Vegetable Rava Upma - a simple vegan south Indian breakfast dish made with semolina, water and vegetables. Upma with vegetables is not only the most preferred breakfast but also makes a healthy dish to pack for the kid's lunchbox.
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Upma also called uppittu, uppumaavu is a filling and nutritious meal that tastes great with chutney or pickle such as tomato pachadi, allam pachadi, mango thokku or podi as accompaniment.
This typical South Indian dish makes a healthy and tasty dish that gets ready quickly, It also makes an ideal and stress-free option to serve unexpected guests as you can cook a large quantity in IP with the same timer and settings.
Although the cooking time remains the same, IP takes extra time to come to pressure before the timer turns ON. IP works out the time based on the quantity in the pot.
This is a typical breakfast in most South Indian homes and makes an ideal and stress-free option to serve unexpected guests as you can cook a large quantity in IP with the same timer and settings.
Although the cooking time remains the same, IP takes extra time to come to pressure before the timer turns ON. IP works out the time based on the quantity in the pot.
Check out south Indian breakfast recipes appe and dosa on the blog.
Vegetable Upma Recipe Variations
Vegetables: Try adding more vegetables such as potatoes, cabbage to make this sooji upma more nutritious and healthy.
Nuts: A handful of peanuts and/or cashews make a great addition and add a crunch to upma. Fry them along with chana dal.
Ghee: Stir in a spoonful of ghee/clarified butter after cooking upma. Ghee imparts a lovely flavour and enhances the taste. Alternatively, use half ghee and half oil for tadka and to cook vegetables. However, it won't be a vegan dish.
Ingredients
Spices and Lentils: The basic spices mustard seeds, cumin seeds and chana dal (yellow split peas) are required for this recipe.
Vegetables: I've used onion, tomato, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, coriander, carrot, green beans and peas. Feel free to use other vegetables such as cabbage and corn.
Semolina: I've used a coarse variety ready roasted semolina but feel free to use fine semolina. However, the water to semolina ratio and cook time might vary.
Liquids: Oil and water.
How to make upma?
Turn SAUTE mode ON and add oil.
Once the oil is hot, saute ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, cumin followed by chana dal, ginger, chillies, curry leaves.
Next saute onion, carrot, beans and tomatoes.
CANCEL saute mode.
Stir in 1 cup semolina, 3 cups water, ⅓ cup green peas, salt and finely chopped coriander leaves.
Deglaze the pot and mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
Close the pot with a lid and turn the pressure valve to the SEALING position. Press PRESSURE COOK mode, set a timer to 6 minutes at HIGH PRESSURE.
After 10 minutes NPR, take the lid off the pot and stir upma well.
Serve delicious vegetable rava upma with podi, chutney or spicy ginger chutney.
Notes
To prevent BURN message, scrape the bottom of the pan well before you turn ON the PRESSURE COOK mode.
Adjust chilies to suit your preferred spice levels.
The water to semolina ratio might vary for fine semolina.
The cook time doesn't include the time IP takes to build the pressure.
If you are doubling up this recipe you don't have to double up the time. As a rule of thumb, the cooking time remains the same regardless of doubling or halving the recipe.
Usually, I store a batch of roasted rava that lasts for a couple of weeks. If you use unroasted rava, add it after sauteeing vegetables and saute it for 3- 4 minutes or until it turns aromatic. Cancel saute mode, add water and pressure cook as mentioned.
Storage
Fridge: Upma stays fresh for 2 days if stored properly in an airtight container in the fridge.
Reheat: Place the upma in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in a microwave until piping hot. Take the bowl out of the microwave in between, stir well, put it back and continue heating.
More delicious south Indian recipes
Chilli Parotta: A classic spicy street-side dish from Tamil Nadu. Parotta cut into bite-sized pieces are tossed with onion, mixed peppers and spices.
Ven Pongal: A classic south Indian special dish prepared with rice, moong dal, a few essential spices and ghee (clarified butter).
Kothu Parotta: A shredded flaky multi-layered Indian flatbread stir-fried with assorted vegetables and essential spices.
Vegetable Chettinad: Flavourful vegan Indian curry made with homemade chettinad masala. It is a perfect dish to pair with chapati or rice and makes a wholesome midweek dinner.
Salna: Delicious street-side dish from Tamil Nadu made with onion, tomato and few basic pantry staples. A great side-dish to go with parotta, Idli, dosa and idiyappam.
Vegetable Sambar: Nutritious and protein-rich South Indian dish made of lentils, vegetables, tamarind and spices.
📖 Recipe Card
Instant Pot Vegetable Rava Upma
Equipment
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 1.5 Tablespoons Oil
- ½ Teaspoon Mustard
- ½ Teaspoon Cumin
- 2 Teaspoon Chana dal
- few Curry leaves
- 1 Teaspoon (or) ½ inch Fresh ginger chopped and crushed
- 3 Green chillies chopped
- 1 cup (or) 126 gms Onion sliced
- ⅓ cup (or) 59 gms Carrot 1 small, diced into small cubes
- ⅓ cups (or) 42 gms Beans 4-6, chopped
- ⅓ cup (or) 65 gms Peas frozen (thawed)
- ½ cup (or) 123 gms Tomato chopped
- 1.5 cups (or) 317 gms Roasted coarse semolina (rava/ sooji)
- 3.5 cups Water
- Salt as required
- Handful Coriander leaves chopped
Instructions
- Turn SAUTE mode ON and add oil.1.5 Tablespoons Oil
- Once the oil is hot, add mustard, cumin, stir well and let it splutter for a few seconds.½ Teaspoon Mustard, ½ Teaspoon Cumin
- Now add chana dal and saute for few seconds until it starts to turn a light golden colour.2 Teaspoon Chana dal
- Add curry leaves followed by ginger, green chillies and saute for a minute.few Curry leaves, 1 Teaspoon (or) ½ inch Fresh ginger, 3 Green chillies
- Now add onion and saute for 2-3 minutes or until it turns soft.1 cup (or) 126 gms Onion
- Add carrot, beans, tomato, saute well and cook for 2-3 minutes.⅓ cup (or) 59 gms Carrot, ⅓ cups (or) 42 gms Beans, ½ cup (or) 123 gms Tomato
- CANCEL the SAUTE mode.
- Add roasted semolina, water, salt, frozen green peas, coriander and mix well.⅓ cup (or) 65 gms Peas, 1.5 cups (or) 317 gms Roasted coarse semolina (rava/ sooji), 3.5 cups Water, Salt, Handful Coriander leaves
- Scrape the bottom of the pan well to prevent the BURN message.
- Close the pot with lid, turn the knob to SEALING position.
- Press PRESSURE COOK mode, set a timer to 6 minutes at HIGH PRESSURE.
- Once the pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes before you do a quick release (QR).
- Take the lid off the pot, stir upma well.
- Serve delicious rava upma with podi, sambar or pickle.
Notes
Nutrition
More Instant Pot Recipes
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you make this instant pot vegetable rava upma recipe. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
Swathi
Tried this recipe today, it turned out good and everyone in my house enjoyed it. The texture was just perfect! Recipe videos are really helpful. I would love to see more simple IP recipes.