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Rava Upma served in small black bowl with spoon along side.
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4.86 from 54 votes

Rava Upma Recipe

Rava Upma is a very popular savory south Indian breakfast dish made using semolina, spices, vegetables and herbs. It's easy, super delicious and a healthy choice to eat as a snack or a meal. Make it on stove top as well as in the Instant Pot!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Egg-Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Calories: 275kcal
Author: Farrukh Aziz

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Semolina (rava /sooji)
  • 2 tablespoons Ghee or Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas)
  • 1 teaspoon Urad Dal (split husked black lentil)
  • 8-10 Cashew Nuts
  • 12-14 Curry Leaves
  • 2 Green Chilies slit or chopped
  • 1 Onion medium size, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger grated
  • Salt To Taste
  • 3 tablespoons Green Peas (optional)
  • 1 Carrot (optional) chopped
  • 3 cups Water
  • ¾ teaspoon Sugar
  • Lemon Juice as needed
  • Coriander Leaves for garnish

Instructions

How To Make Rava Upma Recipe on Stove Top

  • In a kadhai or pan, heat ½ tablespoon ghee or oil.
  • Add 1 cup of semolina or rava and roast is for 2-3 minutes on medium flame taking care that it doesnt burn.
  • Once roasted well, it will release nice roasted earthy aroma. Transfer it on a plate and set aside.
  • In a same kadhai or pan, heat remaining ghee or oil. Add mustard seeds and let it to crackle.
  • Add chana dal and urad dal and fry for 30 seconds until just golden, do not burn.
  • Add cashew nuts and fry for another 30 seconds, until just golden.
  • Add curry leaves and green chilies, fry for another 30 seconds.
  • Then, add onions, grated ginger, salt and mix. Fry until soft and pink.
  • Add peas and carrot and fry on high for a minute.
  • Add 3 cups of water and mix. Bring to a boil, add salt, sugar, lemon juice and mix.
  • Carefully and gradually add roasted rava stirring continuously to avoid any lumps. Mix well.
  • Let it to cook for a minute such that rava absorbs all the water.
  • Cover the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat. This helps to steam the upma well. 
  • Add coriander leaves and mix. Here, you may add some more lemon juice if you wish to.
  • Dish out and serve hot with coconut chutney.

Making Rava Upma In Instant Pot

  • To start with, switch on the IP on normal sauté mode and heat ghee or oil.
  • Add mustard seeds and sauté for few seconds.
  • Add chana dal and urad dal, sauté until it just turns light golden.
  • Add cashew nuts and sauté for few seconds until its golden. Do not Burn.
  • Add curry leaves and green chilies, fry for few seconds.
  • Now, add chopped onions and grated ginger. Sauté until onion turns out soft.
  • Add green peas and chopped carrot, sauté for 1 minute.
  • Now, Add dry roasted semolina and mix.
  • Now, add salt, sugar, lemon juice and 3 cups of water and immediately mix everything.
  • Cover the pot with IP lid and set the pressure to Low for '0' minutes. The IP will build the pressure and immediately it will turn off as we have set the cooking time to zero minutes.
  • Let it rest for 5 minutes and then open the pot. By this time upma will be cooked through well and all the water wll be absorbed.
  • Add chopped coriander leaves and mix.
  • Take the inner steel pot out of the IP, cover with glass lid and let it rest for another couple of minutes. Dish out the Upma snd serve hot with coconut on the side.

Video

Notes

  • I have added 3 cups of water for 1 cup of suji here. This ratio gives soft melt in mouth upma. However, if you wish to make it little less soft, then go ahead with ratio of 1 cup sooji to 2.5 cups of water.
  • For Vegan Version, skip ghee and go ahead with vegetable oil.
  • If you are allergic to cashew nuts, then you can use peanuts instead.
  • This recipe was made using 6 qt Instant Pot DUO60. I prefer making this recipe on low pressure as it avoids giving ‘Burn’ message when cooked on high pressure in newer IP models.
  • You can follow the ‘High’ or ‘Low’ pressure cooking as per the model of IP you own.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 69.2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2.5mg