UPMA
Upma, uppumavu or uppittu is a dish from the Indian subcontinent, most common in South Indian, Maharashtrian, and Sri Lankan Tamil breakfast. It is cooked as a thick porridge from dry roasted semolina or coarse rice flour.
Various seasonings and/or vegetables are often added during the cooking, depending on individual preferences. Today it is popular in most parts of India and is prepared in various ways.
Upma is usually made with semolina (called rava or suji or sooji in India). The very basic method involves lightly dry-roasting the rava and mixing it thoroughly with a little salt and some boiling-hot water.
There are many ways upma is prepared; indeed, every upma cook usually will incorporate variations in flavour when making upma. This variation is obtained by varying or emphasising particular spices.
There are many varieties of Upma:
Sooji upma (Semolina upma)
Whole wheat upma
Rice upma
Corn upma
Kesari bath
Aval upma/atukulu upma
Vermicelli upma
Upma served with ghugni
Bread upma
Upma is normally served in breakfast or as an evening time snack and it goes well with coconut chutney and hot Indian tea.
Recipe Servings: 2 - 3
Cooking time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients
- Semolina (rava) - 1 cup
- Onion - 1 medium (finely diced into slices)
- Green chilies - 1 (finely chopped)
- Chana Dal (split and skinned bengal gram) - 1 tsp
- Urad dal (split and skinned black lentils) - 1 tsp
- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
- Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
- Ginger - 1/2" (chopped finely)
- Curry leaves - 7 to 8
- Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
Preparation
- Heat the pan or a kadai then add the semolina into it. Dry roast it on a medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Don't brown the semolina. Switch off the flame and take out the roasted semolina in a plate and keep it aside for later use.
- Heat the oil in a kadai or pan and add the mustard seeds.
- When the mustard seeds starts to crackle, add chana dal (split and skinned bengal gram), urad dal (split and skinned black lentils), finely chopped ginger, curry leaves and finely chopped green chillies and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
- Now add the onions and sauté on a medium flame till they become translucent.
- Add the roasted semolina, 3 cups of hot water and salt. Mix well and cook on a low flame for 3 to 4 minutes, stir occasionally.
- Switch off the flame. Upma is ready to serve.
- Serve hot upma with lime slices or coconut chutney.
