Upma Recipe – How to Make Soft South Indian Rava/Sooji Upma

This Upma Recipe is a typical South Indian food, made from rava or semolina, which is roasted and cooked with choice of vegetables and other ingredients that give it excellent flavor. For others, a bowl of hot, soft upma with coconut chutney or sambar is comfort food.

If made properly, upma is soft, fluffy, very moist and not sticky. But made wrong, it is lumpy, dry, chewy or sticky — something most of us have suffered at least once. The trick to making perfect upma is roasting rava correctly and getting the correct water proportion, adding slowly all the while stirring.

This step-by-step recipe explains how to make restaurant-style upma at home that’s fluffy, light and delicious — and not Gluggy or pasty.

This basic recipe is also good combined with veggies or with more nutritious grains such as oats or cracked wheat.

Table of Contents

About Upma

Upma, also called as Uppuma, Khara bath is one of the easy and simple breakfast recipes. It is thought to have originated in southern India, then spread across the country as a fast breakfast or light dinner choice.

According to tradition, upma used to be made with only rava tempered with cashews, mustard seeds ,curry leaves and green chille. Gradually, vegetables such as carrots, peas and beans were added to it making the dish a bit more nutritious.

Even now, upma is one of the commonly prepared breakfasts in Indian families because it:

Needs minimal preparation

Uses pantry ingredients

Cooks in under 15 minutes

Can be made heavy or light as you like

Ingredients Used

Main ingredient

Rava (Sooji / Semolina): Use medium or coarse semolina. Do not use very fine sooji as it becomes sticky.

Oil or ghee: For an aromatic, flavor-infused mixture. Ghee gives authentic taste.

Spices –

Mustard seeds

Cumin seeds

Green chilies

Fresh ginger

Lentils

Chana dal

Urad dal

They add crunch and nutty flavor.

Nuts

Cashew nut — A classic rich addition.

Vegetables

Carrots

Green peas

Beans

Flavoring

Curry leaves

Fresh coriander leaves

Lemon juice

Water Ratio for Perfect Upma

The ideal ratio is:

For soft upma: 2½ cups water
1 cup rava : 2½ cups water
For a slightly grainy texture: 2¼ cups water
For extra soft texture: Up the water to 3 cups

Notice: Always make sure the water is boiling hot when you add rava.

How to Prepare Upma (Step by Step process)

Step 1 – Roast Rava

Heat a pan add rava and roast on low flame until it starts to give nice aroma.
Stir continuously
Do not brown it
Roast for only until it is crisp and nutty in aroma
Transfer to a bowl and set it aside.
This step will stop it from being lumpy and sticky.

Step 2 – Tempering the Upma

Add the oil or ghee to same pan.
Add Rai (mustard seeds) – to cracle, Cumin seeds, Chana dal & urad dal – fry till light golden, Cashew nuts — roast till crunchy.
Then put curry leaves, finely chopped ginger and green chillies add onions.
Cooke until the onions becomes tender and light golden color.

Step 3 – Cook Vegetables

Stir in chopped vegetables and cook 2 minutes.
Add water and salt to pan.
Bring it to a rolling boil.
Taste the water — it should taste only modestly salty

Step 4 – Add Rava Carefully

Lower the flame.
I poured rava slowly into the boiling water, stirring with other hand.
This prevents lumps from forming. Stir and mix well until the rava is combined with it.

Step 5 – Cook & Steam

Cover the pan.
Turn to low heat and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until the water evaporates.
Switch off the heat. Stir in lemon juice
and coriander leaves.
Drizzle with ghee and fluff, using a fork or spoon.
Yummy soft and grainy perfect upma is ready to be served!

Tips to Make Best Upma

Always roast rava first
Now slowly add rava in boiling water.
Add rava by keeping flame low
Stir continuously
Don’t over-thin the water
Steamed after mixing to have fluffy texture

Variations of Upma

Vegetable Upma

Include additional vegetables such as capsicum, corn or cabbage for a bigger meal.

Tomato Upma

If you wish mild tanginess, add finely chopped tomatoes for onion.

Oats Upma

Roast 1 cup rolled oats and treat them like healthy upma.

Broken Wheat Upma

Stick to samba rava or cracked wheat for a diabetic friendly option.

Coconut Upma

Finish with fresh grated coconut before serving, for South Indian coastal flavour.

Serving Suggestions

Serve hot upma with:

Coconut chutney
Peanut chutney
Vegetable sambar
Filter coffee or chai
Storing & Reheating
Best eaten fresh
Preparation can be refrigerated for 24 hours
Sprinkle with water: before heating, if desired for softness

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does upma get hard or dry?

Add less water or if you do not cover & steam the upma, then it can turn out a bit dry.

Which rava is best?

I would recommend medium rava or coarse rava for the perfect soft yet slight grainy texture.

Can I prepare upma without adding vegetables?

Yes, classic upma has only onion and spices — anything else is an option.

Can I skip cashews?

Yes, but cashews bring a classic richness and crunch to the mix.

Final Words

Upma is one of those dishes that seems so easy and simple but yet the taste & texture varies widely depending on how you make it. From dry roasting the rava till it is fragrant, to getting just the right amount of water to make it soft and then whisking the rava into boiling while matching pace with its rhythm as you keep stirring – every little thing plays a critical part.

But when you make it patiently and with care (and follow these steps) upma is soft, fluffy, moist, fragrant and totally lump free—a truly comforting dish. That’s how traditional South Indian homes and restaurants serve this dish — light but substantial, with a gentle flavorfulness, an ideal balance of texture.

And with these simple tips and tricks, you can always replicate that original flavour at home and have a mouth-watering bowl of perfect upma every time.

Upma Recipe – How to Make Perfect Upma At Home, South Indian Style, Soft And Fluffy.