Rava upma

Rava upma - Does anybody needs introduction to this simple and humble tiffin item. No isn't. Upma or uppittu or upmaavu  is a common tiffin item in any Indian household. Whether you are in hurry or any guest arrive unexpectedly ,rava upma comes to your rescue. This rava upma can be prepared in many ways. With different seasonings and addition of masala it even becomes a meal by itself or a lunch box menu . Moreover it can be prepared in a rice cooker, or in a microwave oven or in the stove top or in an instapot. There are many variations in making this upma. Milagu - jeera rava upma, rava khichdi, khara bhath, rava biryani, rava kuska ,rava tomato bath  are some of the items that can be prepared with rava.

During my school days, i remember sharing this upma with my tamil teacher during lunch, 

Key ingredients:

Rava - Three types of rava Upma rava is available - chirotti, upma, bansi.chirotti is very fine,bansi has bigger granules. Upma rava is the right choice. 

Onion - Bellary variety is generally used.

Seasoning ingredients - Urad dal, Chana dal, ginger, chillies make the humble upma more delicious.

Oil+ ghee in generous amounts gives fluffy and soft upma.

Substitutions:

You can replace rava with wheat rava, vermicelli/semiya or corn rava/makka chola rava. Water requirements will vary depending on the type of grains used. 

• Add 2.5 cups of water for 1 cup of wheat rava / godhuma rava.Add 1 tbsp of grated coconut at the end.

• Add 1.5 cups of water for 1 cup of vermicelli.
• Add 3 cups of water for 1 cup of corn rava. Add 1 tbsp of grated coconut at the end.
• You can use 1 or 2 tomatoes in the place of lemon juice.

Pre - Preparation:

Heat a pan .Add a tsp of  oil or ghee. Add the rava .On a low flame,saute till it releases aroma.Transfer to a plate and cool. This step can be avoided if the rava is already roasted. 

Accompaniments::

Tastes best with pickle/ achar. Coconut chutney with Tiffin sambar also goes well.

Thokku also pairs up well with this tiffin

My kids and my husband love to have this with curd.

Stays fresh for a day in the fridge . Reheat by sprinkling water to get softer upma.

Recipe:

Preparation time : 30 minutes

No. Of Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Rava - 1 cup

Medium sized onion - 2

Green chillies - 2

Red chilli - 1

Ginger - 1/2"

Juice of half a lemon

Salt to taste

Tempering:

Oil - 1/4 cup

ghee - 1 tsp

Mustard - 1tsp

Urad Dal - 1tsp

Chana dal - 1 tsp

Directions:

1.Heat a pan. Add the tempering ingredients.

2.When dals have become golden, add green chillies, red chilli, add chopped onions, little salt. Saute till onion turn pink.

3.Add 2.5 cups of water.Allow the water to come to a rolling boil. Add salt .While keeping the flame high, add rava, stirring continuously, to avoid lumps. (you can use a whisker as well). Lower the flame. Close the pan with the lid.

4.After 5 minutes open the lid, all the water would have  been absorbed.switch off the flame.

5.Add a tsp of ghee. Fluff it up with a spatula.

 

6.Transfer to a bowl.

Notes:

• 2.5 cups of water is generally enough to give a soft and fluffy upma. if you feel upma is mushy, reduce the amount of water to 2 cups.