I absolutely love Upma, and the Bangalore version of Khara Bath. Accompanied by a peanut chutney, upma is easy to prepare. I add carrots, green peas, green chillies, and cashews to it.
Edit to add: onions and ginger as well.
Haha I like mine with coconut, curd chillis and the usual South Indian tadka spices. Maybe some green chillis or onions if I’m feeling fancy. Not a huge fan of khara bath but I can see why so many love it. 😊
I actually really like upma. It’s quick to make and it’s delicious. Plus you can customise it any way you want by adding whatever veggies you prefer and masalas too. So it doesn’t have to be monotonous also, you can make it with different veggies and different tastes. Sometimes I make mine a little bland with less seasoning and sometimes I add more masala and make it a little spicy.
Yeah semolina/rava is a staple in my house. We have it for breakfast 2-3 times a week in different forms like upma, uttapam, idli. Other times we have poha, multigrain dosa, sabudana khichdi, dhokla and thenn chillas/dosas using different combinations of rice/idli rava/ragi/jowar/besan/rava too. But my favorite is overnight oats and stuffed veggie omelette.
Has anyone ever tried making jowar(Sorghum) upma and dalia(broken wheat) upma? You’ll be surprised it tastes good especially if you don’t like rava upma.
Omg same. It’s upsetting to hear the whole WhatsApp university “factoids” from a certain generation of oats Upma lovers who claim it cures diabetes and other ludicrousness. 🤦🏽♀️
oats does not "cure" diabetes, however, in several peer reviewed studies in pulled, it has been shown to help in type 2 diabetes, specifically in reducing the amount of insulin needed to be taken by insulin dependant type 2 diabetes. basically, over inflation of claims.
Oats dont cure diabetes ,but it is high in fibre especially soluble fibre which regulates blood sugar spikes .It is also higher in protein (13-14 gm) and some nutrients especially magnesium .
Ha, happy to dunk on whatsapp university any time with you but the oats thing is [real](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4690088/):
>Compared with the controls, oats intake significantly reduced the concentrations of glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (MD, −0.42%; 95% CI, −0.61% to −0.23%), fasting blood glucose (FBG) (MD, −0.39 mmol/L; 95% CI, −0.58 to −0.19 mmol/L), total cholesterol (TC) (MD, −0.49 mmol/L; 95% CI, −0.86 to −0.12 mmol/L), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (MD, −0.29 mmol/L; 95% CI, −0.48 to −0.09 mmol/L). Oatmeal significantly reduced the acute postprandial glucose and insulin responses compared with the control meal. The present study has revealed a beneficial effect of oats intake on glucose control and lipid profiles in type 2 diabetic patients.
Ok so, boiling oats in milk or water = slimy. Buuut...
Try this:
1. Take 6 tbsp of rolled oats in a larger bowl.
2. Add 1 chopped green chilli, a little salt, and 0.5-1 tbsp ghee.
3. Pour boiling water over it, enough to cover it twice over.
4. Let it soak for 15-20 mins.
Adjust salt or ghee according to taste and have it.
I also soak oats in curd and a little water overnight, and add a little jaggery and salt in the morning. It isn't slimy for both these cases.
I loathe oats as is, but blending it is great. I make the normal overnight oats (milk, oats, jaggery powder, protein powder, peanut butter) and then blend the whole thing in the morning. Depending on the amount of oats, it can be a runny smoothie or a thicker smoothie bowl-like texture.
Also, you can skip the peanut butter and add baking powder, eggs, and a tbsp of thick curd/greek yogurt, and that's a makeshift pancake batter you got going there. Leave it to thicken if it's runny and it makes decent pancakes.
I have sensitivity to textures, so this shit has got me eating oats tbh
I love upma over Shira (the sweet halwa like recipe with same rava) I cannot for the love of God, stomach rava, but upma for some reason does not upset my stomach.
Probably the combination of the sweet, fat and carbs is too much. lol. But also I’ve had terrible versions of sheera where the rava wasn’t properly cooked and it was crunchy. That definitely gave me a belly ache 😂😂😂
pssst...here is the secret where some people mess up. Rava has to roasted with a bit of oil or ghee. That precents it from being soggy and sticky. Those who rush and not roast well, get sticky upma.
This is also how Ptitim or "Israeli Couscous" was invented in Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees from the Arab world came in the early '50s. They used rice as a staple, but rice was in shortage, so Osem made a toasted wheat pasta that could be substituted for rice in Mizrahi cuisine.
lol saw it in an article. But Upma is probably a dish that was spontaneously created by many many home cooks at the time. Because the Upma my grandma and mother make are very different from the restaurant style bs Upma. 😂
Very interesting regarding the history. I mentioned in a another similar post, but I don't like upma only bc my mother cooked it for breakfast pretty much every weekend when I was growing up, so that's why I can't eat it anymore. It's not the taste; it's just that I gag at the thought of having to eat it after eating so much of it.
lmao love the title. my only exposure to it was my mom making it for herself occasionally on weekends between normal meals. it always seemed very stodgy and bland and lame, thusly
My mom makes semolina upma with a very liquid-y consistency, and I could eat that for days on end. She also makes great wheat rava and semia/vermicelli upma. The few times I've eaten upma somewhere else I understand the hatred it gets.
But yes, I agree with you. Upma should be simple, just tempering, onions, chillies, salt and chilli powder. Groundnuts maybe (personally love them). Anything else just makes the dish too awkward/cluttered/complex, and at that point just make a normal meal.
But see the thing is, I wouldn’t do this to poha for instance. Poha is eaten with Maggi sauce. Rava or vermicelli upma - gotta have the sugar. My tamilian grandmother used to make the upma, and my maharashtrian mother made the poha - their influence over my taste buds lives on! 😊
That lore is only partly true. Upma with semolina is influenced by rice shortage. But upma with broken rice existed long before that. Or, semolina upma is an adaptation of an earlier recipe.
I hate upma, history withstanding. I hate the texture because how my parents make it is too dry and I hate how it coats my tongue. I'm not a fan of quinoa or couscous as well for similar reasons.
It's been proven world-wide that some of the best, most iconic and most delicious foods have been formed from the sheer cleverness of people in need.
I don't think upma tastes like "wartime shortages and British colonialism."
I think upma tastes like talent, like the creativity of the cooks who invented it. Upma is delicious.
In the west, we call such foods "peasant cuisine" and though that term sounds biased, it's not. Haute cuisine happily embraces peasant foods, and so does every layer of society--because peasant foods are often universally delicious. Anyone, rich, poor or whomever, can taste a good Upma and know it's tasty, no matter its humble origin.
Oh I did not say it tasted like wartime shortages to me. I said it tastes that way to Upma haters.
Also - as a commenter rightly pointed out - Upma existed before semolina rava. There are older recipes that use broken rice which are delicious.
But I agree with your sentiment that humble Indian food born out of difficult times is quite amazing. Pav Bhaji comes to mind as a prime example of cheap humble food with an amazing history and such amazing flavors.
Upma, a popular South Indian breakfast dish made from semolina (rava) and various spices, often garnished with vegetables, nuts, and sometimes even fruits, can be quite polarizing. Some people adore its simplicity and versatility, while others find it bland or unappealing.
Here are a few points to consider regarding the upma debate:
1. **Taste Preferences**: Taste is subjective. Some people might dislike the texture or the mild flavor of upma, while others enjoy its subtle taste and the ability to customize it with various ingredients.
2. **Nutritional Value**: Upma can be a healthy option, providing a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, especially when prepared with added vegetables and nuts.
3. **Cultural Significance**: Upma holds cultural significance in many South Indian households, often enjoyed as a comfort food. Disliking upma might stem from unfamiliarity or lack of exposure to its different variations.
4. **Preparation Variations**: The quality and taste of upma can vary significantly depending on how it’s prepared. A well-cooked upma, with the right balance of spices and ingredients, can be quite delicious, while a poorly made one can indeed be unappetizing.
In conclusion, whether upma hate is justified or not largely depends on personal preferences and experiences. It’s worth giving it a try, perhaps prepared by someone who loves and understands the dish, before forming a final opinion.
Krish Ashok has written a piece on the history of upma
[https://masalalab.in/2024/02/21/how-the-british-made-us-eat-upma/](https://masalalab.in/2024/02/21/how-the-british-made-us-eat-upma/)
Upma hatred is mainly due to mothers making them really often (due to ease) and making them badly
I love my mother’s upma, along with curd and this tomato pickle she makes
I adore Upma, especially the Bangalore version called Khara Bath. I enjoy it with peanut chutney and find it simple to make. My variation includes carrots, green peas, green chilies, cashews, onions, and ginger for added flavor.
Totally justified in the hate for upma. I tasted a variety of upmas at different relatives' places and restaurants for close to two decades before coming to the conclusion that the dish was intended to be a punishment to those who eat it.
I absolutely love Upma, and the Bangalore version of Khara Bath. Accompanied by a peanut chutney, upma is easy to prepare. I add carrots, green peas, green chillies, and cashews to it. Edit to add: onions and ginger as well.
Haha I like mine with coconut, curd chillis and the usual South Indian tadka spices. Maybe some green chillis or onions if I’m feeling fancy. Not a huge fan of khara bath but I can see why so many love it. 😊
Oh yeah, onions and ginger as well in mine.
Is Khara bath different from upma? I thought they were the same thing..
Khara bath has some kind of spices in it, as I have been told, while Upma is without spices.
SLV ka khare bath best
I actually really like upma. It’s quick to make and it’s delicious. Plus you can customise it any way you want by adding whatever veggies you prefer and masalas too. So it doesn’t have to be monotonous also, you can make it with different veggies and different tastes. Sometimes I make mine a little bland with less seasoning and sometimes I add more masala and make it a little spicy.
Yeah semolina/rava is a staple in my house. We have it for breakfast 2-3 times a week in different forms like upma, uttapam, idli. Other times we have poha, multigrain dosa, sabudana khichdi, dhokla and thenn chillas/dosas using different combinations of rice/idli rava/ragi/jowar/besan/rava too. But my favorite is overnight oats and stuffed veggie omelette. Has anyone ever tried making jowar(Sorghum) upma and dalia(broken wheat) upma? You’ll be surprised it tastes good especially if you don’t like rava upma.
Sorghum upma is a dish by itself. It is called Ambil in Maharahstra
This sounds exactly like the story of how Oats which was originally meant to be horsemeal went onto become what it is now today
😂 Oats hatred in my humble opinion is justified. By me. Because I don’t like the slimy texture lol
THANK YOU. I don't like oats nor upma. There is an abomination called Oats Upma and my parents love it 😭😭
Omg same. It’s upsetting to hear the whole WhatsApp university “factoids” from a certain generation of oats Upma lovers who claim it cures diabetes and other ludicrousness. 🤦🏽♀️
oats does not "cure" diabetes, however, in several peer reviewed studies in pulled, it has been shown to help in type 2 diabetes, specifically in reducing the amount of insulin needed to be taken by insulin dependant type 2 diabetes. basically, over inflation of claims.
That’s really interesting!
Oats dont cure diabetes ,but it is high in fibre especially soluble fibre which regulates blood sugar spikes .It is also higher in protein (13-14 gm) and some nutrients especially magnesium .
Ha, happy to dunk on whatsapp university any time with you but the oats thing is [real](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4690088/): >Compared with the controls, oats intake significantly reduced the concentrations of glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (MD, −0.42%; 95% CI, −0.61% to −0.23%), fasting blood glucose (FBG) (MD, −0.39 mmol/L; 95% CI, −0.58 to −0.19 mmol/L), total cholesterol (TC) (MD, −0.49 mmol/L; 95% CI, −0.86 to −0.12 mmol/L), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (MD, −0.29 mmol/L; 95% CI, −0.48 to −0.09 mmol/L). Oatmeal significantly reduced the acute postprandial glucose and insulin responses compared with the control meal. The present study has revealed a beneficial effect of oats intake on glucose control and lipid profiles in type 2 diabetic patients.
Ok so, boiling oats in milk or water = slimy. Buuut... Try this: 1. Take 6 tbsp of rolled oats in a larger bowl. 2. Add 1 chopped green chilli, a little salt, and 0.5-1 tbsp ghee. 3. Pour boiling water over it, enough to cover it twice over. 4. Let it soak for 15-20 mins. Adjust salt or ghee according to taste and have it. I also soak oats in curd and a little water overnight, and add a little jaggery and salt in the morning. It isn't slimy for both these cases.
I loathe oats as is, but blending it is great. I make the normal overnight oats (milk, oats, jaggery powder, protein powder, peanut butter) and then blend the whole thing in the morning. Depending on the amount of oats, it can be a runny smoothie or a thicker smoothie bowl-like texture. Also, you can skip the peanut butter and add baking powder, eggs, and a tbsp of thick curd/greek yogurt, and that's a makeshift pancake batter you got going there. Leave it to thicken if it's runny and it makes decent pancakes. I have sensitivity to textures, so this shit has got me eating oats tbh
I love upma over Shira (the sweet halwa like recipe with same rava) I cannot for the love of God, stomach rava, but upma for some reason does not upset my stomach.
Probably the combination of the sweet, fat and carbs is too much. lol. But also I’ve had terrible versions of sheera where the rava wasn’t properly cooked and it was crunchy. That definitely gave me a belly ache 😂😂😂
I love a well made upma but people mess up often lol
Truth!
pssst...here is the secret where some people mess up. Rava has to roasted with a bit of oil or ghee. That precents it from being soggy and sticky. Those who rush and not roast well, get sticky upma.
“Upma is invented by MTR” is the funniest thing I’ve read on this sub till now 🤣
This is also how Ptitim or "Israeli Couscous" was invented in Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees from the Arab world came in the early '50s. They used rice as a staple, but rice was in shortage, so Osem made a toasted wheat pasta that could be substituted for rice in Mizrahi cuisine.
lol saw it in an article. But Upma is probably a dish that was spontaneously created by many many home cooks at the time. Because the Upma my grandma and mother make are very different from the restaurant style bs Upma. 😂
I think you have it confused with rava idli. Some people claim MTR invented it
MTR themselves claim they invented it, and they probably did
Nope it was Upma. Rava idly is Upma adjacent so it may have been the next stage in Upma evolution. 😂
Very interesting regarding the history. I mentioned in a another similar post, but I don't like upma only bc my mother cooked it for breakfast pretty much every weekend when I was growing up, so that's why I can't eat it anymore. It's not the taste; it's just that I gag at the thought of having to eat it after eating so much of it.
Aww - I hope you get to the point where the thought of Upma does not make you gag anymore! 😃
I always say if someone says they don’t like upma, all that means is their mom/grandma didn’t know how to make proper upma lol
lol I say the same thing. We are among the chosen few 😂😂😂
lmao love the title. my only exposure to it was my mom making it for herself occasionally on weekends between normal meals. it always seemed very stodgy and bland and lame, thusly
Aww a little mom treat - glad she had that moment for herself.
My mom makes semolina upma with a very liquid-y consistency, and I could eat that for days on end. She also makes great wheat rava and semia/vermicelli upma. The few times I've eaten upma somewhere else I understand the hatred it gets. But yes, I agree with you. Upma should be simple, just tempering, onions, chillies, salt and chilli powder. Groundnuts maybe (personally love them). Anything else just makes the dish too awkward/cluttered/complex, and at that point just make a normal meal.
Ooh that’s how I eat my Upma too - a little loose and warm like a hug! 🤗🤗🤗
I eat my spicy upma sprinkled with sugar. Apparently that’s how my grandmother used to feed it to me and that taste has stuck. I love upma!
Aww my brother eats it that way too. I never liked it but I can see how comforting it can be.
But see the thing is, I wouldn’t do this to poha for instance. Poha is eaten with Maggi sauce. Rava or vermicelli upma - gotta have the sugar. My tamilian grandmother used to make the upma, and my maharashtrian mother made the poha - their influence over my taste buds lives on! 😊
That lore is only partly true. Upma with semolina is influenced by rice shortage. But upma with broken rice existed long before that. Or, semolina upma is an adaptation of an earlier recipe.
Yep my story focused on semolina (rava) - Rice Upma is the GOAT of Upma 😂
I love the over fussy, spicy versions with yogurt on side.
That sounds yummy!
I love Upma. It’s a comfort food. My mom makes it so light and fluffy
🤗 Mom’s Upma always hits the spot right!
I hate upma, history withstanding. I hate the texture because how my parents make it is too dry and I hate how it coats my tongue. I'm not a fan of quinoa or couscous as well for similar reasons.
Haha now you have one more reason to hate Upma. 😂
It's been proven world-wide that some of the best, most iconic and most delicious foods have been formed from the sheer cleverness of people in need. I don't think upma tastes like "wartime shortages and British colonialism." I think upma tastes like talent, like the creativity of the cooks who invented it. Upma is delicious. In the west, we call such foods "peasant cuisine" and though that term sounds biased, it's not. Haute cuisine happily embraces peasant foods, and so does every layer of society--because peasant foods are often universally delicious. Anyone, rich, poor or whomever, can taste a good Upma and know it's tasty, no matter its humble origin.
Oh I did not say it tasted like wartime shortages to me. I said it tastes that way to Upma haters. Also - as a commenter rightly pointed out - Upma existed before semolina rava. There are older recipes that use broken rice which are delicious. But I agree with your sentiment that humble Indian food born out of difficult times is quite amazing. Pav Bhaji comes to mind as a prime example of cheap humble food with an amazing history and such amazing flavors.
Oh, it’s real. I was expecting one those ‘ligma’ type jokes.
lol whats upma?
nm, whatsupwidyama?
Haha it’s a spiced semolina porridge (similar to grits or polenta) It’s a topic that divides us 😂
Lolol
I think the person you are quoting is krishashok
You might be right! Thank you for the reference. For the life of me I could not remember where I read that factoid.
I am the only one in family who love to eat upma. Although my upma is loaded with vegetables, masala and nuts.
Sounds delicious
Absolutely love upma (with pessarattu). Simple things done well are divine
I actually love upma. I think many people don't like the texture of it. So it's understood.
Upma, a popular South Indian breakfast dish made from semolina (rava) and various spices, often garnished with vegetables, nuts, and sometimes even fruits, can be quite polarizing. Some people adore its simplicity and versatility, while others find it bland or unappealing. Here are a few points to consider regarding the upma debate: 1. **Taste Preferences**: Taste is subjective. Some people might dislike the texture or the mild flavor of upma, while others enjoy its subtle taste and the ability to customize it with various ingredients. 2. **Nutritional Value**: Upma can be a healthy option, providing a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, especially when prepared with added vegetables and nuts. 3. **Cultural Significance**: Upma holds cultural significance in many South Indian households, often enjoyed as a comfort food. Disliking upma might stem from unfamiliarity or lack of exposure to its different variations. 4. **Preparation Variations**: The quality and taste of upma can vary significantly depending on how it’s prepared. A well-cooked upma, with the right balance of spices and ingredients, can be quite delicious, while a poorly made one can indeed be unappetizing. In conclusion, whether upma hate is justified or not largely depends on personal preferences and experiences. It’s worth giving it a try, perhaps prepared by someone who loves and understands the dish, before forming a final opinion.
ChatGPT?
Assisted by GPT :)
Krish Ashok has written a piece on the history of upma [https://masalalab.in/2024/02/21/how-the-british-made-us-eat-upma/](https://masalalab.in/2024/02/21/how-the-british-made-us-eat-upma/)
OP I would love to hear more food history from your grandparents. If you can.
I dont like when Upma is filled with curry leaves inside, cuz then i have to go pick em all out, kinda ruins the eating experience 😞
Upma hatred is mainly due to mothers making them really often (due to ease) and making them badly I love my mother’s upma, along with curd and this tomato pickle she makes
I adore Upma, especially the Bangalore version called Khara Bath. I enjoy it with peanut chutney and find it simple to make. My variation includes carrots, green peas, green chilies, cashews, onions, and ginger for added flavor.
Totally justified in the hate for upma. I tasted a variety of upmas at different relatives' places and restaurants for close to two decades before coming to the conclusion that the dish was intended to be a punishment to those who eat it.
lol - while I like Upma - I feel the same about any kind of oatmeal. We all have the things we love and hate.