Rava Upma is one of my all-time favourite South Indian breakfast recipes. It's an easy and humble dish that can be enjoyed with both savoury and sweet sides. If you've struggled with upma being too dry and uncooked or too wet and sticky, please try this recipe. This is the best foolproof rava upma recipe, tried and loved by friends and followers!
Reader Reviews
via Instagram
Omg!!! I tried your upma recipe and finally got it right following your steps. You have no idea how much of an achievement this feels for me, as I gave up making upma after two tries months ago. The best part is that my toddler is also loving it. Thank you so much!!!
- Maryam
I just made your upma for breakfast. Perfecttttt soft tasty upma that melts in mouth. My upma recipe hunt ends here.
- Riz
Jump to:
📖What is Rava Upma?
This is a popular South Indian breakfast dish made from semolina (rava or sooji). It is a savoury creamy but not mushy dish that is usually seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves, onions, ginger and green chillies.
"Rava" is the most widely recognized term across the South Indian languages—Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam for semolina. I honestly don't know the direct translation of the word "Upma", but it broadly refers to a method or style of cooking. The essence of upma lies in its technique—roasting, tempering, and then cooking with a liquid base.
🥰Here’s Why You’ll Love It
Super versatile and endless pairing options!
- A comforting dish that can be customized for all age groups or tastebuds.
- It pairs wonderfully with both sweet and savoury side dishes. Serve with coconut chutney, leftover curries, scrambled eggs or sugar, mashed banana, etc.
- You can easily scale up or scale down the recipe. I have a single-serve recipe on my Instagram highlights.
I must mention that F is not a fan of this rava upma and he eats this only with sugar. I came to realize through a comedy reel that the majority of men don't like upma. He loves my semiya upma though, which makes me wonder if he will like Khara Bath.
🥘Ingredients
Here are the key ingredients to make the classic South Indian rava upma recipe. Please scroll to the Recipe card for a detailed recipe.
- Semolina (rava): Nowadays you can easily buy “roasted semolina” for upma. I like to roast it for a few minutes regardless of the status. You may also find it labelled as bombay rava, suji, sooji, rawa, coarse semolina, upma rava, etc.
- Ghee: This is the best option for great flavour. You can use any neutral oil, coconut oil or sunflower oil instead of ghee.
- Mustard seeds
- Chana dal: You may know it as split bengal gram. No need for soaking! This is the best option but if you don’t have it, just skip it.
- Cashews: This is optional but highly recommended as a few cashews or peanuts in your breakfast is a good thing.
- Produce: You will need red onion, green chillies, fresh ginger, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🪄The Magic Ratio
The tip my Instagram community loved most about this recipe is my foolproof water ratio for rava upma. For every 1 cup of roasted rava (semolina), use 3 cups of water—simple and reliable!
This 1:3 ratio has never failed me, no matter which brand of rava I use. It's my go-to formula for perfectly fluffy, non-sticky upma every time.
🔪Instructions
Here is how I make tasty rava upma. I am sharing a very basic recipe for beginners! When I say this is a quick recipe, it really needs speed. So, ensure that all your ingredients are ready before you start the cooking process.
Take a large skillet or kadai. Start by dry roasting the rava (semolina) on low to medium heat until it emits a nutty aroma. Do this step even if your pack states, "roasted".
Transfer to a wide bowl or plate and keep it aside. This is to stop it from cooking further, clumping or browning.
TIP: If you're using the same pan as me, dust off any residue of dry roasting using a cloth. If you're using a steel utensil, preheat it dry for 2 minutes and then add the oil.
Heat ghee or oil in a saucepan. (Tip: Swirl the stainless steel pan to coat the sides with ghee). Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Reduce the flame and add the split Bengal gram (chana dal) and cashew nuts. Saute until they turn light golden.
Next, add the curry leaves, chopped onions, green chillies, and ginger. Sauté for a minute until the onions turn pink and translucent.
We do not want the onions to be fried or turn dark. This would alter the colour and flavour of the upma.
Add room-temperature water and turn the heat up to bring it to a full rolling boil. Next, add salt to taste and chopped coriander leaves.
Reduce the heat to the lowest. Take the bowl of roasted semolina and start sprinkling it a little at a time into the simmering water, stirring it continuously with a wooden spatula with the other hand to prevent it from forming lumps.
Keep stirring until all the water is absorbed. If it starts to splutter, remove it from the hob or switch it off and take time to mix. Make sure to break any lumps that may have formed using the back of the ladle.
Cover the pan and let it cook in steam for another 2 minutes. Switch off, remove from the hob and keep covered for another 8 to 10 minutes.
Open and serve warm – you can add the prepared upma into a bowl and unmould it over the serving plate – just for aesthetics. This is how restaurants serve!
Hint: As this is a basic recipe, you can spruce it up by adding veggies like carrots, beans, peas etc. You will have to add this right before adding the water to boil. The rule is all stuff, then water, boil and end with semolina.
💡Serving Ideas
My favourite topic! Rava upma is a humble dish that goes with almost anything you love to cook and eat.
- Keep it simple with just some oorga (achaar) or runny coconut chutney.
- Use up your leftover sambar, chicken or mutton curry, dal, etc.
- Make some spicy Indian-style egg omelettes or egg burji or just fried eggs.
- Serve with shami kebabs, tuna cutlets or chicken cutlets!
Let me know in the comments, your favourite way to eat this classic rava upma!
😀Did You Know?
Rava Upma or Uppmav is jokingly translated by Malayalis as “Salt Mango Tree” because Upp is salt and mav is a mango tree in Malayalam! An old cringe dad joke. 😛
💡Beginner’s Guide
Making Rava Upma might seem simple, but beginners struggle to get it right and give up too soon. Here are some common challenges and how to avoid them:
- Lumpy upma: This happens if you add the roasted rava too quickly into the boiling water. The trick is to add it gradually while continuously stirring to ensure a smooth consistency.
- Sticky or clumpy texture: You may have used too much water or not roasted the rava well enough. Make sure to roast the rava until it's fragrant, and use the correct water-to-rava ratio for a soft but fluffy texture.
- Dry and hard Upma: This may be because the water wasn't enough or the cooking time was too short. Try adding a few tablespoons of hot water and mix again. Towards the end of cooking, keep covered and allow the rava to absorb moisture gently.
- Burnt tempering: Start with medium heat and add the tadka ingredients in stages, allowing them to sizzle and release their flavours without burning.
- Under-seasoned Upma: Forgetting to season or not adding enough salt can result in bland upma. Taste the water before adding the rava; it should taste slightly salty to ensure the final dish is flavorful.
📝Variations
For an extra layer of flavour, you can add a handful of finely chopped vegetables like carrots, peas, or bell peppers. Simply sauté them along with the onions before adding water.
- Vegetable Rava Upma recipe: Add your favourite vegetables like finely chopped carrots, beans or peas for a nutritious twist.
- Tomato Rava Upma: Add finely chopped tomatoes along with the onions for a tangy flavour. My mom makes it this way most of the time.
- Masala Rava Upma: There are quite a few variations in this type itself. I cannot not mention my favourite Bangalore's Kara Bath. I hope to share the recipe sometime in the future.
- For meat lovers, there is a Kerala-style Thari Biryani made with meat or prawns.
☝️FAQ
If your upma turns out sticky, don’t worry! Simply stir in a little ghee on low heat using a silicone spatula, then cover the pan. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes and switch off the heat. Leave it covered for 10 minutes—this resting time helps the grains absorb any excess moisture, resulting in a fluffier texture.
Yes, whole wheat rava or Samba rava can be used, but it may take slightly longer to cook.
No, Rava (semolina) is made from wheat, so it is not gluten-free.
Rava Upma pairs beautifully with coconut chutney or India-style scrambled eggs. Also goes well with any leftover curries from sambar to chicken Chettinad, anything you have, I can assure you, goes well.
I usually make ⅓ cup rava when making for myself but when making for two, I like to make a whole cup so there is a little leftover that I tend to eat in the evening with my chai.
For 1 cup of rava, I use 3 cups of water. You can use a mug or tumbler as a cup to measure the semolina and water.
❄️Storage
Rava Upma is best enjoyed fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a covered pan.
🍲More Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes using semolina / rava? Try these:
🥗Pairing
If you happen to have leftover curries like these...they go great with a bowl of rava upma:
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📖 Recipe Card
Rava Upma Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup semolina
- 3 tablespoons ghee, (or cooking oil)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons chana dal, (split Bengal gram)
- 6 whole cashews, chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 3 to 4 green chillies, finely chopped (adjust to taste)
- ½ inch ginger, finely chopped or grated
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
Dry roast the semolina:
- In a large skillet or saucepan, dry roast the semolina (upma rava) on low to medium heat until it gives off a nutty aroma. Even if the package says "roasted," doing this step ensures freshness. Transfer to a wide plate to stop further cooking and avoid browning.1 cup semolina
Prepare the seasoning:
- Heat ghee or oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan to coat the sides. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Lower the heat and add channa dal and cashews. Sauté until they turn light golden brown.3 tablespoons ghee½ teaspoon mustard seeds2 teaspoons chana dal6 whole cashews
Sauté the aromatics:
- Add the curry leaves, onions, green chillies, and ginger. Sauté for a minute until the onions turn pink and translucent, releasing their aroma.1 small red onion3 to 4 green chillies½ inch ginger1 sprig curry leaves
Boil the water:
- Pour in 3 cups of water and increase the heat to bring it to a full rolling boil. Add salt to taste and stir in some chopped coriander leaves.3 cups water1 teaspoon salt2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
Incorporate the semolina:
- Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Slowly sprinkle the roasted semolina into the simmering water, stirring continuously with a wooden spatula to prevent lumps. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens and all the water is absorbed.
Steam the upma:
- Cover the pan and let it steam on low heat for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep it covered for another 8 to 10 minutes to allow the semolina to become soft. Do open in between and mix using a silicone spatula.
Serve:
- For a restaurant-style presentation, press the upma into a bowl and invert it onto a plate to serve. Enjoy warm with coconut chutney or fried eggs and for sweet option, sprinkle sugar and banana slices.
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