Aval upma recipe – Also known as poha upma or atukula upma, this is one of the easiest and healthy South Indian Breakfast recipes made with parched rice or flattened rice. Poha or aval is used in many parts of India to make various dishes that are most commonly eaten for breakfast or snack.
Aval upma is the South Indian style of preparing poha and is a variation to the basic rava upma. This can be eaten with plain yogurt or with a cup of tea or coffee.
Making aval upma is very quick and just takes about 15 minutes. I have shared only the basic version here. You can also use mixed veggies to add some nutrition to the dish. Potatoes, peas, capsicum and carrots go well in this dish.
Poha upma can also be packed in the tiffin box for the kids or can be had for a after school snack. I have used white poha but it can be made using red poha too.
Please note that aval upma cannot be made with thin poha as they become soggy and mushy when rinsed. Thick or medium poha will give you a nice dish that is not mushy or too soft.
More Aval recipes
Batata poha
Aval payasam
Milk poha
Aval ladoo
Poha chivda
Preparation for poha upma
1. Add 2 cups poha to a bowl and rinse them well twice. Drain the water completely, cover and set aside to soften for 10 mins. Meanwhile prepare the following:
- 1 medium onion (slice or chop)
- 1 medium tomato (deseed and chop)
- 2 green chilies (chop or slit)
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated or minced (optional)
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
2. After 10 mins, check the aval if they are soft. Press down a few flakes with your fingers. They should get mashed easily. Otherwise sprinkle some water, mix and rest until the tempering is ready.
How to make aval upma
3. Pour 1½ tablespoon oil to a hot pan. Add
- 1 teaspoon chana dal
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
- 3 tablespoons peanuts. Fry them until the peanuts turn golden & aromatic. Then add
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. When they splutter, add 1 pinch of hing.
4. Add green chilis, ginger, onions and curry leaves.
5. When the onions turn transparent, add chopped tomatoes, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon turmeric. You can also skip tomatoes and use lemon juice towards the end of making it. Fry until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
6. Add soaked poha, ¼ teaspoon more salt and 2 tablespoons coconut (optional).
7. Mix and cover. Steam cook on lowest heat till the aval upma turns hot. Turn off the stove. Taste test and add more salt if needed. Add lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve aval upma hot with curd or tea/coffee.
Aval upma recipe | Poha upma | How to make aval upma
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 2 cups poha or aval, atukulu, flattened rice (medium to thick)
- 1 medium onion sliced thinly or chopped
- 1 medium tomato chopped (optional)
- 2 green chilies slit or chopped
- 2 tablespoons coconut fresh grated (optional)
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves finely chopped
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice (adjust to taste) (optional)
Tempering ingredients
- 1½ tablespoons oil
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 3 tablespoons peanuts or cashews
- 1 teaspoon urad dal (black gram skinned & split)
- 1 teaspoon chana dal (bengal gram) (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida (hing) (optional)
Instructions
Preparation for aval upma
- Clean and rinse 2 cups aval thoroughly in enough water. Drain off the water completely and rinse again. Drain them again.
- Cover and set aside to soften until the onion,chilies and tomatoes are chopped.
- Check by pressing down a few grains of aval in between your fingers. They should be softened and get mashed easily. If they are still hard, then sprinkle little water and keep covered until the tempering is done.
Making poha upma
- Heat 1½ tablespoons oil in a pan. Then add 3 tablespoons peanuts, 1 teaspoon chana dal & 1 teaspoon urad dal.
- Fry till they turn golden and aromatic. Then add ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and ⅛ teaspoon hing.
- When the seeds pop, add 1 medium sliced onions, 2 slit green chilies and 1 sprig curry leaves. Fry till the onions become transparent.
- Add 1 medium chopped tomatoes, ¼ teaspoon turmeric and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Fry till the tomatoes turn mushy and the raw smell of the tomatoes disappear.
- Add softened poha,¼ teaspoon more salt and 2 tablespoons coconut (optional). If the aval is too dry, then sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons water and mix. Mix and cover it.
- Steam cook them on a lowest heat until slightly hot. It takes about two minutes. Give a good mix in between.
- Turn off the stove and taste test it. Add more salt if needed. Also add some lemon juice and 2 tbsps coriander leaves.
- Serve aval upma hot with plain curd or tea.
Notes
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Meghna says
Love your recipes! Can I add potatoes?
swasthi says
Thank you!
Yes you can. Boil them until fork tender and add
Srikanth R says
Nice recipe and great writeup
swasthi says
Thank you
Sasi says
I love your cooking style.
swasthi says
Thank you Sasi
Abani says
Thanks
Vijay says
Nice recipe. Today I tried first time. It was good.
sravani says
Poha upma???? I don’t know how to do before 10mins. But now, because of your recipe I have prepared it very well. Very very tasty. Infact, my hubby loved it….
Thank you swastika.
swasthi says
Hi Sravani
You are welcome
Glad to know the recipe was useful and you both liked it. Thanks for rating the recipe
Binod says
Super
swasthi says
Thank you
Monika says
Made this today. My kids loved it. Thank you.
swasthi says
Welcome Monika
vanitha says
mam I visit so many blogs but I like yours so much because ur presentation is very nice and the step by step pictures also.
swasthi says
Iam glad you liked my blog Vanitha. Thank you so much for your time to leave a comment here.
🙂
vanitha says
Hai day before yesterday itself I prepared very nice, my husband like this very much, and my mother in law also.
swasthi says
Thanks vanitha,
🙂
ushajayakumar says
Very healthy recipe& easy tocook thank u
swasthi says
Thank you usha
🙂
leela says
Swasthi, you made this look so beautiful.
swasthi says
Hi Leela,
Thank you so much
🙂
marudhuskitchen says
Your….poha..looks. .lovely. .I too made it yesterday.
swasthi says
Hi vani,
Thanks
🙂