Upma

Upma is a savoury dish of coarse semolina cooked into a soft, moist mass and seasoned with tempered spices, most often eaten at breakfast in South India. It is one of the most common everyday breakfast dishes across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra.

What it really is

Upma is made by dry-roasting rava (coarse semolina) until it smells nutty, then stirring it into boiling water or stock that has been seasoned in oil or ghee. The base of the cooking is a tempering (tadka) of mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves, green chilli, ginger and onion, sometimes with cashews or peanuts, cooked until the grain swells and the mixture is soft and fluffy. Cooks vary the proportions of water and semolina to get a looser or firmer texture.

It is often confused with the sweet semolina dish sheera or kesari, and with the North Indian semolina preparation upma-like dishes such as sooji ka halwa, but classic upma is savoury, has no sugar, and is built on the tempering of spices rather than on dairy or fruit. It is also distinct from poha, which uses flattened rice, and from idli or dosa, which use fermented rice and lentil batter.

How it's served

• Served hot in a bowl at breakfast or as a light snack, often with a little ghee or lime juice.
• Usually eaten with coconut chutney, sambar or a tomato chutney on the side.
• Often garnished with grated coconut, chopped coriander leaves and a few fried cashews.
• Eaten with the fingers or a spoon, and traditionally followed by a glass of filter coffee or tea.

How to write it on the menu

• Write as "Upma" with the main ingredients named: roasted semolina, mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilli and onion.
• Flag allergens: wheat (semolina), and milk if ghee or butter is used; cashews or peanuts if they are added as a garnish.
• State the variant: vegetable upma with carrot, peas and beans is the usual form; a sweet version is not classic.
• Name the accompaniments, such as coconut chutney or sambar, so guests know what comes with it.