Vegetable Bread Upma | Tips to make a crunchy Bread Upma | Tiffin Box Recipes By Masterchefmom

Hi Supermoms,

Bread Upma was my favourite 'After school snack' and my mother used to make it quite often. She used to make it soft and soggy for us ( my brother and myself) and we used to love the taste of bread soaked in the juices of the spices, vegetables and ghee. 

Today, my children too enjoy this in their lunch box and also as a snack and for them I always make it a little crunchy. I also try and add all vegetables and as my daughter loves paneer/cottage cheese, I sometimes add it too. I have earlier shared the recipe of 'Bread Upma' with you all. But when I made this in my instagram  yesterday, I received so many queries from many readers asking me to share tips to make Bread upma crunchy as theirs always turn out soggy. 

First of all, you can either cut the bread into small square pieces or can grind them in the mixer to make bread rava/crumbs. You can make both methods and see which style you like. The texture is so different in both the cases. 

Also, toast the cut pieces or the crumbs in a separate wide pan or kadai/wok with 2 teaspoons of ghee or oil. The toasting helps the bread to absorb the flavours of ghee and also become crunchy. If you like to serve the bread upma crunchy,  fry the vegetables, till all the extra moisture is absorbed and the oil /ghee separates on the sides of the pan. After this, add the toasted bread pieces. 

Simplest of recipes can turn out really  amazing with little extra attention to detail. 

You can drizzle sauce of your choice ( My daughter drizzled mustard sauce  😁) or can make a simple chutney and enjoy. But I like it as is or with some curd or buttermilk. 

Vegetable Bread Upma :

Preparation time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 20- 25 minutes
Serves : 4
1 cup = 250 ml cup

Note : 2-3 days old bread works best. You can use vegetables of your choice 

Ingredients :

12 bread slices ( you can use bread of your choice)
2 teaspoons ghee/clarified butter or oil of your choice ( for toasting the bread)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon Pav bhaji Masala or masala powder of your choice ( you can use channa masala, curry powder, sambar powder, Kitchen King Masala etc)
1 onion ( finely chopped)
2 tomatoes ( roughly chopped)
1/4 cup peas 
1/2 capsicum/green bell pepper ( finely chopped )
1 carrot ( finely chopped)
100 gm paneer/cottage cheese ( cut into small cubes, optional) 
3-4 green chillies ( adjust according to your spice preference)

For tempering :

1 tablespoon ghee or oil of your choice ( adjust )
1 teaspoon mustard seeds 
1 sprig curry leaves ( optional)

For garnish :

Herbs of your choice ( I used finely chopped cilantro/coriander leaves)

Method :

1. In a wide pan or kadai, add ghee and toast the bread over low flame.
2. Keep stirring every few minutes so that they are uniformly toasted.
3. While the bread is toasting, heat another pan with ghee or oil and temper with mustard and curry leaves.
4. Add green chillies, finely chopped onions and salt.
5. Fry till the onions turn transparent.
6. Now add all other vegetables , turmeric powder, masala powder and cook till the extra moisture is absorbed. 
Chef tip : You can add capsicum once the tomatoes turn mushy. 
7. Add paneer and cook for a few minutes till excess water is absorbed. 
Chef tip: OR you can toast the paneer separately and add it as garnish if you want the bread to retain the crunchiness. 
8. Now add the toasted bread pieces and mix well. 
9. Continue to cook , stirring every few minutes till the upma has reached your desired crunchiness. 
Chef tip : For me, this step took 10 minutes over low flame. 
10. Switch off , garnish and serve. 
Chef tip : If you are packing for tiffin/lunch box, then allow it to cool and then pack to avoid the upma  becoming soggy. 

Your delicious Vegetable Bread Upma is now ready !

Happy Cooking !

With love,

Masterchefmom