Upma is a savory South Indian porridge, most often made with semolina and eaten for a satisfying breakfast. It’s soft and delicate, with subtle flavors imparted by whole spices, curry leaves, onions, and ginger.
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I did not grow up eating this thick semolina porridge much, but one time, I had it at the Livermore temple and it remains the best upma I’ve ever had. I loved it so much that my mom started making it more often. It’s morning comfort at its finest! Upma is basically a savory porridge flavored with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing (asafetida), curry leaves if you have them, onions, and ginger. I like adding mixed frozen veggies as well as dals (lentils) and nuts for a pleasant crunch. Upma is incomplete without nuts in my experience!
After dry roasting the upma and nuts, you build the flavor base, add the veggies, and then water. As you pour the semolina into the bubbling water, stir until you have a porridge-like consistency. The last step is struggling to find a bowl that is the perfect shape for a cute little hill of upma, which is how I like to enjoy it. Once the bowl is secured, add nuts to the bottom, followed by your upma. Serve immediately as it is or with a chutney of your choice.
How to Make Upma
Dry roast semolina and nuts.
In a nonstick pan, simply dry roast the semolina until it is crunchy and fragrant, but before it starts turning brown. This should take 4-5 minutes and you can dry roast in advance for quicker mornings!
While the semolina cools, do the same for peanuts and cashews. Feel free to add a drop of oil for the nuts, but it’s your choice.
Prepare the flavor base.
Start with mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Then add urad dal and chana dal, but if you don’t have the right dals (lentils), don’t worry about it. You can still make delicious upma. Then you’ll add a small pinch of hing (asafetida) – a little goes a long way! Finish off with green chilis, ginger, and onions. Add any veggies you’re using. I like green beans, carrots, and peas, which is inconvenient because I have to take the corn out of my frozen veggie medley, but you do what you need to do.
Stream in the semolina.
Upma is a dish where texture matters, so while you’re stirring in the semolina, I’d recommend watching over it! First, you’ll bring water to a rolling boil. Make sure you salt it well. It will be hard to adjust salt once the semolina is in. Once the water is boiling, slowly pour the semolina and stir at the same time. This process should take 2-3 minutes.
For serving
I honestly love upma on its own, but you can absolutely serve it with some coconut chutney or another chutney of your choice. Don’t forget the cashews and peanuts!
Upma – Indian Semolina Porridge
Ingredients
- 1 cup sooji/rava/semolina
- 3 tbsp raw peanuts
- 10-12 raw cashews
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 1 tsp chana dal
- 7-8 curry leaves
- pinch of hing (asafetida)
- 2 green chilis, minced
- ½ inch ginger, minced
- ¼ red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup mixed veggies, frozen or fresh (peas, carrots, and green beans, all cut to the same size)
- 2½ cups water
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- In a nonstick pan, dry roast semolina on medium-low heat until crunchy and fragrant, but before brown. Aim for 4-5 minutes. Let it cool.
- In the same pan, toast peanuts and cashews until golden and crunchy. Set aside.
- Heat oil in the pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds. When they start sputtering, add cumin seeds. Stir for 30 seconds to a minute. Add urad dal, chana dal, and a pinch of hing. Stir for a minute.
- Add green chilis and ginger. Cook until the raw ginger smell dissipates. Add curry leaves and let them sputter. Add onions and cook until translucent.
- Add veggies and cook for a few minutes until they are tender. Add water and salt, and bring to a rolling boil.
- Over low heat, pour semolina slowly into the water and stir the semolina in until it forms a porridge. This should take 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro and the nuts. Serve with chutney if you want!
For more comforting savory morning situations…
