Idli Upma Recipe: A Quick And Tasty Breakfast Or Snack Option

Last Updated:February 04, 2025, 10:55 IST

Idli upma is a quick and tasty option for breakfast or snacks. Made with leftover idli, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, and turmeric, it can be prepared in just 10 minutes

Many people seek a quick meal on hectic mornings. If you find yourself weary of having idli the day after its preparation, you can transform leftover idli into various dishes like chilli idli, idli fry, idli manchurian, masala idli, or keema idli. Here, we present the recipe of idli upma, an excellent alternative to your usual serving of plain idli.

Idli upma is made using mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, green chillies, and turmeric. Including urad dal or kadla dal while cooking boosts the flavour of the upma. This idli upma can be whipped up in just 10 minutes and is perfect for breakfast or as an evening snack.

Ingredients For Idli Upma

• 6 idli
• 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
• ¼ to ½ tablespoon mustard seeds
• ½ tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 ½ tablespoon urad dal
• 2 tablespoons peanuts
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 1 small onion
• 1 small ginger
• 1 to 2 green chillies
• ¼ tablespoon turmeric
• ¼ tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon coriander leaves
• 2 to 4 tablespoons curry leaves

How to Make Idli Upma

1. First, crumble the idli. You can use cold or leftover idli for this upma.
2. Idli can be made using urad dal and rice or semolina. You can make this upma using 6 large idlis.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, and cumin seeds. As the mustard seeds crackle, add kadla dal. The dal adds good flavour to the idli. If you prefer, you can omit it.
4. Fry the peanuts until golden brown. Peanuts add good flavour to any upma. If you prefer, you can make the upma without them. Adding peanuts, dal and salt enhances its flavour.
5. Add asafoetida, ginger, curry leaves, and onion to this mixture. If you don’t want ginger, omit it. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the onion is well cooked.
6. Add a spoonful of water to the pan. This enhances the flavour of the onion, curry leaves, and green chillies. Adding water softens the kadla dal and urad dal.
7. Add ginger and turmeric. This can also be added if desired; a pinch of turmeric will enhance the flavour.
8. Add the crumbled idli, grated coconut, and coriander leaves to this upma. The grated coconut gives a unique taste to the idli upma.
9. Mix everything and add salt if desired. If the idli is not sour, add a little lemon juice. Cover and cook on low heat until the mixture is heated through. Serve hot.