Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I love cooking different options every day. I am searching for new, interesting, and healthy breakfast recipes all the time. Upma is one such breakfast recipe that I absolutely love.

Upma is one of those multiple breakfast options that South Indian cuisine has gifted to us. I am a big fan of Pesarattu, Idlis, and Dosa. Can’t get enough of them, really.

Who doesn’t love a good Upma? You can almost add all the veggies from your pantry – carrots, beans, capsicums, broccoli, potatoes, and so on. It’s made with a bare minimum amount of oil and is super yummy.

Here are some other Upma options:

  1. Beetroot Upma
  2. Tomato Upma
  3. Quinoa Upma
PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: 10-15 minutes
SERVINGS: 2 cups
DIFFICULTY SCALE: Low

INGREDIENTS:  

  1. Semolina/Sooji – 1 cup
  2. Carrot – 1
  3. Potatoes – 1
  4. Capsicum – ½
  5. Peas – ¼, cup
  6. Onion – 1, small
  7. Curry leaves – 5-7
  8. Green chillies – 1-2
  9. Lemon juice – ½ lemon
  10. Chana Dal/split chickpea lentil – 1 teaspoon
  11. Fresh coconut – 2-3 tablespoons, optional
  12. Cashews – 4-5, optional
  13. Mustard Seeds – 1 teaspoon
  14. Clarified Butter/Ghee – 1 tablespoon
  15. Vegetable oil – 1 tablespoon
  16. Hot water – 1 cup
  17. Salt – to taste

UTENSILS/EQUIPMENT:

  1. Kadhai/wok
  2. Pan

 RECIPE:

  1. Dry roast the semolina/sooji in a kadhai. Keep it on medium flame and keep moving constantly so that it does not burn.
Dry_roasting_Sooji
Dry roasting Sooji

2. Remove the semolina in a dish.
3. Heat 1.5 cups of water till it gets hot.
4. Now add a little oil in the same wok and allow it to heat.
5. Add in the cashews and fry them. Keep them aside.
6. Now add a few mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle.
7. Slit some green chillis and add them to the wok along with curry leaves and chana dal.
8. Dice the onion into small pieces and add them to the wok on low flame. Allow the onions to turn slightly translucent before adding the other veggies.
9. In the meantime, dice all the veggies into small pieces. If you are adding potatoes, add them first.
10. After a minute or so, add all the other veggies.

Cooked_veggies
Cooked veggies

11. Add salt and cover them with a lid for another 4-5 minutes.
12. Once the veggies are cooked, add the semolina and add 1 cup of hot water to it.
13. Mix well and keep on low heat.
14. The semolina should have cooked once it soaks up all the water. Add some more water if the semolina is still raw.
15. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and add a tablespoon of ghee on it. Mix well.
16. Grate some fresh coconut and serve hot.

Upma
Vegetable Upma