South Indian Bread Upma Recipe (Bread Poha)
Bread Upma (Bread Poha) is a South Indian-style breakfast or snack recipe that is made by using bread slices, onions, tomatoes, and a few spices. This quick and easy dish comes together in under 20 minutes and is a great way to use up leftover bread slices.
Servings: 4 people
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.
Video
Notes
Use fresh bread or leftover stale bread; both are fine.
I like to use white sandwich bread because I think this bread tastes best when made into a bread upma. But you can use multigrain bread, brown bread, whole wheat bread, dinner rolls, pav, or any other soft bread. Try not to use sourdough as they are a little hard.
You can keep the corners of the bread if they are not too hard. If they are hard, I suggest cutting off the edges.
If you want a gluten-free version, use any preferred gluten-free bread.
You can add beans, carrots, zucchini, etc to make it more wholesome.
Some people toast the bread before cutting them into cubes. This version of bread poha tastes very different from the one I shared. You can try it too. Just toast the slices in a toaster or skillet, cut them into cubes, and follow the remaining recipe as mentioned.
Make it with eggs. Before adding the bread to the pan, break one egg in the pan and make an egg scramble. Once it is done, add in the bread and give it a mix.
Make it cheesy. 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg
