Instant Upma

Upma is a popular South Indian breakfast  generally made from dry roasted Semolina (Rava or Sooji as called in India). This home-made dish can be prepared quickly and what I here explain is rather more like instant preparation. It can well  be stored even months without any additional preservatives.

I always remember my Mom whenever I make it and it is one of the loved dishes served as our breakfast. The special aroma of ghee makes it more delicious.

Ingredients

• Semolina  1 kg

• Sunflower oil   1/3 cup

• Ghee    3 table spoon (heap) / 8 tbsp (level)

• Mustard seeds  1 tsp

• Onions large      4

• Ginger                1sq inch

•  Green Chilli      6

• Curry Leaves

• Grated coconut  1/3 cup

• Salt to taste

 Preparation

In a thick bottomed skillet or frying pan  roast the Rava/ Semolina on medium flame continuously stirring to avoid it  getting over roasted. Set it aside.

In another broad pan add oil and ghee and when it’s hot add mustard seeds and let it splutter, add curry leaves and finely chopped onions along with ginger and  green chilli. Let it be sautéed well in low flame. When light brown add fresh grated coconut and sauté for  some more time so that the coconut also turn slightly brown. Add in, roasted Rava and mix well, add salt  and let the ingredients get mixed uniformly. Turn off the flame and continue to intermittently stir  to avoid being burned by the residue heat of pan.

Cool this mix and  store it  in airtight container/storage bag in refrigerator and it can be used to make instant Upma in a very short time of a few minutes. If storing at room temperature, it stays for only one or two  weeks depending on the weather of the place you live in, but if you keep in refrigerator it stays for two months, and further longer  period can be availed  if you store the same in freezer bag and keep it chilled.

 Accordingly  take the required amount of the above mix in a frying pan and just thaw it to make it nicely hot. ( 1 cup mix – 1 & ¼ cup hot water )  Add hot water (close to boiling) and  tightly cover and cook for two minutes on very low flame.

Just open once  to stir.  Remove the lid and cook on low flame stirring in between and  let  remaining water dry up and the non sticky delicious Upma is ready to be served hot!!!  Upma can be enjoyed with banana, pickles or combination of your choices. 

Upma can be supplemented by adding carrots and cashews and even urud dal. Also advised to opt out ghee for those who wish to reduce calorie intake.

Full video can be watched in the following link Instant Upma

This serves a perfect, easy home-made instant breakfast with no added preservatives.