Little Millet Upma (Samai Upma)

4.89 from 18 votes

Little Millet Upma is a wholesome breakfast or dinner dish that can be made with just a few ingredients in less than 30 minutes.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Keyword instant pot millet upma, little millet upma, millet upma

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Method Stovetop

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 306kcal

Firstly, wash ½ cup of little millet and soak it in water for at least 30 minutes to 2 hours.
In a pan, add 2 tablespoons oil, mustard seeds, jeera seeds, urad dal, and chana dal. Saute till the dal turns light golden.
Then add green chilies (chopped), grated ginger, a few curry leaves, and 1 pinch of hing. Sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
Then add onion (finely chopped). Saute for a minute or two till the onion turns slightly brown.
Next, add mixed veggies (like carrot, peas, and capsicum), and salt to taste. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Then add water and bring it to a boil. Drain the soaked samai and add it to the boiling water. Mix well. Adjust the salt at this stage.
Then cover with a lid and cook for about 8-10 minutes on low flame.
Note: Since we soaked it for 30 minutes, it reduced the cooking time.
Once the little millet is fully cooked (until all the water has been absorbed, thoroughly cooked, and looks grainy), turn off the gas. Then, stir in the lime juice, freshly grated coconut, and coriander leaves.
Lastly, mix well and serve little millet upma (samai upma) hot with coriander coconut chutney, or peanut chutney powder.

Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 4 minutes (If you are not soaking millets, set the timer to 6 minutes). When the Instant Pot beeps, do a Natural pressure release.
Also, when cooking ½ cup of millet in the Instant Pot, use ¾ cup of water.

Soaking reduces cooking time. So soak the little millet for at least 30 minutes.
If you are in a hurry and do not have time to soak, add 1 ½ cups of water while cooking for ½ cup of little millet, i.e., [3:1] ratio for the stovetop pot method.
You can replace the little millets with any available variety of millets, such as foxtail millet, barnyard millet, or kodo millet.
You can also add other vegetables of your choice, such as broccoli, green beans, and sweet corn.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.