Upma is a savory breakfast porridge made from ground grain, typically served in South India but now popular across the country. It is made with rava flour or semolina, fried and cooked with water and spices, and often includes vegetables, spices, beans, or nuts. It is a staple vegetarian dish in Tamil cuisine, and can be made with broken rice instead of rava. Different chefs add their own ingredients, such as shredded coconut or ground carrots.
Traditionally served as a breakfast porridge in the southern part of India, upma is similar to flour. It is also called uppindi, uppittu and uppeet. Upma is a ground grain cooked to a tender texture. Plain upma tastes bland and plain, so spices, beans, or nuts are often added when served.
Though it originated as a hot breakfast cereal, the dish is now served not just in South India but across the country as part of brunch or as a snack. While similar to many breakfast porridges, upma is not as sweet as many of the hot cereals tend to be. Instead, it tastes more savory. With onions, chillies and tomatoes often added to it, the flavor has a depth of character and distinction. Turmeric is the most common spice added to this breakfast porridge.
The basis for the upma is made from rava flour or semolina. This coarsely ground flour is first fried until light brown in color. After being fried to the desired shade, it is then cooked with water and spices until it has a porridge-like consistency. Vegetables are often added during the cooking process. Cilantro and chopped cashews are often used as a side dish when following a recipe similar to this one.
Upma is a common vegetarian dish in the Tamil cuisine tradition. It is a staple dish within this specific cuisine. A real traditional Tamil upma can also be made with broken pieces of rice instead of the common rava, as rice is a staple. Whether cracked rice or rava, the savory flavor additives remain largely the same, most commonly green chili and onion. Very strong tea and extremely strong coffee are the traditional drink of choice when serving this vegetarian dish.
Upma is a simple breakfast dish to prepare. What widely differentiates the dish from one chef to another are those ingredients added to the basic recipe. On holidays, shredded coconut is often substituted for onions. While the coconut may give a sweeter essence, the dish still remains savory. Another common additive is ground carrots. While ground carrots not only add flavor, they also add a splash of color to what can often be a rather bland dish.
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