For as long as I can remember, sooji upma has been my favorite snack dish. Growing up in the Southern Indian city of Hyderabad and traveling to nearby towns, I had my favorite ‘upma’ restaurants. One was a restaurant called Tajmahal (it is still around!) that served this soft, fluffy, mildly flavored dish with coconut chutney. Another favorite spot was a bus stop on the way to the college town I used to go to. This restaurant would serve up a slightly spicier but equally delicious version.
Exam-Time Snack
One interesting episode that comes to mind when I talk of sooji upma, used to happen during my graduation days. A bunch of my classmates would gather at a friend’s place for what we used to call ‘combined’ studies. This friend of mine, Srinivas, used to make great sooji upma for all of us around 11.30 pm, when were super hungry and looking forward to a break. Just the upma and nothing else on the side, but that was so memorable. It gave us a break, settled our tummies and relieved us some of the exam tension.
Sooji Upma
While upma is a more generic term for a savory South Indian porridge, sooji upma is the quintessential version. It is made from semolina. There are other versions, made with cracked wheat, vermicelli, flattened rice and so on. Onions and ginger are not always added, but I love the flavor they bring in. A cousin of mine hates onion in her upma, so ger mom makes a sperate version for her, sans onions!
Accompaniments
Generally, sooji upma is served with coconut chutney. Some restaurants could also serve it with sambar, tomato or mint chutney. Interestingly, sooji upma is served up as a filling in a mung crepe called ‘Upma Pesarattu’ (my all-time favorite!) and served with a side of ginger chutney. Check out a video of upma pesarattu in the recipe below.
Sooji Upma on Upma Pesarattu
Using pure organic ghee or extra virgin coconut oil here makes this healthier than using refined oils like vegetable or canola oils, as in the traditional recipe. It is also a low calorie snack for the vegetarian and calorie conscious folks.
While you’re here, don’t forget to check out some of our delicious South Indian breakfast recipes!
- Delicious Veggie Poha Upma
- Cracked Wheat Vegetable Upma
- Vermicelli Upma
- Pesarattu-Green Mung Crepe
- No Ferment Cabbage-Onion Dosa
- Vegetable Uthappam
- Plain & Veggie Multigrain Idli
- Multigrain Dosa
- Uppudupindi
- Cracked Wheat Vegetable Idli
Also check out some of the chutney and side recipes here:
- Coconut Chutney
- Coconut Tomato Chutney
- Flavorful Cilantro-Mint Chutney
- Sambar-Hearty Lentil & Veggie Soup
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Delicious Sooji Upma!
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Sooji - Semolina
- 1/4 Cup Onion - Fine Cut
- 1 Chili Green Chili Pepper - Medium Size, Fine Cut
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger - Grated/Fine Cut
- 2 Teaspoons Ghee - (Clarified Butter); Skip for Vegans or use coconut oil
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or to taste
- 3/4 Cup Filtered water
Tempering Ingredients
- 6-8 Leaves Curry Leaves
- 1/2 Pepper Dry Red Chili - Small
- 1/4 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Chana Dal - (Split Bengal Gram)
Instructions
- Heat one teaspoon ghee (or coconut oil for vegans) in a pan on low flame and sauté curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and chana dal. Add ginger, green chili and onions and sauté till onions turn golden brown. Add sooji (cream of wheat), salt, and sauté for 5 minutes on low flame. Meanwhile, heat water in a bowl.
- Add hot water to the pan slowly while continuously stirring the contents, to ensure there are no lumps. Cover with lid and let the upma cook for an additional 5 minutes, mixing gently a couple of times.
- To make it more fluffy, transfer to a steel container and set it in a rice cooker bowl. Add half cup water to the bowl, set lid. Allow it to cook and turn to keep warm.
- Top with one teaspoon ghee before serving (for a vegan dish, skip this step or use coconut oil). Serve hot with fresh Coconut Tomato Chutney and idli powder.
