Bread Upma is a South Indian Recipe that is just amazing. It needs very few ingredients and is very quick to make. It is definitely a party-in-your-mouth recipe.

This recipe is my husband's favorite. So on the days when I don't want to cook, I resort to recipes like this one. I learnt to make this recipe from a friend. She is a brilliant home cook and always happy to help me explore new South Indian Recipes.
What Is Upma?
Upma is a savory thick porridge made using Semolina and mixed vegetables. Upma is a very delicious South Indian restaurant enjoyed with coconut chutney and Sambar. There are many many variations of Upma, and this bread upma is one of our favorites.
Why Bread Upma?
Bread Upma is easy and delicious, and a great way to use the last of the bread you have left in your pantry. And who doesn't love bread? It is the ultimate comfort food. The bread is toasted and then sauted in a masala. Trust me, this recipe is so delicious.
Which Bread to Use for this Recipe?
The bread you love. Yes, you read this right. So it is totally up to you, and you can easily make this recipe healthy and nutritious too. The recipe is very forgiving!
Ingredients for This Recipe
- Bread - Use any leftover bread from your pantry. If you have a mix of two different kinds of breads, that works too.
- Oil - Peanut Oil tastes best to make this bread upma, but you can use any neutral-flavored oil.
- Mustard Seeds and Urad Dal - We will be using mustard seeds and urad dal for tempering. They add a delicious crunch, nuttiness and earthy flavors to the recipe.
- Curry Leaves - The aromatic curry leaves bring a delicious citrusy floral flavor, that we love.
- Vegetables - Keeping it basic, I like to use Onions, Tomatoes, and Green Bell Pepper.
- Spices - For Spices, we will be using red chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder, salt, and sugar.
- Lime Juice and Cilantro - The lime juice, in the end, balance all the flavors. And the cilantro not only brings a refreshing look to the bread up but also adds a deliciously refreshing taste.
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Bread Upma Recipe
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Equipment
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 8-10 Slices Bread About 4 Cups of Roughly Cut Bread
- 1 Tbsp Peanut Oil
- 1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
- 2 teaspoon Urad Dal
- 1 Cup Onions Finely Chopped
- 6-7 Curry Leaves
- 1-2 Thai Green Chilies Slit in Halves
- 1 Cup Tomatoes Finely Chopped
- ยผ Tsp Turmeric
- 1 Tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp Cumin- Coriander Powder
- 2 Tsp Sugar
- 1 Tsp Salt
- ยฝ Cup Green Bell Pepper Roughly Chopped
- Half Lime
- 1 tablespoon Cilantro Fresh and Finely Chopped
Instructions
- Lightly toast the bread slices until they are lightly browned on both the sides either by using a toaster oven, or on the stove.
- Cut the bread slices into small cubes or roughly tear the bread into bite sized chunks.
- Place a frying pan on the stove on medium heat.
- Add Oil to the pan. Once hot, add mustard seeds and urad dal.
- Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, and the Urad dal turns lightly golden brown, add the onions and the curry leaves.
- Once the onions soften and are translucent, add the chopped tomatoes, along with red chili powder, turmeric, cumin coriander powder, sugar and salt.
- Give everything a good mix and let the tomatoes turn mushy.
- Once the tomatoes are mushy, add roughly chopped green bell peppers.
- Let them cook for a minute and add the cubes of bread. Mix everything well, and let the bread sip in the masala for 3- 5 minutes.
- Turn off the stove, add juice of half lime, and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with Masala Chai.
Notes
- You can make this bread Upma for a quick breakfast, or a nice snack.ย
- This recipe makes up for a delicious after school snack.
- Toast the bread, so the bread doesn't soften and become mushy. It will hold it's shape nicely when toasted.ย
- You can skip adding the spices, and replace them with Sambar Masala to make a variation of this recipe.ย
- Another variation is to skip adding urad dal, and add 1tsp pav bhaji masala along with the spices to make Masala Pav Upma.ย
- You can also use Dinner Rolls instead of bread,ย
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