Rava Upma

Name: Rava Upma
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup Semolina; 2 tablespoons ghee or oil; 1 teaspoon Mustard Seed; 1 teaspoon urad dal; 1 teaspoon chana dal; 1 pinch asafoetida; 1 tablespoon Cashew, nuts; 1 tablespoon Ginger, finely chopped; 2 units Green Chili, slit; 1 unit Onion, finely chopped; 1 sprig Curry Leaf; 2 cups water; to taste salt; 2 tablespoons Coconut, freshly grated; 2 tablespoons Cilantro, finely chopped

Veg

Semolina porridge — coarse semolina (rava) dry-roasted in a heavy-bottomed pan until faintly golden and nutty-smelling, water or thin coconut milk added in a boiling stream and stirred rapidly until the rava absorbs all the liquid and thickens to a light, granular porridge that does not stick together. The tempering — mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, dried red chilli, green chilli, ginger, and curry leaves fried in ghee or oil — is made first in the same pan before the rava is added; onion or shallot is sometimes included in non-satvik preparations. Finished with fresh grated coconut and coriander. The most widely made Indian breakfast preparation; present in every Tamil Brahmin household as the quick weekday morning option when no fermented batter is ready.

Cuisines

Tamil Brahmin Kongunadu Madras Udupi Mysore Andhra Telangana

Best for

Breakfast

Recipe

Prep: 10 min Cook: 20 min Total: 30 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

	1 cup	Semolina
	2 tablespoons	Ghee or oil
	1 teaspoon	Mustard Seed
	1 teaspoon	Urad dal
	1 teaspoon	Chana dal
	1 pinch	Asafoetida
	1 tablespoon	Cashew , nuts
	1 tablespoon	Ginger , finely chopped
	2 units	Green Chili , slit
	1 unit	Onion , finely chopped
	1 sprig	Curry Leaf
	2 cups	Water
	to taste	Salt
	2 tablespoons	Coconut , freshly grated
	2 tablespoons	Cilantro , finely chopped

Instructions

1 Dry roast the rava in a pan on medium heat until it turns light golden and aromatic. Set aside.
2 Heat ghee or oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
3 Add urad dal, chana dal, and cashew nuts. Fry until they turn golden.
4 Add asafoetida, ginger, green chilies, and curry leaves. Sauté for a minute.
5 Add the chopped onions and sauté until they turn translucent.
6 Pour in the water and add salt to taste. Bring to a boil.
7 Gradually add the roasted rava to the boiling water, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
8 Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes until the rava absorbs all the water.
9 Turn off the heat and let it sit covered for another 2 minutes.
10 Garnish with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves before serving.

Tips

For a richer flavor, you can add a pinch of sugar along with the salt.