Bansi Rava Upma | Broken Wheat Upma (Bansi Rava Rulav)

Any self-confessed Konkani would wax eloquent on his love or hatred for the most common breakfast item - Rulav or Upma. There are different variations followed by most homes, but the conventional Rulav recipe remains the same. You can either love it hate it, but the dish is here to stay. I am a self-confessed Rulav lover. Rulav is a Konkani version of Upma and is usually made with Ghee aided seasoning and bits of Cashew Nuts. In my home, we rarely use onions and vegetables for Upma hence by default the Upma always ended up being a sweeter version.

A specific type of Rava is used for this dish which is the darling of many Konkani homes - Bansi Rava. The rava is essentially broken wheat and upon cooking renders itself to a soft, smooth and chewy sago like texture but very pleasing for the palate. The tiny broken grains proliferate in size once they come in contact with hot water and since the broken pieces cook very fast, its become a very popular go-to breakfast dish. The tiny wheat granules are made from broken wheat and is a healthy and low-calorie alternative to high-carbohydrate items. The rava can also be used to make Masala Upma, Peas Upma, etc. The dish is very portable and holds well for lunchbox as well.

I am extremely fond of this Rava and could not find a similar tasting brand in US, so the only option for me was to lug a small bag and enjoy hot Rulav in chilly winter mornings for breakfast.

~ Bansi Rava Rulav ~

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

Bansi Rava - 1/2 cup

Sugar

Salt 

Ghee

For Seasoning -

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Green Chillies (split lengthwise) - 2

Red Chilli (split into two) - 1 

Urad Dal (split) - 1/2 tsp

Chana Dal - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - small pinch

Cashew Nuts (chopped) - 2 tbsp

Hot water - 1:3 (for any standard measurement)

1 part of Rava with 3 parts of hot water

For Garnish -

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Method:

In a deep dish, lightly toast the chopped Cashew Nut  pieces in little ghee. Once lightly browned, transfer to a separate dish. In a separate vessel, bring hot water to boil, add desired amount of salt and sugar in it and stir well. 

Add a bit of Ghee in the same pan used before for toasting Cashew Nuts and season with Mustard seeds. Once they begin to pop, add curry leaves and Green chillies along with one red chilli. Give a good shake and add the rava now. Toast it well on low heat till nutty aroma oozes from the rava and the color turns a shade darker. This process takes around 2-4 minutes.

Once the rava is toasty enough, add the hot water, give a gentle stir and cover with a lid. The rava cooks very fast in less than 7 minutes. Once water's evaporated, open the lid and garnish with grated coconut. Mix well and serve warm with Sev.