Instant Rava Upma Mix (Upma Premix)

Learn how to make Ready-to-Cook Upma Mix (Instant Upma Mix) with rava and a few tempering ingredients. It's a quick and convenient option for bachelors, college students, and anyone living away from home. Perfect for vacations and travel, this mix can be prepared in minutes using a pan, microwave, Instant Pot, or rice cooker.

I learned this recipe from my mom. When my husband first came to the USA, my mom made these ready-to-cook instant rava upma mixes along with dry chutney powders like peanut chutney powder, flax seeds chutney powder, and lemon pickle. It was very easy for him to make upma as he didn't know the ABC of cooking.

When sudden hunger pangs hit, you're short on time, or simply don't feel like cooking, this Instant Rava Upma Mix is a lifesaver! Just add boiling water, and your hot, comforting upma is ready to enjoy in minutes.

You can also check out my Restaurant-Style Rava Upma recipe.

This ready-to-cook Rava Upma Mix is good for

✓ bachelors

✓ college students staying in rooms

✓ vacation, trips, or even camping

✓ a family member traveling out of the country

✓ is handy for busy mornings

How to Make Instant Rava Upma Mix

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon urad dal, and 1 teaspoon chana dal, and sauté until the lentils turn light golden and aromatic.

Step to saute the dals and mustard seeds in a black pan collage.

Then add 2-3 finely chopped green chilies, 1 stalk of curry leaves, 1 tablespoon coriander leaves, 2 tablespoons cashew nuts, and fry for another 1-2 minutes.

Note: Fry the curry leaves and green chilies until all the moisture evaporates and they become crisp.

Step to saute coriander, curry leaves collage.

Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 pinch of hing/asafoetida, and mix well.

Next, add the rava/sooji and roast it over medium-low heat until it turns light golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently to ensure even roasting. Avoid roasting on high heat, as the rava can burn easily and affect the taste.

Note: If you are using store-bought roasted rava, roast it on low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is lightly warm and aromatic.

step to roast the rava on medium flame on a black pan collage.

Lastly, add sugar and salt, and mix well.

Turn off the heat. Let it cool completely, then store it at room temperature or in the refrigerator in a ziplock cover or airtight container.

How to Make Upma from Instant Upma Mix

Instructions for making Upma in a Pan

Boil the water. Slowly add the rava mix to the boiling water while stirring continuously. Mix well until everything is well combined and smooth.

Cover with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium-low heat. If desired, add lemon juice and garnish with freshly grated coconut.

Step to cook rava upma using rava upma premix in a pan collage

Your upma is ready! Serve hot and enjoy.

Cooked Rava upma on a plate with rava upma premix in a glass mason jar behind.

Instructions for Making Upma in a Microwave

Add 1 cup instant upma mix to 2.5 cups of water in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave for 4 minutes (mine is 900W). Note: It varies from one microwave to another. Instant Upma is ready.

Instructions for making Upma in an Instant Pot

The Instant Pot method is very useful during long vacations or trips.

Add 1 cup of instant upma mix to the Instant Pot, followed by 2½ cups of hot water. I usually heat the water in the microwave beforehand. Close the lid and turn the steam release valve from VENTING to SEALING. Press the CANCEL button on the Instant Pot.
Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 2 MINUTES. When the instant pot beeps, Do a QUICK RELEASE(QR). Open the lid, and Instant Upma is ready.

Tips & Variations to Make Instant Upma Mix

You can make upma by adding vegetables to this instant mix with water.
You can roast rava separately and add it to the tempering, or use store-bought roasted rava. It helps to save time.
You can also use Bombay rava (sooji/semolina), which is medium-coarse, to make the instant upma mix. When making upma, use a 1:2 ratio of rava to water.
You can store this instant upma mix for 2 weeks outside at room temperature and around 3 months inside the refrigerator.
You can easily store these in a ziplock bag and use them during a vacation/trip or camping.

FAQs

Which Semolina/sooji/rava can I use for this recipe?

There's a huge variety of semolina/rava available in the market. The most commonly used are bansi rava and Bombay sooji rava, which are easily available in Indian grocery stores or on Amazon. I used Bansi rava for this recipe. These days, roasted rava is available in the market, and you can use it to save more time.

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