South Indian Rava Upma (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ For roasting rava
01 -
1 cup rava - finer variety (sooji or cream of wheat or semolina)
→ Other ingredients
02 -
2 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter) or oil
03 -
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
04 -
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
05 -
1 teaspoon chana dal (split and husked bengal gram)
06 -
1 teaspoon urad dal (split and husked black gram)
07 -
10 to 12 cashews - optional
08 -
⅓ cup onions - finely chopped or 1 medium-sized onion
09 -
1 teaspoon green chilli - chopped or 1 green chilli
10 -
1 teaspoon ginger - finely chopped or 1 inch ginger
11 -
1 sprig curry leaves or 10 to 12 curry leaves
12 -
2.5 cups water
13 -
Salt as required
14 -
½ to 1 teaspoon sugar or add as required, optional
15 -
2 tablespoons coriander leaves - chopped (cilantro)
# Instructions:
01 -
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.
02 -
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.
03 -
In a pan, heat ghee or oil. Add the mustard seeds. When you hear the crackling sound of mustard seeds, 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.
04 -
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. On a medium to high flame, heat the water and let it come to a rolling boiling.
05 -
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.
06 -
Cover and allow the rava upma to steam for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat. Then switch off the flame. Lastly add chopped coriander leaves. Mix again. Serve upma with coconut chutney or lime slices or lime pickle.
# Notes:
01 -
Roast rava evenly, stirring often until crisp with a toasted aroma
02 -
Always add rava to hot water in batches to avoid lumps
03 -
For softer upma, use ratio of 1:2.5 or 1:3 for rava and water
04 -
Best served hot with coconut chutney or lime pickle