Delicious And Light: South Indian-Style Rava Upma Recipe

Rava Upma is a classic South Indian breakfast made from roasted semolina, tempered spices, and sautéed vegetables. It's cooked by slowly adding rava into boiling water to avoid lumps and steamed until soft. Flavored with curry leaves, ginger, and optional lemon juice, it’s nourishing and easy to digest.

Written by: Harpreet Kour Edited by: Harpreet Kour

Published: May 12, 2025, 8:54 PM IST

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Rava Upma is a popular and nutritious Indian breakfast dish prepared with semolina (sooji). The rava is dry roasted to prevent stickiness and then combined with a tempering of mustard seeds, dals, and curry leaves. Chopped onions and optional vegetables like carrots and beans are sautéed to enhance flavor and nutrition. Boiling water is added along with salt, followed by the gradual addition of rava with constant stirring to avoid lumps. The mixture is steamed for a few minutes until soft and fluffy. It’s finished with fresh coriander, lemon juice, and optionally, ghee for extra taste.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rava (sooji/semolina) – preferably fine variety

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• 2 tablespoons oil or ghee

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1 teaspoon urad dal (optional)

• 1 teaspoon chana dal (optional)

• 1-2 green chilies – finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon grated ginger

• 1 sprig curry leaves

• 1 medium onion – finely chopped

• 1 small carrot – chopped (optional)

• 5-6 beans – chopped (optional)

• Salt – to taste

• 2.5 cups water (adjust for texture)

• Fresh coriander leaves – chopped, for garnish

• Juice of half a lemon (optional)

Instructions:

Step 1: Dry Roast the Rava

• Heat a pan on medium flame and dry roast 1 cup of rava until it turns aromatic and slightly golden (about 4–5 minutes).

• Stir continuously to prevent burning.

• Transfer it to a plate and let it cool.

Step 2: Prepare the Tempering

• In the same or a new pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee.

• Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.

• Add urad dal and chana dal and sauté until golden brown.

• Toss in green chilies, grated ginger, and curry leaves and stir for 30 seconds.

Step 3: Saute the Vegetables

• Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent.

• Then add chopped carrots and beans (or any veggies you like).

• Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables soften slightly.

Step 4: Boil the Water

• Add 2.5 cups of water and salt to taste.

• Bring the water to a rolling boil.

• Taste the water—it should be slightly salty so the upma turns out well-seasoned.

Step 5: Add Rava Slowly

• Reduce the flame to low.

• Slowly add the roasted rava, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.

• Keep mixing until all the water is absorbed.

Step 6: Steam-Cook the Upma

• Cover the pan with a lid and let it steam for 2–3 minutes on low heat.

• After 2 minutes, open and fluff the upma with a fork.

• Add lemon juice and chopped coriander if using.

Serve Hot

• Serve your Rava Upma hot with coconut chutney, pickle, or just plain with a dash of ghee on top.