Upma is one of those quintessential Indian breakfast dishes that are loved around the country. Although the dish was born in the kitchens of southern India, upma has gained a reputation for being a delicious, filling and nutritious breakfast item. Breakfast is often dubbed as the most important meal of the day, according to experts you should have a wholesome healthy breakfast. You can find upma in the breakfast menu of most Indian food joints across India. Traditionally consumed as a part of the first meal of the day, upma is one those dishes that can very easily fit into your meal at any time of the day. Upma is prepared by cooking a food grain in water and seasoned with salt. Most popular versions also contain mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Upma can be prepared in various ways. The classic version involves cooking roasted rava or semolina in water until it has absorbed the water and gained a thick paste-like consistency. You may choose to add a number of vegetables like chopped carrots and peas or even add roasted peanuts to your upma. Other versions of upma involve preparing the dish from semiya or seviyan (vermicelli), or rice, or even whole wheat and bread chunks. Today we're going to talk about the three upma recipes out there: the classic rava upma, parsai ke chawal ka upma (barnyard millet upma) and finally seviya upma.
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Breakfast Recipes: Upma, 3 Delicious Ways
1. Rava/Semolina Upma Recipe
You are most likely to have had this version of upma. You start by sauteeing chopped onions and curry leaves with mustard seeds and lentils. The upma is then roasted in ghee and then water is added to allow the upma to cook properly and attain a porridge like consistency.
2. Millet Upma Recipe
This recipe is more likely to be consumed during fasting periods. Parsai ke chawal or barnyard millet consists of small, white, round grains that are usually used a substitutes of traditional white rice during Navratras. This millet recipe is a healthy breakfast option, fortified with b-complex vitamins.
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3. Seviya Upma Recipe
Another popular version of upma involves cooking vermicelli, or semiya, first in ghee and then finally cooking it in water till it becomes soft. You start out by roasting peanuts, cashews, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal and curry leaves in oil and then adding in some chopped onions and chopped vegetables of choice. Then add water and the roasted semiya and allow them to sit on a low flame until the vermicelli is soft and noodle-like.
Upma can be prepared very easily and is quite convenient as it's a one pot meal. You may choose to add your favourite nuts and vegetables to your upma recipes to make them more filling.
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