My friend Malathy likes to say idlis by themselves are boring, blah. Which is true, and that’s the reason why they are surrounded by so many delightful accompaniments. Chutney, sambar, kharam podi, you name it. Which is why this recipe, idli upma, makes for a delightful dish of overnight idlis. Sometimes I make idlis on purpose and leave them in the fridge so I can make idli upma. I love this dish!
What is Idli?
For the uninitiated, Idli is a steamed dumpling made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils. I have taken this a step further with Multigrain Idlis, where I have experimented with other grains (like oats, millets), flax seeds and so on. Easy, nutritious, everyday breakfast. Idlis can also be made from other ingredients like quinoa, cracked wheat, mung dal and so on, without fermentation.
And what is Upma?
Think of upma as a savory porridge. While the basic vanilla version is made with semolina, there are several variations. Upma is made with vermicelli, cracked wheat, rice rawa and so on. I’m listing down some delicious upma recipes below, from our blog. Don’t forget to check them out. All of them are flavorful, nutritious, and easy to cook. And they could work as breakfast or evening snack.
Idli Upma
Now that we have the background out of the way, let’s focus on this dish. To check out how idlis are made, go to our Plain & Veggie Multigrain Idli recipe. I suggest you cook them the previous night and save them in the fridge, so they are easy to crush and not sticky. South Indian tempering, onion ginger, carrots and cabbage add flavor and texture, along with some heat from green chili pepper. This dish is delicious on its own or with some Kharam Podi and organic ghee.
Idlis are made from fermented ingredients and then steamed; fermentation is highly recommended by nutritionists. This version uses oats, millets, barley brown rice and flax seeds, making it wholesome.
Check out some of our delicious South Indian breakfast/snack recipes:
- No Ferment Cabbage-Onion Dosa
- Multigrain Dosa
- Vegetable Uthappam
- Cracked Wheat Veggie Idli
- Multigrain Pesarattu
- Delicious Veggie Poha Upma
- Vermicelli Upma
- Sooji Upma
- Cracked Wheat Vegetable Upma
- Soft Kefir-Quinoa-Rawa Idli
- Plain & Veggie Multigrain Idli
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Idli Upma
Ingredients
- 1 Teaspoon Ginger - Fresh, grated
- 1/4 Cup Onion - Fine cut
- 1/4 Cup Carrot - Grated
- 1/4 Cup Cabbage - Fine cut
- 1 Pepper Green Chili Pepper - Small, fine cut (or to taste)
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or to taste
Idli
- 1/8 Cup Urad Dal
- 1/4 Cup Idli Rawa
- 1 Tablespoon Flaxseeds
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Tempering
- 6 Leaves Curry Leaves
- 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 Pepper Dry Red Chili
- 1/2 Teaspoon Urad Dal
- 1 Tablespoon Rice Bran Oil
Instructions
- Refrigerate leftover idlis overnight.
- Crush idlis evenly to minimize any lumps. Set aside tempering ingredients ( curry leaves, cumin, mustard and urad seeds, dry chili pepper). Grate carrots, cut cabbage, onion, green chili pepper, dice fresh ginger, and set them in a bowl.
- Heat oil in a pan and sauté tempering ingredients. Allow mustard and cumin seeds to crackle and add cut and dices veggies. Add salt, mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Ad crushed idlis and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes,
- Serve hot with Kharam Podi and organic ghee.
