Step 1

Finely chop 1 medium sized onion, 1 to 2 green chillies and 1 inch ginger and some coriander leaves.

Step 2

Also set aside the remaining ingredients.

Step 3

Heat a pan or kadai first. Add rava or cream of wheat.

Step 4

Begin to roast the rava. Stir often while roasting the rava.

Step 5

The rava or sooji grains should become fragrant and start to look dry, separate and crisp. Don't brown the rava.

Step 6

Switch off the flame and then add the roasted rava in a plate and keep aside.

Step 7

In a pan, heat ghee or oil. add the mustard seeds.

Step 8

When you hear the crackling sound of mustard seeds, it means they are getting fried.

Step 9

Now add the cumin seeds along with chana dal and urad dal.

Step 10

Fry till they begin to brown a bit or get lightly golden

Step 11

Immediately add cashews and begin to fry. By the time, the cashews get golden the lentils will also get golden.

Step 12

Now add the finely chopped onions. Saute the onions till they become translucent.

Step 13

Then add the chopped green chilly, ginger, curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds. You can also add 1 dried red chilli at this step.

Step 14

Then add 2.5 cups water, sugar and salt as required. Mix well and check the taste of water. It should be a bit salty but not too much.

Step 15

Sugar is optional and you can skip it.

Step 16

On a medium to high flame, heat the water and let it come to a rolling boiling.

Step 17

When the water comes to a rolling boil, lower the flame to its lowest. Then add the rava in 4 to 5 batches with a spoon.

Step 18

Once you add the rava, mix and stir immediately. The entire batch of rava should get mixed with the water evenly. Then add the next batch of roasted rava. Mix and stir again.

Step 19

This way keep on adding and stirring the rava up to the last batch.

Step 20

Quickly stir and mix well. The rava grains absorb water and thus swell and get cooked.

Step 21

Cover and allow the rava upma to steam for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat.

Step 22

Then switch off the flame. Here the rava is cooked and the upma is ready.

Step 23

Lastly add chopped coriander leaves. Mix again.

Step 24

Serve upma with coconut chutney or lime slices or lime pickle.