Idli upma is a quick 15-minute recipe of upma made with leftover idlis, onions, spices and herbs.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

  • 5 to 6 Idli (crumbled)
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon urad dal ((split husked black gram))
  • 5 to 6 curry leaves (- chopped or kept whole)
  • ½ teaspoon ginger (- finely chopped)
  • 1 green chili (- chopped or ½ to 1 teaspoon, chopped)
  • 1 dry red chili (- seeds removed, use red chilies which are not hot)
  • 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing), optional)
  • ¼ cup onions (- chopped or 1 small onion chopped)
  • salt (as required)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (- chopped)

Method

  1. Crumble 5 to 6 idlis and keep aside.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle on low heat.
  3. When they start crackling, add ½ teaspoon urad dal and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
  4. Saute till the urad dal turns golden stirring often on low heat.
  5. Then add 5 to 6 curry leaves (chopped or kept whole), ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger, 1 dry red chili (seeds removed) and 1 green chili (chopped). You can also add a pinch of asafoetida at this step.
  6. Stir and then add ¼ cup chopped onion. Saute till the onions turn translucent stirring often on low heat.
  7. Then add the crumbled idli. Also add a bit of salt as per taste. Mix very well and saute for a minute or two.
  8. Then switch off the heat. Lastly add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves. At this step, you can also add some grated coconut.
  9. Mix again and serve idli upma hot with some coconut chutney or lemon pickle. While serving you can drizzle some lemon juice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.