavel’s suggestion of adding semolina and it worked very well. Not much stirring needed and no lumps!
thanks and welcome.
Very simple and tasty recipe. I tried it and it taste lovely. Pl send me sambhar recipe and chatny recipe.
sanjay, i have alread posted sambar and many chutney recipes in the blog. please search using the google search provided in the blog.
My mom used to toss in a few other veggies to sneak in additional nutrition… Usually in the form of a hand full of finely chopped carrots at the same time as onions. No sugar needed then as the carrots add a sweetness to the recipe :). I’ll need to try your version with my mom’s tips in mind!!
carrots and peas if added do add a sweetness of their own. my folks at home do not like carrots in upma…peas are still ok. so i don’t add carrots to upma.
Easy for married bachelor cooks. I made it for my wife . Now its like you have to teach me all cusines 😛
ramees, keep visiting the blog and try the recipes and slowly you will become a good cook.
Umm its tasty
It was really nice. Thanks for the receipe…..Me and my husband really liked it
Just made this dish for the first time and followed your recipe. I am new with Indian food. I was very happy with the result and my husband really loved it. Thank you!
Will try today. Looks good.
Thanks
It looks nice and tasty only tongue can judge i will try it tomorrow.
It looks nice and tasty only tongue can judge i will try it tomorrow
When water gets boiled, the flame should be brought under simmering. The semolina should be sprinkled by hand round the kadai quickly in the boiling water. The Rava need not be stirred with spoon, simultaneously. Immediately after adding rava, the kadai should be covered with air tight lid, and under this circumstances, cook under simmering for 4–6 minutes depending upon the quantity. After the time period, open the lid. We can see the rava in uniformly cooked condition. Now it can be mixed with spoon for few seconds if needed add little ghee. Sprinkle coriander leaves and mint. The upma is ready for serve.
thanks for your tips and suggestions.
Cooked it the first time simply by reading it and boy, my cook was suprised . I think its one of the most amazing upma that I have eaten.
thanks pankaj.
U don’t mention about water.
i have mentioned 2 or 2 and 1/4 cups water in the ingredient list. you might have overlooked it.
really nice and easy to make…i like it very much
thanks sonam
hi, my husband is upma fan, but in 5 years first time he liked upma made by me.
All thanks to u.
thanks khushboo for writing this positive feedback. i am glad both of you liked the upma recipe.
I am an upma fan but at one time got bored of the rava upma. So happened to try cornmeal upma recipe and that turned out to be quite a success!
Excellent recipe…I made edible upma for the first time in 12years of cooking!
allow this cooking journey to flower.
I like it. Quick and easy.
MY problem is ammount of Water. For 1 cup suji what how much cup Water ?
the water amount is already mentioned in the ingredients list.
I really like it when folks come together and
share ideas. Great website, continue the
good work!
Hi I just made this for breakfast for my husband and he loved it! Him being a Marathi and I a Gujarati, I never really use to eat upma etc. beautiful and simple to follow!
thanks dee
Wow
easy to make and tasty!
thanks sindhu
OMG dassana, the pic is awesome…hats off to u for capturing that…your upma is very different from my kerala style upma…I would like to give it a try…
i would love to give a try to your kerala style upma too.
wonderful recipe