Tam Brahm Style Arisi Upma | Savoury Rice Upma |Traditional Tiffin Recipe from Tamil Nadu | Gluten Free and Vegan Recipe

Hi Supermoms, 

Many times I feel that making lunch is easier than dinner. Do you feel the same? 

Though dinner is a simple affair , still many a times it is a challenge to please everyone at home. But the dish I am sharing today is a favourite among upmas. 

The tradition of making various tiffins for dinner has been passed down generations. I have seen my grandmothers  and then my mother and Mother-in -law make traditional tiffins for their elders in the family. Rice in any tiffin  made for dinner will be in broken form ,  powder form or grounded along with other grains. 

I should say that 'Indian Tiffins' are a big blessing. They are easy to make with simple  ingredients and the dish also turns out tasty and healthy. 

So, our dinners are mainly tiffins and 'Arisi Upma' is a regular feature in my weekly menu. I usually eye ball the rice and dal quantities and as I make it for dinner, I could not take a good photograph and post the recipe here . I have earlier shared the Upma Arisi Kozhukattai recipe , which is almost similar to this one. 

You can grind the dal and rice along with the spices and make an Arisi Upma Mix and store it in an air tight container. It is very handy . Now, let us see how to make this traditional upma.

Tam Brahm Style Arisi Upma | Rice Upma:

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Serves : 4

1 cup = 250 m cup

Ingredients :

To dry roast and coarsely grind coarsely :

1 cup raw rice ( I use Sona masoori)( wash and pat dried)

1/4 cup tuvar dal/toor dal/pigeon peas

1 teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds

1 teaspoon peppercorns

Other ingredients :

3 cups of water ( adjust water quantity according to the type of rice and dal )

1/2 cup fresh coconut ( grated)

salt to taste

For tempering :

1 tablespoon coconut  oil 

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon urad dal/split and husked black gram

3-4 dry red chillies ( adjust according to heat of the chillies )

1 sprig curry leaves 

pinch of asafoetida

Method :

1. Heat a tawa and dry roast the rice and dal till it is hot to touch.

2. Transfer it to a wide plate or container and when it cools down a little, add it into the jar of a mixer and grind them coarsely along with peppercorn and jeera and set it aside.

Chef tip : You can lightly dry roast the rice and dal . Roast just till the time they are warm to touch. Do not over roast or blacken the rice and dal. 

2. Heat a heavy bottom kadai/wok with oil and  temper with ingredients given 'For tempering'.

3. Once tempered, add water, salt and when the water starts to heat up add the ground mixture.

4. Keep stirring over medium heat so that there are no lumps .

Chef tip: If the mixture thickens and become hard to mix, add little more water . 

5. Once well mixed, reduce the flame to low , cover and cook for at least 15 minutes or until the time the rice and dal are fully cooked. 

6. Switch off and keep the upma covered till it is served. 

Chef tip : Use a heavy bottom vessel or kadai and if you cook a little longer a thin brown crust will be formed at the bottom of the vessel which will peel off once the upma cools down. It will be really tasty. You can also add a teaspoon of hot coconut oil on the top before covering for added taste. 

Delicious and wholesome Arisi Upma  is ready to be served. You can serve it with your choice of chutneys and sambar. 

Happy Cooking !!

With love,

Masterchefmom