Upma is a popular south Indian breakfast dish packed with plant-based proteins. Made using rava or roasted semolina, this dish is quite easy to make, especially if you are someone who is always 'on-the-go'. The traditional dish involves cooking roasted rava in water mixed with ghee or clarified butter, urad dal or black gram, cashew nuts, onion, and ginger. Among vegetables, you can also add tomato, peas, or capsicum, based on your preference, making it a nutritious one-pot meal.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 to 3
Ingredients
1 cup rava (semolina)
2 tsp ghee or clarified butter
2 tsp refined cooking oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 ½ tsp black gram (urad dal)
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
¼ cup carrots, finely chopped
¼ cup green beans, finely chopped
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
2 sprig curry leaves
1 ½ cup of water
Salt to taste
5 to 6 cashew nuts, to garnish
1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped to garnish
Method:
Step 1: In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat two teaspoons of ghee or clarified butter. Add rava or semolina and roast it on a medium flame for about four minutes until the colour changes. Stir continuously to avoid burning. It will release an earthy aroma once well roasted; transfer to a plate and keep aside.
Step 2: In the same pan, heat two teaspoons of refined oil. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Next, add urad dal and fry for a few seconds on a low flame until golden. Make sure you do not burn them.
Step 3: Add chopped ginger and chopped green chillies and sauté for a few seconds. Next, add chopped carrots and chopped green beans and sauté for another two minutes on a medium flame.
Step 4: Add chopped onions and sauté further for another two minutes. Then add curry leaves and mix well.
Step 5: Next, add 1½ cups of boiled water. Also add salt to taste and mix well.
Step 6: Once the water starts to boil, add the rava slowly and stir as you go. Make sure the water is still boiling while adding the rava.
Step 7: Cover the thick-bottomed pan with its lid and cook for two minutes on a low flame.
Step 8: Once two minutes are over, open the lid and stir the upma until the water evaporates, and gives a soft and fluffy (not mushy) texture. This process would take another two minutes, approximately.
Step 9: Finally, garnish the upma with roasted cashew nuts and chopped coriander leaves.
Step 10: Serve hot and enjoy upma with coconut chutney or a ripe banana.
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