Indian Vegetable Upma: 15-Minute Savory Semolina Breakfast for Busy School Mornings

Set a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the semolina, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes until it smells nutty and turns a shade darker. Tip it into a bowl and set aside; this step can be done in bulk on Sunday and stored in a jar for the whole week.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup coarse semolina (rava or sooji)
• 2 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon urad dal (optional)
• 8 to 10 fresh curry leaves
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 green chili, slit lengthwise
• 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 2 1/2 cups hot water
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons roasted cashews
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Set a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the semolina, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes until it smells nutty and turns a shade darker. Tip it into a bowl and set aside; this step can be done in bulk on Sunday and stored in a jar for the whole week.
2. Return the skillet to medium heat with the ghee. Add the mustard seeds and urad dal and let them crackle for 30 seconds, then add the curry leaves and stand back as they sputter.
3. Add the onion, green chili and ginger and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the onion softens. Stir in the carrot and peas and cook 2 minutes more.
4. Pour in the hot water and salt and bring to a rolling boil.
5. Lower the heat and pour the toasted semolina in a steady stream with one hand while stirring with the other so no lumps form. Keep stirring for 2 to 3 minutes as the mixture thickens and pulls away from the pan.
6. Cover, turn off the heat and let the upma steam for 3 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
7. Top with cashews and coriander and serve hot with lemon wedges for squeezing over. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of water and keep 3 days in the fridge, which makes upma a rare hot breakfast that also works as a lunchbox filler.
8. Upma is the workhorse breakfast of South Indian homes, especially in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where it appears on the table in the time it takes to boil a kettle. Its name comes from the Kannada words uppu (salt) and hittu (flour), and the dish grew out of the practical need to turn cheap semolina into something nourishing before school and work. Every family tweaks the tempering: some add roasted peanuts, others a spoon of sugar, and coastal cooks finish it with grated coconut. Pre-toasting the rava is the old trick that keeps the grains separate instead of gluey, and it is exactly what makes the recipe a five-minute affair on a rushed Tuesday morning.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 290 kcal
• Protein: 8g
• Fat: 11g
• Carbohydrates: 41g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 620mg