Mahanandi

Living in Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a’s Food and Garden Weblog

Upma with Cracked Wheat

My mother used to make upma for breakfast 2 or 3 times a week when I was growing up. I can’t blame her, with four children, making them to get ready for school in the morning; I don’t know how she even found time to prepare breakfast. Upma is easy to prepare, filling and nutritious. During marriages upma is the standard breakfast item in our area and tastes completely different from that of home made one, I have to say much better. Now I know the secret, measurements of ghee and oil were equal to the upma rava quantity. No wonder it tasted so good. But at home, my mother was always conservative in use of ghee/oil in upma, unconsciously healthy. I didn’t appreciate that back then, but now I do.

Recipe:

Upma Ingredients

2 cups of semolina or suji or cracked wheat and 4 cups of water
(suji:water always in 1:2 ratio)
1 onion, 2 green chillies, 1 carrot, small piece of ginger
– all cut into small pieces
Half cup of fresh peas
Handful of roasted cashews or peanuts
For popu or tiragamata: 1 tsp each – urad dal, chana dal, minced garlic, curry leaves, cumin and mustard seeds.

If you are going to prepare upma with fine semolina or suji, roast them slowly till the color changes from cream to light gold. This process makes them not only more tasty, it also allows the grain to thoroughly mix with water without forming any lumps. For cracked wheat, bulgar because of large size of the grain, this step is not necessary. But roasting always adds some extra flavor so do it if you can spare some time.

Preparation:

Saut�ing the Ingredients Adding water to the ingredients

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan, add popu ingredients in the order listed. Popu is a must for upma. When fried in oil, urad dal and chana dal bring cruchy nuttiness, garlic and curry leaves add some sweet fragrance, where as cumin and mustard seeds some essential oils and health benefits.

When mustard seeds start to jump around, then quickly add onions, green chillies, ginger, carrot and peas. Saute them to tender. Sometimes, I also add other vegetables like potato, bell peppers and tomato to make it more rich and nutritious. You can change the vegetables and create numerous varieties of upma. Do not be afraid to experiment. Upma is a very forgiving recipe.

Add 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix. Close the lid and bring the water to a boil on high heat.

Adding Upma ravva Upma in final stage of making

Once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat. Pour the upma ravva (suji, semolina, or cracked wheat) slowly, stirring continously with a spoon, to prevent the lump formation.

Also add the toasted cashews or peanuts. On reduced heat, cook the upma covered, untill all the water is absorbed and upma becomes soft and smooth like porridge. Turn off the heat and let it sit for few more minutes, covered.

Serve warm with lime/lemon juice sprinkled to taste. Have delicious upma with pickle (mango or lemon) or with chutney (coconut or peanut).

Upma and Andhra Mango Pickle

Upma with Mango Pickle. Traditionally a breakfast, but now at my home, a quick filling meal on a weekend or on a busy day.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Bulghar,Goduma (Wheat) (Wednesday April 20, 2005 at 5:03 pm- permalink)
Comments (37)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

37 comments for Upma with Cracked Wheat »

  1. Yumm… Nice foodie blog! I saw your comment on Eschaton and clicked on the homepage link that brought me here. I loved the recipes and the great pics that go along with them. I hope to try some of these out. I also hold you responsible for having my tummy rumbling with hunger while at work in cubicle city.. Naaah just kidding 😉

    Comment by karmic_jay — May 18, 2005 @ 9:27 am

  2. Do we need to toast cracked wheat(bulghur wheat) too like semolina? Or is it not required because it mixes in properly with water.

    Indira replies:
    It’s not necessary to toast cracked wheat, Nabeela. It mixes fine.

    Comment by Nabeela — March 16, 2006 @ 8:23 pm

  3. Hey,i just want to thank you for this great recepie. I was cracking my head off for the past 2 days on what to cook for my home economics test. Thank you very much for solving my problem. I am going to cook Upma, the famous one-dish meal that is so easy to prepare. I was so hopeless that i would get an A, but not now…

    Lots of love,
    Jumana

    Comment by Jumana — April 15, 2006 @ 3:22 am

  4. Are you from Nandyal or Mahanandi? I was born and brought up in Nandyal. My mother also school teacher with 4 kids(3 kids are here), used to make Upma 3 times a week. Coincidence?

    I like very much Andhra style, Seema vanta.

    Yesterday I cooked your recipe Aloo-Gobi curry, it took long time for me to cook. When I added aloo, carrot and Red beans to tomato; it takes long time. Next time, first I will boil them in pressure cooker. I made little change, added curd 3 tbsp.

    Curry was really yummy.. I can’t believe it, whether I made it first time

    BTW I am not a professional cook, I take charge to give rest to my wife.

    Comment by Raghav — April 20, 2006 @ 5:07 pm

  5. Hi Indira,
    Thanks for this recipe.The picture looks soooooooo appetising.My mom used to make it but somehow I had forgotten all about it till i saw it on your site.So I immediately tried it and it became a big hit,my hubby liked it a lot! I had also made “methi raita” with this upma,it tasted very good.
    Its very easy, heat a little oil and add about a teaspoon of methi seeds, when it starts to smell add 2 to 3 red chillies and after 1 min turn the heat off. Then add a table spoon of coconut to this. When this cools down grind it into a smooth paste,then add this to yogurt and along with salt and a little sugar and mix well.

    Comment by Ramya — October 11, 2006 @ 2:51 pm

  6. I would like to know how to make Filetr coffee.The right measurements of coffee and water and milk.

    Thankyou
    Sherrie

    Comment by Sherrie — January 1, 2007 @ 5:20 am

  7. Thanks for the very informative recipes and pictures. I really enjoy cooking based on your recipes.

    Purush

    Comment by Purush — January 7, 2007 @ 10:24 am

  8. please can you tell me about the dal used.Is it cooked or uncooked when used?
    THANKS

    PLEASE CAN YOU E_MAIL THE ANSWER

    Comment by marwah — February 21, 2007 @ 9:52 am

  9. I tried cooking this Upma and it was just too good. Normally, i do the same set of things in a different order and the taste is very different from your upma recipe. I guess that for some dishes the order in which we add ingredients also matters a lot.

    Comment by Balu — February 23, 2007 @ 5:49 pm

  10. Hello. I am on a special diet. Is suji whole wheat? I am getting conflicting information about it. I have made upma in the past and I love it but now I need to know if it is considered WHOLE WHEAT. I appreciate any help you can give me!

    Comment by Ron — April 7, 2007 @ 10:31 pm

  11. Hey even i know how to make upma but this is the easiest and best explained recepies i have been through with a touching introduction in relation to your mom and clearly sa=tates that it a fast cooked item……….so why to eat junk food eat healthy guys
    Cheers!!!!
    NIPUN DHIR
    ~CDP~
    (Crown Hotels)
    Melbourne,
    Australia

    Comment by Nipun Dhir — May 22, 2007 @ 4:35 pm

  12. we getbulgur wheat in pkts to make tabulah salad and it already mixed with herbs and spices, I add 1 1/2cups of cracked or bulgur wheat that you buy in bulk. following the same procedures and ingredients forupma. adding alot of cilantro and cashews are very rich and healthy. enjoy. jyothi mcminn

    Comment by jyothi mcminn — June 18, 2007 @ 12:16 am

  13. Hi, I am Renuka from Trinidad, i just love your recipes, i love indian foods but could have never have it right, when i go to restaurants and taste the food i cannot get it that way, and going to restaurants very costly. Thank you so much, i need to make paneer with a thick sauce pinkisk color like the restaurant, do you mind giving this as well. Thanks again..Namaste Renuka

    Comment by renuka ramsaran — June 28, 2007 @ 8:07 am

  14. Hi Indira,
    In my last 5 years in the US, I have tried making upma so many times and could never quite get the texture right…until I discovered your lovely website and recipe for upma. At last I can enjoy this childhood favorite, thanks ever so much!

    Comment by Aarti — August 20, 2007 @ 3:22 pm

  15. really very good recepie ,My all family loves it

    Comment by nisha — January 3, 2008 @ 11:56 am

  16. I used Bulgar Wheat and roasted it for extra nutty flavour, unbelivable the taste was excellent and will definately make this more often as an alternative to rice. The taste was excellent, the pictures really helped.

    Comment by Bharati Mehta — January 28, 2008 @ 11:51 am

  17. Indira, try preparing arisi upma with cracked wheat, it comes out amazing.

    Comment by Madhuram — June 12, 2008 @ 3:27 pm

  18. Thanks for the nice recipe, add more andhra recipes.
    Thanks.

    Comment by Praveen — September 17, 2008 @ 10:22 pm

  19. do u know how much carbs and calories in the cracked wheat?
    If you know please let me know.

    Comment by uma — September 25, 2008 @ 11:06 am

  20. hi the recipes looks sooooo yummy. in the very intro u mentioned about ghee n oil were equal to the upma rava qty. Wt does that mean i mean r we dryroasting the rava??n as per ur recipe only 2tbp oil is required for 2 cups of rava(for sauteing). Secondly, Is ur bulgur wheat is named daliya in hindi. Thanx in advance for ur reply

    Comment by farah — March 21, 2009 @ 1:33 pm

  21. Old is gold, no burger or pizza can ever beat upma…Mana telugu vantalu super! thanks for putting them in a place.

    Comment by aditi — August 9, 2011 @ 3:49 am

  22. AWESOME .. made it just now ..
    thanks for the recipe..

    Comment by harish — September 29, 2011 @ 11:12 pm

  23. […] Using the recipe at Mahanandi as a guide. […]

    Pingback by Cracked Wheat Upma – First attempt | SEontheMON — April 20, 2013 @ 5:51 pm

  24. […] Mahanandi » Upma with Cracked Wheat – … – 23 comments for Upma with Cracked Wheat » Yumm… Nice foodie blog! I saw your comment on Eschaton and clicked on the homepage link that brought me here. […]

    Pingback by How Many Calories In Cracked Wheat Upma | Calories Wiki - Book — August 12, 2015 @ 10:40 am

  25. […] Mahanandi » Upma with Cracked Wheat – … – do u know how much carbs and calories in the cracked wheat? … Pingback by How Many Calories In Cracked Wheat Upma | Calories Wiki … (Dalia) Chickpeas; […]

    Pingback by How Many Calories In Dalia Upma | burned - calories burned by — October 27, 2015 @ 6:42 pm

  26. […] Mahanandi » Upma with Cracked Wheat – … – 25 comments for Upma with Cracked Wheat » Yumm… Nice foodie blog! I saw your comment on Eschaton and clicked on the homepage link that brought me here. […]

    Pingback by Upma How Many Calories | find - equal calories — November 4, 2015 @ 1:23 pm

  27. […] Mahanandi » Upma with Cracked Wheat – … – … I add 1 1/2cups of cracked or bulgur wheat that you buy in bulk. following the same procedures and … Pingback by How Many Calories In Cracked Wheat Upma … […]

    Pingback by How Many Calories In Cracked Wheat Upma | low - calories . best food for you — November 18, 2015 @ 12:02 pm

  28. Nice blog, Here give you some tips and benefits of upma. may all people know about upma but we should know the benefits now. its is good for health and there are more types of upma. i wish to eat and make. it is to make at home

    Comment by upma benefits — November 24, 2015 @ 4:58 am

  29. Good article, it’s very helpful to all. I am very impressed about that you mentioned in this article, thanks for sharing this post. I got best useful information from your site’s blog.

    Comment by is semolina healthy — June 17, 2016 @ 8:00 am

  30. Very good brief and this post helped me a lot. Say thank you I searching for your facts. Continuous it..

    Comment by Islamic vashikaran totke in Quran — May 8, 2018 @ 6:35 am

  31. Thank you so much for all the recipes you list. I am a huge fan! be it your awesome recipes or your wonderful garden 🙂

    Comment by black magic specialist — May 8, 2018 @ 8:50 am

  32. Your website was helpful and Informative. I have seen your topic is well written Interesting.

    Comment by Get Your Lost Love Back By Astrology — May 9, 2018 @ 3:04 am

  33. This post is really astounding one! I was delighted to read this, very much useful. Many thanks

    Comment by Muslim Black Magic Specialist Astrologer — May 9, 2018 @ 4:04 am

  34. Thank you for helping people get the information they need.

    Comment by Love problem solution baba ji in delhi — January 12, 2019 @ 3:16 am

  35. Very good blog article.Much thanks again. Really Great

    Comment by Love marriage specialist baba ji in Mumbai — January 12, 2019 @ 6:06 am

  36. These are some great tools that i definitely use for SEO work. This is a great list to use in the future..

    Comment by healthy-articles.com — April 29, 2019 @ 3:29 am

  37. Is it okay to post part of this on my website basically post a hyperlink to this webpage?

    Comment by times connection — May 3, 2019 @ 8:19 am

Your Comment

(required)

(required but not published)

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI

It sounds like SK2 has recently been updated on this blog. But not fully configured. You MUST visit Spam Karma's admin page at least once before letting it filter your comments (chaos may ensue otherwise).