If you are looking for a South Indian rava upma recipe then you are at the right place. This recipe will yield you a soft, melt-in-your-mouth upma in less than 20 minutes.
1tablespoonfinely chopped cilantro / coriander leaves for garnishing
Instructions
In a saucepan, add 3 cups of water and let it come to boil.
Meanwhile, heat oil (or ghee if using) in a medium-sized wok kept over medium heat and then add mustard seeds.
As they begin to crackle, add curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal and cashews(if using). Fry them for a minute.
Add grated ginger, chopped chilies, and onions.
Fry the onions till they are translucent. Add salt and sugar. Mix well.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add sooji and mix well.
Continue frying till it starts to change to a light golden brown color and a sweet aroma emanates from the mixture (approximately 6-8 minutes).
Add hot water carefully to the semolina mixture and mix well to make sure it is lump-free.
Lower the gas to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the sooji mixture is moist but not dry. Add ghee, lime juice and cilantro and mix them in.
Take the wok off the heat and serve upma hot as is or accompanied by chutney, pickle, or sambar.
Notes
Tips to make it moist -
Follow the 1:3 ratio, i.e. for every cup of semolina, use 3 cups of water. If you prefer it more crumbly and dry, use 2.5 cups of water instead of 3.
When the rava is done cooking, add a tablespoon of ghee and chopped cilantro. Mix them well and take the upma off the heat immediately.
Note: Traditionally, the process of making upma is slightly different, as noted below. I like my process listed above better because it is faster and tastes just as good :)
Dry roast the semolina in medium-low heat in a wok till it turns aromatic (6-8 minutes). Transfer the semolina to a plate.
Then to the same wok, add oil or ghee. Set the heat to medium. Once the oil/ghee has been heated, add mustard seeds.
As they begin to crackle, add curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal, and cashews(if using). Fry them for a minute.
Add grated ginger, chopped chilies, and onions. Fry the onions till they are translucent. Add salt and sugar. Mix well.
Add water to the onions. Let the water come to a boil, and then add the roasted semolina, a few tablespoons at a time. Stir continuously to avoid lumps.
Lower the gas to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the sooji mixture is moist but not dry.
Add ghee, lime juice, and cilantro and mix them in.
Take the wok off the heat and serve upma hot as is or accompanied by chutney, pickle, or sambar.
Variations
You can also add veggies such as tomatoes, peas, and carrots to this dish. After the onions turn soft, add about 1/4 cup each of finely chopped tomatoes, peas, and finely chopped carrots. Saute them till they are cooked through.
You could top this dish once cooked with some freshly grated coconut to mix it up.
To make it vegan, replace ghee with coconut oil.
Finish off with lime juice - once the cooking is completed, add about a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice along with cilantro for added flavor.