Upma or Rava Upma is the most popular South Indian Breakfast. It is basically a savory semolina porridge loaded with vegetables and nuts. This breakfast can be done under 30 minutes and perfect to make on busy days. I have included all tips and tricks to get the perfect fluffy, non-sticky, non-lumpy upma.
Rava Upma
Rava or sooji or semolina as it is called is one of the ingredients in which upma is made usually. Though this is most commonly made in all households, it is still hard to get the perfect texture. So in this post, I have explained all the tricks and tips to get it perfect. I have been making this way for years, So I’m sure it will be helpful for you too.
How to make Rava Upma ( Sooji Upma)
Ingredients used
A short video
Method
The first step is to dry roast rava or sooji for 2 to 3 minutes until a nice aroma arises. Heat oil in a pan and temper all ingredients under ‘ to temper’. When channa dal turns golden add onions, green chili, and ginger. Sauté till onions turn transparent. Add carrot and cover and cook for a minute. Add water, turmeric powder, and required salt. When the water starts boiling add roasted rava slowly stirring simultaneously with a whisk to avoid lumps. Cover and cook until all water is absorbed. Squeeze lemon at this stage. Stir it. Switch off once cooked. Serve warm with sambar or coconut chutney.
| 2. Use a whisk while you add roasted sooji to the boiling water. This helps to get no lumps in the Upma. |
| 2. Use a whisk while you add roasted sooji in the boiling water. This helps to get no lumps in the Upma. |
How much sooji, water ratio should I use?
This is the most often asked question while making Upma. It is one of the important things to remember. For 1 Cup sooji, 3 cups water for soft and smooth. For fluffy upma use a 1: 2.5 ratio of sooji and water.
More Upma recipes for you
| Also do not forget to check out our Indian Breakfast weekly meal plan for more breakfast recipes. |
Recipe for Easy Rava upma ( Sooji Upma)
Ingredients
1 Cup = 240 ml 1 Tbsp = 15g 1 Tsp = 5g
Rava / Fine Sooji – 1 cup
Onion – 1/2 cup chopped
Carrot – 1/4 cup chopped finely
Ginger – 1/2 tsp finely chopped
Green chili – 2 slit lengthwise
Water – 3 cups
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – as required
Lemon – ½ of one small lemon
To temper
Oil – 2 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Chana dal – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – few
Method
- Dry roast rava/ Sooji for a minute and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and temper all ingredients under ‘ to temper’.
- When channa dal turns golden add onions, green chili, and ginger.
- Sauté till onions turn transparent.
- Add carrot and cover and cook for a minute.
- Add water, turmeric powder, and required salt.
- When the water starts boiling add roasted rava slowly stirring simultaneously using a whisk to avoid lumps.
- Cover and cook until all water is absorbed.
- Stir it. Squeeze lemon and mix. Switch off once cooked.
- Serve warm with sambar or chutney.
Notes
- You can add veggies like beans or peas.
- For kids drizzle a spoon of ghee while serving.
- To make it rich you can also add roasted cashews.
- Adjust green chili as per your spice level.
Easy Rava Upma
Equipment
- Wide heavy bottomed pan
- Ladle
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Rava / Fine Sooji
- 1/2 Cup Onion chopped
- 1/4 Cup Carrot chopped finely
- 1/2 Tsp Ginger finely chopped
- 2 Green chili slits lengthwise
- 3 Cups Water
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt as required
- Lemon ½ of one small lemon
To temper
- 2 Tsp Oil
- 1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/2 Tsp Chana dal
- Curry leaves few
Instructions
- Dry roast rava/ Sooji for a minute and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and temper all ingredients under ‘ to temper’.
- When channa dal turns golden add onions, green chili, and ginger.
- Sauté till onions turn transparent.
- Add carrot and cover and cook for a minute.
- Add water, turmeric powder, and required salt.
- When the water starts boiling add roasted rava slowly stirring simultaneously using a whisk to avoid lumps.
- Cover and cook until all water is absorbed.
- Stir it. Squeeze lemon and mix. Switch off once cooked.
- Serve warm with sambar or chutney.
Video
Notes
- You can add veggies like beans or peas.
- For kids drizzle a spoon of ghee over upma while serving.
- You can also add roasted cashews.
- Adjust green chili as per your spice level.
Nutrition
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This post originally posted on Sept 5, 2016. Now updated with content, photos and video.
This is a great breakfast iteam and kid friendly.
It is. Thank you
Rava upma is my favorite breakfast for tose busy weekdays when everyone is in a hurry. Love adding carrots and beans etc too. This is one humble and filling breakfast dish.
Thank you
One of the most underrated breakfast. But with lot of veggies and ghee it always taste so delicious. Looks so inviting. Never tried using lemon juice for upma. Will try next time.
Thank you
I LOVE rava upma, while I was holidaying in India, one of the breakfast I used to enjoy daily. Loving this easy and no fail recipe of yours.
Thank you
This Upma loaded with all the goodness of vegetables is one of my to go favourite breakfast…easy to make, healthy and filling!!
Thank you
Perfect upma , a breakfast that one can never get bored of !
Thank you dear
Upma loaded with vegetables is one of my favorite breakfast. Easy to make, nutritious and filling too. However, I’ve not used fine sooji to make it, as I usually use bansi sooji. I shall try with fine sooji one day.
Thank you.
We have a variety of upma recipes that we use at home. It is funny how we call them. it goes by amma’s upma, ammama’s upma etc rather than sooji upma as each of them seem to have a different magic to making it perfect. Now yours is totally different again, so you know it will be lathi’s upma when we try it
That’s so sweet of you dear. Hope you try this Lathi’s Upma one day.
An easy and handy recipe for breakfast… You have explained it very nicely step wise, so that beginners can follow and make it..
Thank you, dear