Fluffy Vegetable Rava Upma Recipe (Sooji Upma)
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 300kcal
Vegetable Rava Upma (Sooji Upma, Savory Semolina Porridge) is a popular Indian breakfast dish made using fine semolina, onions, mild spices, and a few more ingredients. It is filling and nutritious and comes together in under 20 minutes. My recipe makes the best fluffy and non-sticky upma in a jiffy.
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons ghee divided, use vegetable oil for a vegan version
- 1 cup fine semolina (sooji or rava)
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 15-20 whole curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon split and skinned black lentils (white urad dal)
- 1 teaspoon Bengal gram (chana dal)
- 8-10 cashew nuts halved
- ½ cup chopped red onions
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ¼ cup cubed carrots cut into ⅛-inch cubes
- ¼ cup chopped green beans cut into ⅛ inch pieces
- ¼ cup frozen green peas rinsed with water and drained
- 2.5 cups boiling hot water
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1-½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Instructions
Roast The Semolina
- Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a pan over medium-low heat.
- Add semolina to the pan and mix it well with the ghee by stirring and mashing the clumps with the back of a ladle.
- Roast the semolina until it turns very light brown in color (3-4 minutes). Keep stirring continuously so that it roasts evenly without getting burned at the bottom of the pan.
- Do not over roast the semolina otherwise the upma will turn dark in color. Do not leave roasted semolina in the pan otherwise, it will keep browning from the heat of the pan.
- Transfer the roasted rava to a plate and keep it aside.
Make The Upma
- Wipe the same pan with a paper towel to get rid of any semolina sticking to it and add the remaining ghee to it. Heat it over medium-high heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, black lentils, Bengal gram, and cashew nuts, and saute until they turn slightly brown (1-2 minutes).
- Add onions, green chilies, and ginger and fry until the onions turn pinkish in color (2-3 minutes). Keep stirring frequently.
- Add carrots, green beans, and green peas and cook for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring frequently.
- I like my veggies crunchy, so I cook them for very little time. If you like them soft, then cover the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes until they are tender.
- Now add hot water, sugar, salt, and lime juice to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil.
- To check if the salt is enough for your taste, taste the water. If you like the saltiness, it is fine, otherwise, add more salt as per your liking.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Slowly add the roasted semolina and keep mixing while adding to avoid the formation of lumps. Make sure to mix it well and take care that there are no lumps. Preferably mix in one direction.
- Cover the pan with a lid. Covering the pan is important as it will let the semolina soak up the water and become soft.
- Cook for 5-8 minutes on low heat until semolina absorbs the water and is cooked completely.
- Remove the pan from heat and let it rest for 4-5 minutes with the lid on.
- Remove the lid, fluff with a fork, garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 590mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1460IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg