Semolina Uppama
Rava Upma
Raksha Patel
This is an easy to make savoury snack from south India, now very popular in North India too, where it is often referred to as savoury semolina Halva.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cups semolina (sooji/rava)
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
2 tsp. urad/urid/urd dal (skinless black gram dal)
2 tsp. chana dal (red gram or Bengal gram dal)
2 pinches of asafoetida or hing powder
2 onions, chopped finely
1 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated or finely chopped
4 green chillies, slit lengthways
5-6 curry leaves (not bay leaves). Fresh are best.
1 tbsp. ghee
Salt to taste
Instructions
Dry roast semolina in a heated kadhai and keep aside.
Boil 4 cups of water.
Heat oil in the karahi, add mustard seeds, asafoetida, both the dals and curry leaves . Stir all the time with a spoon to ensure even cooking.
When the dals turn slightly red, add ginger, green chillies and onions and cook till the onions turn transparent.
Add roasted semolina, and salt and mix well.
Now slowly add the boiling water*, stirring constantly until the rava absorbs all the water. Cover and cook for two minutes on low heat.
Add ghee and stir well, until it sets, but not too solid.
Turn heat off and serve hot, with Coconut Chutney.
Notes
You can roast a few broken cashew nuts in ghee or microwave and add to the upma at the end.
*Along with water, you can also add small, chopped pieces of vegetables of your choice , lightly boiled. Example: potatoes, peas, carrots, green beans.
