Arisi Upma, a simple savory tiffin delicacy prepared with rice and toor dal. It is spiced up with cumin seeds, pepper and red chillies and tempered in coconut oil with the hint of grated coconut. Arisi Upma – IMO it is a mix between Ven Pongal (Savory pongal) and milagu sadam. I usually grind rice and toor dal together along with cumin seeds and pepper and cook them.
I am starting this A-Z challenge with A for Arisi Upma. Let’s learn the ABCs with food. (What can you expect from a foodie?) You can read about this challenge here and as it is A-Z I thought why not participate here too? So sending this recipe for both the challenges. When we were in Periyakulam, Amma used to prepare this with Kurunai Arisi (Broken Rice). During the process of husk removal, rice breaks and they collect these broken rice and they are called as kurunai. They can be used for idly or dosa too. For this recipe, I am going with regular raw rice. I have tried this recipe with boiled rice also. Basically you can use the regular that your are using.
I learnt this recipe from my MIL. The secret ingredient in her Arisi Upma is the addition of coconut oil and grated coconut. Those two ingredients take this recipe to next level and the coconut and coconut oil clearly distinguishes from savory pongal. (Ven pongal). This is a one meal perfect for breakfast and also dinner.
I have tried both pressure cooker method and kadai method. For pressure cooker method and 2 whistles are enough for this recipe. Below is the traditional kadai method. Depending upon the rice (old or new) the water and the cooking time differs. So in this method, make sure you have enough water so that it doesn’t get browned and also once the rice is cooked turn of the heat.
Ingredients:
- Rice – 1.5 cups
- Toor Dal – 2 tbsps
- Dried Red Chillies – 1 +3
- Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
- Black Pepper – 1 tsp
- Salt – 1.5 tsps
- Water – 3 cups + 1 cup (If required, if you want mushy and soft upma like pongal add more water. I usually prefer soft upma, so I add more water)
- Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
- Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Urad Dal – 1 tsp
- Channa dal – 1 tsp
- Curry leaves – a few
- Hing – 1/2 tsp
Steps:
- Pulse together rice, toor dal, 1 red chilly, black pepper and cumin seeds together. It should be coarse and half ground and make sure you don’t grind it smoothly.
- Now heat the kadai and add coconut oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, hing and break the remaining three red chillies and add it.
- As they start to splutter, add the grated coconut and fry for two minutes.
- Now add the water and salt and let it boil.
- Check for salt at this stage and if required adjust accordingly.
- Once the water starts boiling, add the coarse rice mixture. Make sure you stir while adding the rice mix. This ensures that there are no lumps.
- Mix well and reduce the heat to medium low and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Now mix well and at this stage if required add more water (not more than 1 cup) and mix again.
- Reduce the heat to low and Cover and cook till the rice is completely done. This will take about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the curry leaves in the end and that’s it.
Arisi upma is ready. Serve hot with gojju or chutney. I served this with coconut chutney and onion gojju.
Notes:
- Make sure you are pulsing the rice mix and it should be coarse.
- Stirring while adding the rice to boiling mix is very important for avoiding lumps.
- Always cook the rice in medium low heat. (Number setting between 3 and 4)
Arisi Upma | Rice Upma
Ingredients
- Rice - 1.5 cups
- Toor Dal - 2 tbsps
- Dried Red Chillies - 1 +3
- Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
- Black Pepper - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1.5 tsps
- Water - 3 cups + 1 cup If required, if you want mushy and soft upma like pongal add more water. I usually prefer soft upma, so I add more water
- Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
- Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
- Urad Dal - 1 tsp
- Channa dal - 1 tsp
- Curry leaves - a few
- Hing - 1/2 tsp
Instructions
- Pulse together rice, toor dal, 1 red chilly, black pepper and cumin seeds together. It should be coarse and half ground and make sure you don’t grind it smoothly.
- Now heat the kadai and add coconut oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, hing and break the remaining three red chillies and add it.
- As they start to splutter, add the grated coconut and fry for two minutes.
- Now add the water and salt and let it boil.
- Check for salt at this stage and if required adjust accordingly.
- Once the water starts boiling, add the coarse rice mixture. Make sure you stir while adding the rice mix. This ensures that there are no lumps.
- Mix well and reduce the heat to medium low and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Now mix well and at this stage if required add more water (not more than 1 cup) and mix again.
- Reduce the heat to low and Cover and cook till the rice is completely done. This will take about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the curry leaves in the end and that’s it.
Notes
Stirring while adding the rice to boiling mix is very important for avoiding lumps.
Always cook the rice in medium low heat. (Number setting between 3 and 4)
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| Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 63 | |
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I love eating anything which has rice or is made up of rice. Bookmarked this page :)
Thanks a lot. :-)
Lovely Start to this marathon. Arisi upma looks inviting
I learnt this recipe from one of my office friends.. it is such a comfort to have this kind of food. Nice share Sri :)
Oh yeah.. one of the comfort food. Thanks :-)
Yes Arisi upma is a typical tamil dish more so a TamBrahm dish… good one to start the Tamil cuisine…
Oh yeah.. Thanks a lot Ruchi.
perfect comfort food – looking forward to all of your recipes this month
Thanks a lot. :-)
Great start for the series,simple yet comforting arisi upma.We do make it with some variations..
Thanks a lot. :-)
One of my fav breakfasts! And the secret ingredients are very much needed to deliver the deliciousness to the dish!!!
ha ha yeah.. Thanks
this will be interesting to read…tamil cuisine from your own family repertoire
Thanks Pradnya and welcome back.
Love it :) Delicious and simple.
Thanks Swapna.
I love this type simple and easy dish. So comforting and tasty..
Thanks a lot Saras. :-)
It is a very nice variation to the one we make. Looking forward to all the remaining dishes.
Thanks a lot Harini. Same here.. Can’t wait for other recipes.
Wow, looks healthy and yummy. I will surely try this :)
Thanks a lot Bhavna. :-)
We prepare it with slight variations . A lovely start to the series and looking forward to your dishes this montn.
Thanks a lot Suma..Oh yeah.. this recipe has lots of variations.
Awesome recipe Srividhya. I have never ever cooked in coconut oil and this looks like a simple recipe to start with. Great start to the Mega Marathon :)
Thanks a lot. Coconut oil is very light and gives great flavor and fragrance to the recipe. I use it for lemon rice and I have one more lined up for this series.
What a yummy, homey and comforting dish that is Vidhya. My mom something similar, but I rarely make it at home. You are tempting me to try it some time.
You should it try it then :-) Thanks Pavani.
Makes me nostalgic, my grandma’s signature dish, seriously miss this arisi upma.. Lovely pick from traditional tamil cuisine.
Thanks Priya..
Good start for the series srividhya. I love arisI upma.
Thanks Valli. :-)
Nice start with Upma Srividhya, my dad’s favorite Upma so mom always made it. Looking forward to see more delicious Tamil cuisine from you..:)
Thanks Amara and same here. :-)
Yes I also love arisi upma. This is such a comforting dish. Looking forward to your recipes from TN.
Thanks a lot Ruchi and its my favorite too.
Same pinch pa on 3 counts; I also learnt this dish from my MIL , was to post this too as my first dish here , and we also add coconut ?!! Yay … So hi-fi there on a Tamil cuisine series too —- look forward to ur spread ..
Hi-Five back and same pinch for the three. Lot of Tamil Cuisines na this time. :-) Same here. Can’t wait for your other recipes.
We make something similar with few variations. We use either chana or moong dal and the dal is use whole. Looking forward to your traditional Tamil dishes.
Thanks Usha.. Yeah those two also go well in this upma. :-)
Very interesting upma with rice flour.Looks very comforting.
Thanks Sapana
Great to know about this initiatives by you all.Great learning platform about regional cuisines. Will look forward to all of your post
Thanks a lot Alka. Yeah this is my third mega marathon and I am looking forward to learn a lot of recipes too.
Is Periyakulam your native Vidhya. Ours is so closeto the town. Your arisi upma looks so yum.
Thanks a lot. Yeah Gayathri.. I am from periyakulam. I know you are from Theni right? Missing my PKM and the maavadu and the temple..
Wonderful choice for A and love Arisi upma. One of the best recipes that my mom makes :) Craving for some right now. Looking forward to all your TN recipes :)
Thanks a lot Sandhya and same here.. Looking forward to your other recipes as well.
Wonderful! This is so interesting. Arisi upma is definitely one of the traditional Tamil dishes! More recipes please!
Thanks a lot boomerang.. :-) More recipes on its way.. ;-) ;-)