Healthy fiber and iron-rich dish made with finger millet semolina, spices, herbs and nuts. Serve this with a side of sambar, curry, yogurt or chutney.
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 2 · 2 to 3
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: South Indian
Ingredients
- 1 cup ragi rava
- 2½ cups water
- ⅓ to ½ teaspoon salt ((more if needed))
- 2 tablespoons oil (/ ghee)
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 green chilies (slit or chopped)
- 1 pinch hing (/ asafoetida)
- ½ teaspoon mustard
- ½ teaspoon cumin (/ jeera)
- ¼ cup onion (sliced (1 small))
- 10 cashew nuts (split or 3 tbsps peanuts)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (chopped)
- ½ tablespoon chana dal
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (fine chopped)
- 1 small lemon (to serve)
Method
How to make Ragi Upma
- Wash and soak ragi rava for about 30 mins. Drain completely and squeeze off the excess water using your hands. Set this aside.
- Heat a pan with oil. Add cumin, mustard, chana dal, urad dal and cashew nuts. Fry them until the lentils turn golden.
- Add hing, onions, curry leaves, ginger and green chilies. Fry them until the onions turn transparent.
- Transfer the rava and saute for a while for about 3 to 4 minutes until you begin to smell the rava good.
- Meanwhile stir water and salt in a pot. Taste test the water. It should be slightly salty. Bring this to a boil. Turn down the heat and slowly pour the water with one hand, while you stir the rava with another hand. Be careful as the water can splash at this stage.
- Cover and cook on a low to medium heat until all the water is absorbed and cooked through. If you think it is still uncooked, simply add more boiling water. Stir in between a few times. Turn off and let rest for 10 to 15 mins.
- Sprinkle some lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve ragi rava upma hot.
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.