, cooked with traditional South Indian tempering and mixed vegetables.){kind=link}
Upma is a quick, healthy, and flavorful breakfast dish made from semolina (rava), cooked with traditional South Indian tempering and mixed vegetables. In this version, I use buttermilk instead of water, which not only enhances the flavor but also keeps the upma soft and moist—even after it cools down.
I’m also sharing a hotel-style neer chutney that pairs beautifully with upma. This classic South Indian breakfast requires no prior preparation and can be easily customized by adding a variety of vegetables for extra nutrition.
Simple yet satisfying, this breakfast is packed with flavor, texture, and nourishment. Try it once—it might just become your new favorite morning meal!
Tips for Making Soft and Moist Upma with Neer Chutney:
For Upma:
- Use coarse rava (sooji) for the best texture and consistency. Avoid using fine rava, as it doesn’t yield the same fluffy results. Always roast the rava on a low flame until it’s aromatic and the grains puff up—this step helps keep the upma light and non-sticky.
- Replace water with buttermilk for a softer texture. Buttermilk helps retain moisture and enhances the flavor. Use a 1:3 ratio of semolina to buttermilk (1 cup semolina to 3 cups buttermilk).If you’re using curd instead, mix ½ cup curd with 2½ cups water for every 1 cup of semolina.
- Add vegetables of your choice such as carrots, beans, or peas for extra nutrition. However, even plain upma tastes delicious thanks to the aromatic tempering.
For Neer Chutney:
- Traditionally, fresh coconut is used in neer chutney. If you’re using desiccated coconut, soak it in warm water for a few minutes to soften it. This makes it easier to grind into a smooth chutney.
- The chutney should have a slightly watery (neer) consistency—this texture complements the upma perfectly. Adjust the amount of water based on your preference.
- For best results, make the chutney slightly spicy and finish it with a flavorful tempering (tadka) of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dry red chilies.
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Recipe video
Dahi upma recipe | curd upma | upma with neer chutney
Ingredients
For upma
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Chana dal
- Few Curry leaves
- 1 cup Chopped onion
- 2 tbsp Green peas
- 3 tbsp Chopped carrot
- 3 tbsp Chopped capsicum
- 1 cup semolina - thick rava
- 1/4 cup Chopped tomato
- 3 cup Butter milk
- 2 nos Chopped green chillies
- 1/2 tsp Grated ginger
- 1/4 cup Chopped coriander leaves
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Sambhar masala
- Few Chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- Few Chopped coriander leaves
For neer chutney
- 4 to 5 nos Green chillies
- 1 inch Ginger
- 6 to 7 cloves Garlic
- 1/2 cup Coriander leaves
- 10 to 15 nos Mint leaves
- 1 cup Fresh coconut
- A Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp Roasted chana dal
- 1 little piece Tamarind
- 1 little piece Jaggery
- 1/2 cup + 1 cup Water or as required
For chutney tempering
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- A pinch Hing
- 1 tsp Chana dal
- 2 nos Dry red chillies
- Few Curry leaves
Instructions
Making Upma
- In a pan, add 2 tbsp ghee and 1 tbsp oil.
- Then add ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp chana dal, and some curry leaves. Sauté it.
- Then add 2 tbsp peanuts and sauté till they become slightly golden brown.
- Now add 1 cup chopped onion and sauté till it becomes slightly transparent.
- Then add 2 tbsp green peas, 3 tbsp chopped carrot, and 3 tbsp chopped capsicum. Sauté it, cover, and cook the vegetables till they become slightly soft.
- Now add 1 cup rava and sauté it on low flame till the granules puff up. It takes 7–8 minutes to roast rava on low flame.
- Then add 1 small chopped tomato and mix well.
- Now in a mixing bowl, add 3 cups buttermilk, 2 chopped green chillies, ½ tsp grated ginger, and ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
- Then gradually add the buttermilk mixture into the roasted rava and mix well.
- Now add ½ tsp turmeric powder, salt to taste, and 1 tsp sugar. Mix well.
- As the buttermilk gradually gets absorbed into the rava, add 1 tsp sambar masala and some coriander leaves. Mix well.
- Then add 1 tbsp ghee, cover the pan, and cook the upma on low flame for 3 minutes.
- Now the upma is ready. Add 1 tsp lemon juice and some coriander leaves. Mix well.
- Serve the upma with neer chutney.
Making Neer Chutney
- In a mixer jar, add 4–5 green chillies, 1-inch ginger, 5–6 garlic cloves, ½ cup coriander leaves, 10 mint leaves, 1 cup fresh coconut pieces, salt, 2 tsp roasted chana dal, a little tamarind, a little jaggery, and ½ cup water. Grind it.
- Add the ground chutney into a mixing bowl, add 1 cup water, and mix well.
- Now in a tadka pan, add 1 tbsp oil, ½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, a pinch of hing, 1 tsp chana dal, 2 dry red chillies, and some curry leaves. Sauté it.
- Then add the tempering to the chutney and mix well.
- Neer chutney is ready. Serve it with upma.
Notes
- 3 cups of buttermilk should be perfect for 1 cup of semolina.
- If you want to use curd instead of buttermilk, then ½ cup of curd and 2.5 cups of water should be perfect for 1 cup of semolina.
- Ghee enhances the flavour of upma.
- ½ cup of chopped vegetables should be perfect for 1 cup of semolina.
- Roast the semolina (rava) on low flame until the granules puff up.
- Gradually add the buttermilk mixture.
- The addition of sambhar masala enhances the taste of upma.
- Add ghee and cook the upma on low flame.
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