Bread Upma Recipe (Bread Poha)
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Bread Upma (Bread Poha) is a South Indian-style breakfast or snack recipe made using bread slices, onions, tomatoes, and spices. This quick and easy dish comes together in under 20 minutes and is a great way to use leftover bread slices.
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Can I tell you something a little embarrassing? There was a phase, long enough that I don’t want to specify, where I genuinely couldn’t figure out what to do with leftover bread. I’d buy a loaf, use three slices for toast, and then watch the rest slowly give up on life in the bread box. Every. Single. Week.
Then I remembered what my mother used to make when we came home from school, starving and impatient. She’d grab whatever bread was sitting around, do her quick tempering. Mustard seeds hitting hot oil with that familiar pop, curry leaves releasing their earthy warmth, and in fifteen minutes there’d be a steaming plate of Bread Upma waiting for us. We never once complained that it was “just bread.” It never tasted like it.
That’s the magic of this recipe. The spiced tempering does such heavy lifting that the bread almost becomes a vehicle. It soaks up all that flavor and transforms into something that feels genuinely cooked, not just thrown together. Soft in the middle, lightly crisp at the edges, with the warmth of green chilies and the brightness of a squeeze of lemon at the end.
I’ve made this hundreds of times since. For rushed weekday mornings when I haven’t planned anything. For lazy weekend brunches when something hot and comforting sounds better than cereal. For evenings when the bread needs to be used up, and I don’t want to think too hard. It has never once let me down, and I don’t think it’ll let you down either.
If you love easy Indian breakfasts, you might also enjoy our Classic Rava Upma, the original semolina version this recipe is inspired by.
Why You’ll Love This Family Favorite Recipe!
- 20-minute breakfast – Faster than making toast and eggs. All you need is one pan and a handful of pantry staples.
- Uses leftover bread – Slightly stale bread works best here. This is one of the smartest ways to use bread before it turns.
- Easy to customize – Toss in whatever vegetables you have, capsicum, peas, and corn. It all works beautifully.
- Kid-friendly – Skip the green chillies and it’s a mild, flavourful breakfast kids actually enjoy.
Ingredients
- Bread – Use fresh or stale bread; either is fine. Bread Upma made using white sandwich bread tastes the best. You can also use multigrain bread, brown bread, whole wheat bread, dinner rolls, pav, or soft bread. Try not to use sourdough as they are a little hard. You can keep the bread’s edges if they are not too hard. If they are hard, I suggest cutting them off. If you want a gluten-free version, use any gluten-free bread. This recipe is also a great way to use the top and bottom slices from the packet, which are otherwise left unused.
- Vegetables – I like to keep it simple, adding only onions, tomatoes, and green peas. To make it more wholesome, you can add green beans, sweet corn, carrots, zucchini, etc.
- Green chilies – Adjust the green chilies as per your taste. I used Indian green chilies, but you can use Serrano peppers, Thai green chilies, or jalapenos.
- Oil – Use any cooking oil to make this simple breakfast recipe: light olive oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, etc., works fine. You can also use butter or ghee for a richer and more flavorful taste.
- Peanuts – Raw peanuts add a great crunch to the otherwise soft upma. You can replace peanuts with cashew nuts.
- Other Ingredients – You will also need curry leaves, brown mustard seeds, freshly squeezed lime juice, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), salt, and turmeric powder. Lime juice can be replaced with lemon juice.
Add 1 tablespoon of pav bhaji masala or sambar masala powder along with the veggies to make a variation of the bread upma recipe.
How To Make Bread Upma
Step 1: Cut 8 white bread slices into small squares (¼-inch) using a serrated knife. You don’t need to be precise; rough pieces are fine.
You can also tear the bread slices with your fingers instead of cutting them. Instead of cutting the slices into cubes, you can also shred the bread into very fine pieces for a texture change.
Step 2: Splash 2-3 tablespoon of water or buttermilk over them and toss once. Keep aside. This process will make the bread pieces soft.
Step 3: Heat 2 tablespoon cooking oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Step 4: Once the oil is hot, add 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds and 10-12 curry leaves and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
Step 5: Add ¼ cup of raw peanuts and fry for 20-25 seconds until crispy.
Step 6: Add the following ingredients and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies
- ¼ cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
If using fresh peas, cook them until tender before adding them to the pan.
Step 7: Now add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook for a minute.
Step 8: Add the following ingredients and toss everything well so the bread absorbs the spiced oil and onion-tomato mixture. Toss for 2–3 minutes until the bread is evenly coated and the edges start to crisp slightly.
- bread cubes
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Step 9: Check for salt and add more if needed. Cook for 3-4 minutes on low heat. Serve hot.
Bread Upma Recipe
Some people toast the bread before cutting it into cubes. This bread upma tastes very different from the one I have shared. You can try it too. Just toast the bread slices in a toaster or skillet, cut them into cubes, and follow the remaining recipe as mentioned.
Before adding the bread to the pan, crack one egg into it and make an egg scramble. Once it is done, add in the bread cubes and give it a mix.
Once the bread upma is ready, sprinkle ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese over it and cover it with a lid. Cook on low heat for 4-5 minutes until the cheese melts.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious bread upma with classic white coconut chutney for a quick breakfast or evening snack, or pack it for school and office lunch boxes.
It can be served on its own with a cup of Adrak Wali Chai or South Indian Filter Coffee.
You can also serve Green Chutney or Tomato Ketchup on the side; it tastes good with this upma. I like to top my Bread Upma with some Bikaneri Sev or Aloo Bhujia.
Storage Suggestions
Bread upma tastes best straight off the pan. As it sits, the bread absorbs moisture and softens. That said, leftovers are perfectly edible.
Store cooled bread upma in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. Reheat in a hot pan with a splash of water for 2–3 minutes; do not microwave, as it turns rubbery.
Bread upma does not freeze well. The texture deteriorates significantly after thawing.
Other South Indian Breakfast Recipes We Recommend
Indian Breakfast
Dalia Upma (Namkeen Dalia, Broken Wheat Upma)
Indian Breakfast
Rava Pongal Recipe (Sooji Pongal)
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South Indian Bread Upma Recipe (Bread Poha)
Ingredients
- 8 white bread slices
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 10-12 curry leaves
- ¼ cup raw peanuts
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- ¼ cup frozen green peas (washed)
- ¼ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Instructions
- Cut bread slices into small squares (¼-inch) using a serrated knife.
- Note – You can also tear the bread slices using your fingers instead of cutting them. Instead of cutting the slices into cubes, you can shred the bread into very fine pieces for a change of texture.
- Splash 2-3 tbsp of water or buttermilk over them and toss once. Keep aside. This process will make the bread pieces soft.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and curry leaves and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.
- Add peanuts and fry for 20-25 seconds until they are crispy.
- Add onions, green chilies, peas, tomatoes, and ginger and fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Note – If using fresh peas, cook them until they are tender before adding them to the pan.
- Now add turmeric powder and salt and cook for a minute.
- Add the bread cubes, lime juice, and cilantro, and toss everything well.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes on low heat. Serve hot.
I LOVE IT!!!