Easy Vegan South Indian Rava Upma Recipe

About this recipe

Make this easy vegan South Indian Rava Upma for a quick, satisfying breakfast. Fluffy semolina, fresh curry leaves, and bold spices come together in one simple, delicious dish.

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Rava upma can be prepared and served within minutes and it’s hard to get it wrong. This dish is ideal for beginners to Indian cooking! Rava is also known as sooji or suji in Hindi. All of these terms refer to the same ingredient, which is semolina! Did I mention that this dish is vegan? Yep, not leaving the vegans out!

What Are Curry Leaves?

Fresh curry leaves arranged on a white plate.

The tree is native to India and there are several culinary and medicinal applications from it’s leaves. Healthline outlines 9 incredible benefits and uses of curry leaves here for your interest.

You can usually purchase these at your local Asian or Indian grocer, and I like to freeze them to use later.

Orange and red apple on white background, ingredients for South Indian Rava Upma recipe

Semolina is usually really easy on the budget, which makes it a popular ingredient in lots of Indian households, and this price to volume ratio translates to North American markets as well.

Preparing a Great South Indian Rava Upma

Roast Well

The rava/sooji/semolina needs to be roasted well to ensure the upma is fluffy and light. The roasting also adds some colour since naturally, rava/sooji/semolina is very pale.

Semolina being roasted in a dark pan on a stovetop, showing light golden color from toasting.

Essential Ingredients for South Indian Rava Upma

These ingredients are key to achieving a great base and understanding the basic concept of a great rava upma.

Olive oil: I like to use olive oil since it is lighter, healthier and is usually always in my pantry.

Black mustard seeds: Essential to most South Indian dishes, the flavor is very similar to subtle spice of mustard which compliments well with curry leaves. Usually mustard seeds are used in combination with curry leaves.

Curry leaves: These leaves are aromatic, and carry a pungent and citrusy flavour which works well with black mustard seeds

Black mustard seeds and curry leaves tempering in oil in a dark pan with water droplets visible.

Chana dal/Split chickpeas: The lentils are lightly fried with the oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves and adds a nuttiness and texture to the soft, fluffy upma.

Chana dal and curry leaves tempering in oil with mustard seeds in a dark pan, showing the initial seasoning step.

Onions: The spicy and nuttiness flavors from earlier are balanced by the sweetness of the onions. Once caramelized with the mustard seeds, they become infused with their flavor and create a unique, delicious flavour combination.

Diced onions, carrots, peas, and chana dal being sautéed in oil in a dark pan during rava upma preparation.

Semolina being poured into a dark pan with toasted spices, chana dal, and curry leaves for making rava upma.

Lime Juice & Cilantro: Cuts through the flavors and helps add acidic freshness to the entire dish. While this step is optional, I urge you to try the upma before and after adding these ingredients to taste the difference.

Fluffy vegan rava upma served on a white plate, garnished with fresh cilantro and black mustard seeds.

How to Serve South Indian Rava Upma

A well roasted upma will have fluffy grains that will be steaming hot, which pairs amazingly well with some toast. I especially enjoy it with the subtle sourness of a rye bread. Traditionally, rava/sooji upma is served with coconut chutney or limes on the side and enjoyed by itself. I find the fun in finding your favourite way to enjoy these traditional dishes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is rava upma?▼

It's a savoury South Indian breakfast made from roasted semolina (rava) cooked with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, chana dal, onion and green chilies. Warm, soft and comforting.

Why roast the semolina first?▼

Toasting the semolina for 5 to 8 minutes before cooking is the key step — it stops the upma turning gluey or sticky and gives it a light, fluffy, separate texture.

What's the semolina-to-water ratio?▼

About ½ cup of semolina to 1¼ cups of water. Add the roasted semolina slowly to the boiling water while stirring so it puffs up evenly without clumping, and add a splash more water if it gets too dry.

Is upma spicy?▼

It has gentle warmth from green chilies, which you can adjust to taste. A squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro at the end keep it bright and balanced.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra