Soft, moist, and loaded with veggies, this vegetable upma is truly the most wholesome way to start your day. Everyday ingredients and a simple, no-frizz recipe–I promise you’ll keep coming back to this South Indian breakfast recipe again and again! 

Who doesn’t love a hearty yet easy breakfast recipe that’s quick to make for busy mornings? And this Vegetable Upma is possibly the most common breakfast option in most Indian households, right up there with poha and idli dosa. Also known as suji ka upma or uppittu, this South Indian breakfast is quite popular throughout the country. And I get exactly why! It’s like a warm hug on a plate. Every spoonful is fluffy, slightly spicy, and full of tiny surprises from crunchy veggies and aromatic spices. 

It’s one of our favorite Indian breakfast recipes and you must try it out!

Easy, Fast Breakfast Recipe

• With just a little prep, this recipe comes together in under 20 minutes, making it perfect for rushed weekday mornings. 
• Veggies add an extra layer of fibre and nutrition to this already healthy breakfast. 
• Super customisable. Can be made with whatever veggies you have available. You can even skip the veggies entirely if you want. 
• Is naturally vegetarian and can be easily made vegan by eliminating ghee at the end.
• The recipe can easily be doubled or halved. 

Vegetable Upma Ingredients

• Rava/Semolina: I prefer using Bombay Rava. The grains of this variety are neither too big nor too small. The variety is also great at absorbing moisture, which is what gives you perfectly soft and moist upma every single time.  
• Oil: Any neutral flavoured oil like canola, sunflower or peanut 
• For tempering: Mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves and ginger
• Veggies: I have used onions, tomatoes, beans, green peas and carrots in this recipe. You can add or eliminate anything depending on what’s available to you. 
• Dry red chilli: For some heat.  
• Water: To cook the rava and give the upma its typical moist and soft texture. 
• Sugar: Just a little helps to balance out the flavours. 
• Ghee: Enhances the flavour of the whole dish. Optional, but I highly recommend adding it. 

How to make Upma

Here’s a detailed step by step showing you how to make upma

1. Roast sooji or semolina on a low flame till it starts to smell nutty

2. Transfer it to a bowl and let it cool

3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter and urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves, dried red chilli and saute for a minute

4. Add ginger and onions and cook till onions turn translucent

5. Add all the other veggies and cook for 2 minutes

6. Add water and bring it to a roaring boil

7. Reduce the flame to low and add sooji slowly while stirring continuously. This helps avoid lumps in the upma

8. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes till the sooji absorbs all the water, steams and blooms. Finish with ghee and coriander leaves and serve hot.

How To Prevent Lumpy Upma

There’s a couple of reasons why your upma can turn out lumpy, make sure to avoid:

• Adding all the rava (semolina) at once:When you add the rava into hot water all at once, it clumps up before it can absorb the water evenly. Slowly pour in the roasted rava while continuously stirring the water.
• Not stirring immediately: After adding rava, you have to keep stirring to spread it evenly before it sets.
• Using unroasted rava:If the semolina isn’t roasted properly, it will absorb water unevenly and become sticky or clumpy.
• Wrong water-to-rava ratio:Less water = dry, clumpy upma. For fluffy, soft upma, use around 3 cups of water for 1 cup of rava.

Richa’s Top Tips

• The secret to the best semolina upma or rava upma lies in two things: roasting the rava and getting the rava to water ratio right.
• Pay attention to the water to rava ratio which should be 3:1. So for every one cup of rava, you would need to add 3 cups of water for perfectly soft and moist upma. 
• Make sure to roast the rava evenly on low to medium heat until it exudes a nutty aroma but doesn’t change colour.
• While adding the roasted rava to hot water, keep stirring continuously. This will help prevent lumps and make sure your upma has a soft and creamy texture. 
• Cut all the veggies to the same size to allow them to cook quickly and evenly. 
• If you find lumps forming while cooking, immediately mash them gently with the back of a spoon and keep stirring to break them up.

Serving Ideas

• With a steaming cup of chai or filter coffee for the most comforting breakfast. 
• Pair with coconut chutney or tomato chutney for a classic combo.
• Serve with  some curd for extra cooling.
• Enjoy it with a spicy mango pickle for a flavor burst!

Customisation Ideas

• Add in roasted peanuts and cashews for a nice nutty crunch. 
• Stir in some coconut, or sprinkle garam masala or even a little sambar powder for a new flavor profile!

Storage Tips

Vegetable Upma is best eaten fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Reheat with a splash of water to adjust the texture.

If you are looking for yet another quick and easy breakfast option that’s also delicious and healthy, then this vegetable rava upma recipe is a must try! Have it along with a steaming cup of filter coffee and enjoy!!

If you make this, don’t forget to tag me on IG @my_foodstory with your bowl of goodness ✨

Watch Vegetable Upma Recipe Video

This article was written and researched by Navya Khetarpal.