Upma, savory semolina porridge
Toasted rava simmered into a soft, steaming porridge with mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger, and onion, finished with ghee-fried cashews.
In South India the day often begins with the crackle of mustard seeds hitting hot oil. Upma is what follows: coarse semolina, toasted until nutty, folded into a tempering of urad dal, curry leaves, ginger, and green chili, then simmered with water until it turns soft and fluffy, somewhere between porridge and pilaf. It is the breakfast of Tamil and Karnataka kitchens, made in fifteen unhurried minutes and eaten hot with a spoonful of ghee melting on top. The toasting is the whole game. Rushed rava turns gluey; properly toasted rava stays light, each grain distinct, fragrant as warm wheat.
Method
Toast the rava.
Set a dry, wide pan over medium heat and add the rava. Stir constantly for 4-5 minutes, until it smells like warm toast and turns a shade darker, pale gold rather than brown. Tip it into a bowl and set aside.
Fry the cashews.
Return the pan to medium heat with 1 tbsp of the ghee. Add the cashews and fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until golden all over. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and set aside on a small plate.
Build the tempering.
Add the remaining 2 tbsp ghee to the pan. When it shimmers, add the mustard seeds and let them sputter and pop, about 30 seconds. Add the urad dal and stir until it turns light gold, then add the curry leaves, they will crackle hard, followed by the ginger and green chili. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Soften the onion, then add the water.
Add the onion and a pinch of the salt and cook for 3-4 minutes, until translucent but not browned. Pour in the hot water with the rest of the salt and bring it to a rolling boil.
Rain in the rava and steam.
Lower the heat and pour the toasted rava into the boiling water in a slow, steady stream, stirring the whole time with your other hand. It will thicken within a minute. Cover, turn the heat to low, and steam for 2-3 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed and the grains are tender.
Fluff and serve hot.
Take the pan off the heat, let it sit covered for 2 minutes, then fluff gently with a fork. Scatter the fried cashews over the top and serve steaming, with a wedge of lime to squeeze over each bowl.
Frequently asked questions
- Which rava should I buy?
- Coarse rava, sold as Bombay rava, sooji, or coarse semolina in Indian groceries. Fine rava works but cooks softer and denser. Avoid semolina flour meant for pasta, which is ground too fine and turns pasty.
- My upma came out gluey. What went wrong?
- Almost always under-toasted rava or lukewarm water. Toast the grains until genuinely fragrant, and make sure the water is at a rolling boil before the rava goes in. Both keep the starch from seizing into paste.
- What is urad dal doing in a breakfast porridge?
- In South Indian tempering, urad dal is fried in the fat until golden and works as a crunchy, nutty seasoning, not a lentil to be cooked soft. Chana dal is a common companion or substitute. Skip it if you cannot find it, but it is worth the trip.
- Can I add vegetables?
- Yes, and many households do. Finely diced carrot, peas, or green beans go in with the onion and cook in the same time. Keep the pieces small so everything softens before the water goes in. Some cooks call this vegetable upma or khara bath.
- What do you serve with upma?
- A squeeze of lime is the minimum. Beyond that: coconut chutney, a spoonful of lime pickle, sweet mango pickle, or simply an extra drop of ghee melted on top. Filter coffee alongside makes it a proper South Indian morning.
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