• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Honey, Whats Cooking

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Modern Sidebar
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Modern Sidebar
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Cooking Style » Easy Recipes

    Posted on: Jul 15, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Upma | Rava Upma (vegan)

    10 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Upma or Rava Upma is a quick & easy South Indian breakfast made with semolina flour, onions, spices, nuts, cilantro, and lemon juice. 
    Upma | Rava Upma (vegan)

    Growing up my mom prepared Upma quite often for breakfast. Although this dish is a South Indian specialty, it is highly popular all over North India as well.

    Truthfully speaking, I was never a fan of Upma because my mom made it North Indian style with a ton of veggies and no curry pata. I know it probably sounds okay to you, but it was seriously so bland and boring. Lol.

    It was not until I met my best friend, Anu, whose parents are originally from Andhra Pradesh that I had a taste of real South Indian style Upma with minimal veggies and South Indian spices. 

    This is when I started to appreciate this simple, yet delicious Indian breakfast dish. Oddly enough, out of all the dishes my son, Krish, has tried, Upma is one that he enjoys with yogurt. 

    Upma | Rava Upma (vegan)

    What is Upma?

    Upma is a classic South Indian breakfast that's popular all over India. It's made with suji/rava which is known as semolina flour in English.

    Classic Rava Upma is simple, yet bursting with flavor as it's prepared with mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, green chilies, and curry leaves.

    There are absolutely no Indian spice powders used in this recipe, except asafoetida (hing). The whole spices add a ton of flavor to this dish so you don't need to add any additional masalas.

    Upma is:

    Delicious
    Quick & Easy
    a South Indian Breakfast
    the Perfect Weekend Brunch
    Comforting
    Satisfying
    Vegan

    Ingredients for Upma:

    Suji/Rava: Suji/Rava is also called semolina flour. Make sure to look for the fine variety.

    Spices: Mustard Seeds, Chana Dal, Urad Dal, Asafoetida (hing).

    Curry Leaves: Curry Pata

    Veggies: Ginger, Onion, Peas, Green Chilies.

    Lemon Juice

    Fresh Cilantro

    Water

    Salt

    Upma | Rava Upma (vegan)

    How to make Upma Recipe recipe step by step?

    Roast the rava/suji

    1. Heat up a nonstick pan on low-medium heat.

    2. Add rava to a nonstick pan and dry roast until it is fragrant and toasty. Make sure you don't brown the rava. This should take a few minutes.

    3. Set aside.

    Prep the Ingredients

    1. Chop the onions, ginger, and cashews. Slice green chilies. Rinse frozen peas under warm water, drain, and set aside. Set aside curry leaves, chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, and hing. 

    Upma | Rava Upma (vegan)

    Cook

    1. Heat up a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add oil, followed by mustard seeds (rye). Saute for about 30 seconds. 

    2. Add chana dal and urad dal. Saute for another 30 seconds.

    3. Add asafoetida (hing). Saute for 30 seconds.

    4. Now add ginger, cashews, and curry leaves. Saute for a minute.

    Upma | Rava Upma (vegan)

    5. Add onions and salt. Saute for 3 minutes or so until the onions are translucent. Do not brown the onions, we simply want them to be translucent.

    6. Add green peas. Saute for a minute.

    7. Now add water and salt.

    8. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.

    9. The water should come to a rolling boil.

    10. Now add rava/suji a little at a time and stir at the same time. Doing so will prevent any lumps. 

    11. This is what you'll have once the rava/suji has been incorporated with the water. It'll look smooth and creamy.

    Upma | Rava Upma (vegan)

    12. Cook the upma on low heat for a couple of minutes. Add fresh cilantro and lemon juice. Adjust salt.

    13. Mix well. You'll notice the upma will become more crumbly as the moisture gets absorbed. 

    Upma | Rava Upma (vegan)

     

    Serving Suggestions

    Growing up, my mom always served upma with yogurt, I guess it's a Punjabi thing. 🙂 So yeah, I love eating my South Indian style upma with yogurt and achaar.

    This delicous South Indian brunch goes well with a cup of masala chai especially when it's made for breakfast or brunch.

    Storage Suggestions

    Simply store your Rava Upma in a glass container and it'll keep in the fridge for the following 2 days. I find that upma tastes even better the next day as it becomes crumblier and it still has moisture. 

    Tips on making Rava Upma / Sooji Upma / Suji Upma:

    • Dry roast the rava/suji first. Do not brown the rava/suji, but it should be dry and toasty.
    • Prep your ingredients - chop the veggies. Set everything aside as you'll need to work quickly.
    • Cook the upma as per the directions.
    • I recommend using a 1:3 ratio of rava/suji to water.

    Frequently Asked Questions:

    1. Can I make this recipe vegan, gluten-free?

    Upma is already vegan, however rava/suji is not gluten-free.

    You can replace rava/suji with quinoa, however that would be another recipe. 

    2. Can I make Upma with ghee? 

    Absolutely! You can add ghee to upma towards the very end of the dish which adds so much richness to this dish.

    3, Is Upma typically eaten for breakfast?

    Yes! Upma is typically eaten for breakfast or brunch with a cup of masala chai, however I've made this dish for dinner too because it's so quick & easy. I love it with yogurt and achaar.

    4. What other veggies can I add to Rava Upma?

    You can add frozen diced carrots and beans. Both of those veggies work really well in upma. I wouldn't go overboard on veggies. Perhaps ¼ cup of carrots and ¼ cup of beans will do.

    5. What's the ratio of rava/suji to water?

    Making upma can be tricky. I've talked to my mom and my best friend, and both of them suggested three times the amount of water. For slightly dry upma, you can use two and a half times the amount of water. I personally like using 3 times the amount of water because when you have leftovers, the moisture is lost and this results in a more crumbly upma that isn't too drying.

    Ratio: 1 cup rava/suji to 3 times water is the ratio I like to use.

    Upma | Rava Upma (vegan)

     

    More Indian Breakfast Recipes!

    • Rava Uttapam
    • Aloo Poha
    • Bread Poha
    • Daliya Recipe
    • Sabudana Khichdi
    • Spinach Puda

     

    Upma | Rava Upma

    Vegan
    Upma or Rava Upma is a quick & easy South Indian breakfast made with semolina flour, onions, spices, nuts, cilantro, and lemon juice. 
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast & Brunch, Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 4 servings
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 18 minutes
    Total Time: 38 minutes
    Calories: 299kcal
    Author: Nisha

    Equipment

    • Our Place Pan

    Ingredients

    Dry Roast Rava/Suji

    • 1 ¼ cups suji/rava/semolina flour, set aside

    Rava Upma Recipe

    • 2 tablespoon avocado oil
    • 1 ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
    • 2 teaspoon urad dal
    • 1 teaspoon chana dal
    • ¼ teaspoon asafoetida, hing
    • 1 inch ginger, chopped
    • 18 leaves curry pata
    • 2 green chilies, sliced
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • ⅓ cup peas
    • 3 ¾ cup water
    • ¾ Salt
    • 1 ¼ cups dry roasted rava/suji, prepared earlier
    • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped, or more
    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice

    Instructions

    Roast the rava/suji

    • Heat up a nonstick man on low-medium heat.
    • Add rava to a nonstick pan and dry roast until it is fragrant and toasty. Make sure you don't brown the rava. This should take a few minutes.
    • Set aside.

    Prep the Ingredients

    • Chop the onions, ginger, and cashews. Slice green chilies. Rinse frozen peas under warm water, drain, and set aside. Set aside curry leaves, chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, and hing.

    Cook

    • Heat up a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add oil, followed by mustard seeds (rye). Saute for about 30 seconds.
    • Add chana dal and urad dal. Saute for another 30 seconds.
    • Add asafoetida (hing). Saute for 30 seconds.
    • Now add ginger, cashews, and curry leaves. Saute for a minute.
    • Add onions and salt. Saute for 3 minutes or so until the onions are translucent. Do not brown the onions, we simply want them to be translucent.
    • Add green peas. Saute for a minute.
    • Now add water and salt.
    • Cover and simmer on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
    • The water should come to a rolling boil.
    • Now add rava/suji a little at a time and stir at the same time. Doing so will prevent any lumps.
    • This is what you'll have once the rava/suji has been incorporated with the water. It'll look smooth and creamy.
    • Cook the upma on low heat for a couple of minutes. Add fresh cilantro and lemon juice. Adjust salt.
    • Mix well. You'll notice the upma will become more crumbly as the moisture gets absorbed.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 299kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 9gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 89mgPotassium: 197mgFiber: 5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 162IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword Instant Upma, Rava Upma, Upma
    Tried this recipe?Mention @honeywhatscooking or tag #honeywhatscooking!

     

    Pin & Enjoy!

     

     

    « Burrata Bruschetta Indian Style (vegetarian)
    World's BEST Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marinara »
    10 shares

    Reader Interactions

    LEAVE A COMMENT & RATE THIS RECIPE Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Nisha! I'm a foodie who is passionate about healthy-ish living and mindful eating. You'll find a little bit of everything here. I use mostly organic real ingredients and incorporate seasonal produce in my cooking. I believe food is medicine. Come join me on this soul-searching journey as I share my love for good food, and I hope somewhere along the way, I inspire you to eat better.

    More about me →


    Popular Recipes

    • World's Best Spaghetti with Rao's Homemade - featured image
      World's BEST Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marinara
    • Bombay Grilled Sandwich (vegetarian)
    • Gajar Ka Halwa | Indian Carrot Pudding
    • Green Moong Dal Khichdi (healthy)
    • Mexican Pizza Taco Bell (vegetarian)
    • Indian Afternoon Tea

    Winter Recipes

    • Masoor Dal Instant Pot (Red Lentils Dal)
    • Palak Paneer
    • Green Moong Dal (Sabut Moong Dal)
    • Mint Tea (Pudhina Chai)

    Footer

    As Seen On

    Let's Connect!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Menu

    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Travel
    • Lifestyle
    • Shop

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Press
    • Privacy Policy

    Recipes

    • Healthy-ish Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Easy Recipes
    • Gluten-Free Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Indian Food Recipes

    Subscribe

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Honey, What's Cooking