Semolina (rava · sooji)
रवा · सूजीسوجی
ravā · sūjī
Medium or fine.
Its job: The base.
Science-backed recipe
From the MedRise Food Science kitchenPublished
Rava Upma: Fluffy, Not Lumpy
Also called Uppittu · Sooji Upma · रवा उपमा · سوجی اپما
Roasted semolina cooked with mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger, onion and vegetables, finished with ghee and lemon.
From the MedRise Food Science kitchenPublished - Active
- 25 min
- Prep
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Serves
- 3
Why this recipe works
- ✓No lumpsRoasted rava, boiling water.
- ✓20 minutesWeekday breakfast.
- ✓VegetablesCarrot, peas, onion.
- ✓Ghee and lemonThe finish.
What is upma?
Upma is a savory South Indian breakfast of semolina (rava or sooji) cooked like a pilaf-porridge with a tempering of mustard seeds, dals and curry leaves.
Meet the ingredients
The main ingredients, with their English, Hindi and Urdu names.
Curry leaves
कड़ी पत्ताکڑی پتہ
kaṛī pattā
Fresh.
Its job: Aroma.
Grow it yourself: Green chilies, Cilantro (dhania), Ginger, Curry leaf tree
The lab notes
The science behind every step
Restaurant cooks do these things by habit. Here’s what each step is actually doing to the food, so you can cook by understanding instead of guesswork.
Lab note01
Roast the rava
Dry-roast the semolina until fragrant, 4–5 minutes.
Roasting dries and lightly toasts the starch surface, so the grains absorb water more evenly instead of clumping.
Lab note02
Boiling water, steady stream
Add the rava to boiling water in a stream while stirring.
Grains that hit hot water separately swell separately; dumped together, the outer starch gelatinizes into a glue that traps dry pockets.
How to make it, at a glance
- Roast the ravaDry-roast the rava in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker, 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
- TemperHeat the ghee, add the mustard seeds; when they pop, add the urad and chana dal until golden, then the curry leaves, ginger and chilies.
- VegetablesAdd the onion until soft, then the carrot and peas for 2 minutes.
- BoilAdd the water, salt and sugar and bring to a rolling boil.
- Add the ravaLower the heat and pour in the rava in a steady stream, stirring constantly. Cover and cook 2 minutes.
- FinishFluff with the ghee, lemon and cilantro.
Exact amounts and timings are in the recipe card below.
Questions, answered
Why is my upma sticky?
Too much water or it wasn’t roasted; use 2½ cups water per cup of rava.
About MedRise Food Science
Desi restaurant favorites, recreated at home and explained with food science: every recipe is tested in a home kitchen and comes with the why behind each step.
Recipe card
Rava Upma
Fluffy rava upma in 20 minutes: roasted semolina cooked with a mustard seed, urad dal and curry leaf tempering, onion and vegetables, finished with ghee and lemon. With the science of lump-free upma.
Prep10 minCook15 minTotal25 minServes3 servings
Ingredients
Rava
Tempering
Liquid and finish
Instructions
- Roast the ravaDry-roast the rava in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker, 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
- TemperHeat the ghee, add the mustard seeds; when they pop, add the urad and chana dal until golden, then the curry leaves, ginger and chilies.
- VegetablesAdd the onion until soft, then the carrot and peas for 2 minutes.
- BoilAdd the water, salt and sugar and bring to a rolling boil.
- Add the ravaLower the heat and pour in the rava in a steady stream, stirring constantly. Cover and cook 2 minutes.
- FinishFluff with the ghee, lemon and cilantro.
Notes
- Gluten
- Rava is wheat; not gluten-free.
Equipment
- Heavy pan with lid