Quinoa upma, the South Indian breakfast, is excellent for fiber-rich mornings. The classic tasting upma is made with quinoa, onion, mustard seeds, and ginger. This is not another mushy upma recipe, but delicious, savory, and excellent comfort food we can make beforehand.
We can find an infinite number of upma recipes over the internet. Is another upma recipe getting added to the crowd? No, it is not.
This quinoa upma recipe is an effort to give a contemporary look to the classic upma recipe by retaining all the beautiful flavors of upma, made with the present-day popular grain called quinoa. Make South Indian quinoa recipes with pictures and a quick video.
Many of my friends started incorporating this super grain into their diet. These days, quinoa is becoming popular among people for its rich fiber and protein content. And because of the fiber, this food gives a full feeling for a longer time.
Are you getting bored by making the same menu again and again? I can feel you; cooking and eating are so monotonous and tiresome. Break this boredom with new, creative, and delicious food.
New creative recipes keep us innovative and adventurous right in our kitchen. Get ready for the enjoyment, folks. This quinoa upma recipe is absolutely for you.
I know how hard it is to decide on the menu for breakfast, as it has to be flavorful and tasty. Most importantly, it must be liked and welcomed by everyone.
This quinoa upma is the adorable solution to all the above obstacles. Try this. You will appreciate yourself for sure.
It is a straightforward recipe that has more potential for customizing and enhancing. You can adjust the ingredients according to your time and availability. We will discuss everything in detail below.
What is quinoa upma?
Upma is a South Indian refers to a simple dish made with simple ingredients. This dish is attributed to a super quick dish. This means upma can be made in no time. When Indian moms are left in the kitchen and asked to cook some food within 10 minutes, I guess 70% of them will make upma. And this is how it is common among the Indian families.
Upma is made with many essential ingredients. And their name changes according to their main ingredient. When this dish is made with semolina(Rava) as the main ingredient, it is called Rava upma(where Rava is the local name for semolina.
Likewise, oats upma, bread upma, poha upma, and vermicelli upma are some recipes on our website.
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Quinoa upma add-ons and variations
Because of its simplicity and the moms making it too often in the home, many adolescents scream when offered this. I wouldn't say I liked it when I was young because we were served with upma as an evening snack for many days. Considering all the above today, we made it delectable with rich natural flavors.
- If you want to make quinoa upma much more nutritious and colorful, add chopped vegetables like carrots, green beans, green peas, and beetroot.
- As a garnish, throw in cilantro or mint leaves at the end. This is a real game-changer that makes the dish refreshing.
- Add nuts like cashews and almonds to give the upma a face-lift.
- If you want to add heat, throw in red or green chili. Never add red chili powder, as it spoils the color of the upma.
- Add spinach and tomato to make this upma more nutritious with the contrast color.
- These are some exciting choices to start the day without guilt.
Meal prep and storage ideas.
This is a simple dish and is known for its quick prepping time. But you can further reduce the cooking and preparation time by planning well. The following tips can help in achieving the task.
Quinoa takes 20 minutes to cook. You can cut that down to zero by making this before the day. When frozen, the cooked quinoa is good to store in the refrigerator for about three days and 2 months.
If you are a working, busy mom who has no time for cooking in the morning, then cook quinoa in a larger quantity. Store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freeze them. Later, you can use them in batches.
Pro tips.
- Quinoa comes with a natural husk, which may taste bitter at times. So wash and rinse multiple times until clear water is seen. This takes away the bitterness as well.
- Soak quinoa for 10 minutes. The soaking part is optional. I feel this makes the quinoa fluffy.
- The Bengal gram added in this quinoa upma recipe gives a crunchy feel and contrasting look and increases the protein slightly. It takes an insignificantly longer time to cook when compared with the co-terminated mustard seeds and the urad dal. So, make sure that it turns golden brown.
- Cooking in medium and low heat enhances the ingredients' natural flavor and makes the upma delightful.
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How to make Quinoa Upma
Wash and clean quinoa, soaking for 10 minutes.
Heat the pan and add water.
When it is rolling, boil and stir in quinoa and salt.
When the water starts boiling again, simmer the heat and cook by covering with the lid.
Cook for 20 minutes by stirring them occasionally. Keep an eye on the cooking time.
Once the quinoa is cooked completely, remove it from the heat and keep it aside. You can also check the stage by pressing it between the fingers; if it is mashed up with the pressure, you are good to go; it is thoroughly cooked.
Heat pan, add cooking oil, followed by mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, and Bengal gram.
Fry until mustard seeds splutter and Bengal gram change its color.
Add chopped onion, ginger slices, green chili, and curry leaves.
Saute until the onion becomes translucent.
Simmer the flame, and add quinoa and salt.
Cook for 3-5 minutes by stirring them occasionally until all the ingredients are combined.
Serve hot with pickle or chutney.
Printable recipe card
Quinoa upma recipe
Ingredients
For cooking quinoa
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed
- 2 cup water
Making upma
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon urad dal /skinless black gram
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon chana dal /bengal gram
- ¼ cup onion finley chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 8 curry Leaves
- 2 green chili / serrano pepper / chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For cooking quinoa
- Heat a pan and add water and bring it to boil.
- Add quinoa and turn to low heat and cover the lid and cook it for 17 minutes. By stirring them occasionally. Keep an eye in between the cooking time.
- Once the quinoa cooked completely, keep it aside.
For making the upma
- Over medium heat, place a pan. Add vegetable oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, and Bengal gram.
- Wait until mustard seeds splutter.
- Then combine chopped onion, ginger slices, curry leaves, and green chili.
- Fry them till onion becomes translucence.
- In low heat, and add cooked quinoa and salt.
- Stir for a minute and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions:
1. Serve with chutney, pickle, and tomato sauce.
2. I would prefer this dish for breakfast, but it can also be a good lunch box recipe.
Tips and Variations for Quinoa Upma:
1. Add chopped carrots, beans, peas, or broccoli florets.
2. If you are unavailable with any ingredients, omit them from the list.
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