South Indian · serves 2

Rava Upma

Twenty minutes, pantry-only, and it fills you up properly.

20 min Easy Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rava
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp urad dal
  • 1 tbsp cashews
  • 15 curry leaves
  • 2 green chillies
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 tbsp ghee

Method

  1. Dry roast the rava until it smells nutty and stops looking chalky. Take it out. Skipping this makes it lumpy.
  2. Ghee, mustard seeds, urad dal, cashews, curry leaves, chillies, ginger.
  3. Onion till soft. Add 3 cups water and salt, bring to a rolling boil.
  4. Lower the heat and rain the rava in with one hand while stirring with the other.
  5. Cover 3 minutes, then fluff. Ghee and lemon.

Questions people ask about Rava Upma

How long does Rava Upma take?

About 20 minutes from starting to sitting down, and it is straightforward. That is start-to-finish, so it works on a weeknight when you have not planned anything.

What is the one thing to get right in Rava Upma?

Dry roast the rava until it smells nutty and stops looking chalky. Take it out. Skipping this makes it lumpy.

What can I use instead of onion in Rava Upma?

Use shallots, which are sweeter, or leeks for a milder result. Neither browns quite as deeply.

Can I make Rava Upma ahead of time?

You can prepare it a few hours ahead and reheat gently. It keeps two days in the fridge, though it is best on the day.

Is Rava Upma vegetarian?

Yes, it is vegetarian. It is not vegan as written because it contains dairy; swap the dairy for a plant alternative and the rest of the method is unchanged.

What do you serve with Rava Upma?

Steamed rice with a spoon of ghee, and a papad if you have one. It serves two as written. Double everything to feed four, but use a wider pan so the food still browns rather than steams.

Don't know what to cook? Let it decide →

Read more on the technique

If you liked this

Curd Rice
10 min · Easy
Coconut Rice
15 min · Easy
Cabbage in Coconut Milk
15 min · Easy
Lemon Rice
20 min · Easy
Cabbage Poriyal
20 min · Easy
Vermicelli Upma
20 min · Easy