Bread Upma
Jul 28, 2017, Updated Jan 02, 2018
Want something quick for breakfast? Try this easy bread upma! Pieces of bread sauteed with onion, tomato and Indian spices! [Vegan]
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Looking for easy breakfast ideas? Try this bread upma! Super easy to make and packed with Indian flavors!
So we made it to Friday. This week wasn’t very productive, neither work wise nor personally. I think I am not able to give anything my 100%. Like I want to work on the blog but I can’t focus. I want to workout and get back to my fitness schedule but again there is lack of focus. Sometimes I feel like shutting down everything and do nothing but I know sitting idle isn’t really the solution. I am pushing myself to do things but it’s definitely harder than what I thought it would be.
Anyway Friday calls for easy recipes and that’s what I am sharing with you guys today! This recipe of Bread Upma is so easy and also happens to be one of my favorites. Upma is a popular South Indian breakfast dish, kind of like a savory porridge made with roasted semolina. I love the classic upma and eat it often for breakfast or lunch (and it reminds me that I have that never shared that recipe on the blog!]. While the traditional way is to make upma with rava or sooji as we call it in hindi, it can also be made with vermicelli, broken wheat etc. One of my favorites and also the quickest way is the one made with bread.
Realistically speaking, bread upma is nothing like the classic rava upma. But it’s so convenient and are we all not looking for easy breakfast ideas? I know I am! You literally need not more than 15-20 minutes to make this dish. Most of time involved in making this dish is the prep time. Once you have chopped everything, it’s just a matter of few minutes till it all comes together. It is also a great way to use leftover bread.
You may use any bread for this upma. I had some white bread at home and that’s what I used in this recipe. You may use brown bread, multi-grain, even dinner rolls/pav will work. For the bread upma, the bread is cut into small pieces and then cooked along with a masala made of onion, tomatoes, ginger, curry leaves, mustard seeds and then topped with roasted peanuts and fresh cilantro. It is so good with chai!
To make your bread upma really special, here’s what you need to do!
✓ Add roasted peanuts: I love the roasted peanuts in this recipe, in case you don’t have some on hand, just saute raw peanuts before adding onion to the pan while making the upma.
✓ Sprinkle of pav bhaji masala: not traditionally used at all but try sprinkling a little at the end, it will enhance the flavors so much.
✓ Squeeze of lime or lemon juice before serving.
✓ Don’t forget to top your bread upma with some sev (classic Indian snack made with chickpea flour)
✓ If you don’t like eating soft bread and prefer to bit into your bread in stead simply toast the bread slices before using in the recipe. I did not toast them since I prefer soft bread in my upma.
This bread upma recipe is vegan but if you like, please feel free to use butter/ghee in place of oil. If you are gluten intolerant simply use your favorite gluten-free bread here. Hope you guys have a wonderful weekend.
Method
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once oil is hot add mustard seeds and let them pop.
Then add chopped ginger, green chili and hing. Saute for few seconds or till ginger starts to change color, don’t let it burn.
Add chopped onion, curry leaves and mix. Cook the onions for a minute till translucent, you don’t want them to brown.
Add chopped red pepper, green peas and cook for another minute or so.
Then add the chopped tomatoes and give a good stir.
Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, pav bhaji masala and mix.
Add little water to the pan and let the tomatoes cook for around 2 minutes. Be careful to not add too much water else upma will be too soggy.
Transfer the bread pieces to the pan and give a good mix till all the pieces are coated with the masala.
Add roasted peanuts, chopped cilantro and mix.
Squeeze in some fresh lemon or lime juice, top with sev and serve bread upma hot with chai!
* If you prefer crispy bread remember to toast the bread before adding to the upma.
* Adjust spice levels to taste.
Bread Upma
Ingredients
- 4-5 bread slices cut into small pieces, ensure the bread is vegan
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 small tomato chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 1 green chili chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped pepper red or green [I used red]
- 2 tablespoons green peas I used frozen and put them in warm water for 5 minutes before using
- 1.5 tablespoons roasted peanuts
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons oil use oil of choice [I used avocado oil]
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon hing also known as asafoetida
- 7-8 curry leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/8 teaspoon red chili powder or adjust to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pav bhaji masala
- salt to taste
- juice of half lemon
to serve
- sev
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once oil is hot add mustard seeds and let them pop.
- Then add chopped ginger, green chili and hing.
- Saute for few seconds or till ginger starts to change color, don't let it burn.
- Add chopped onion, curry leaves and mix. Cook the onions for a minute till translucent, you don't want them to brown.
- Add chopped red pepper, green peas and cook for another minute or so.
- Then add the chopped tomatoes and give a good stir.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, pav bhaji masala and mix.
- Add little water to the pan and let the tomatoes cook for around 2 minutes. Be careful to not add too much water else upma will be too soggy.
- Transfer the bread pieces to the pan and give a good mix till all the pieces are coated with the masala.
- Add roasted peanuts, chopped cilantro and mix.
- Squeeze in some fresh lemon or lime juice, top with sev and serve bread upma hot with chai!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Bread Upma
Hi Manali, can this be made without onion? Should I substitute it with something or simply skip it?
you can skip
Hello Ma`am,
Thank you for the tasty recipe… I have a small request from my end.. Could you please add the serving size for your nutritional value. This would help me to easily log my calories based on the serving I take.
the nutritional info is for 1 serving. You have to see the number of servings mentioned in the recipe card, this is calculated automatically by a plugin. I enter the number of servings the recipe will serve and the plugin divides the total calories by that. This is only an estimate and not 100% accurate. Please consult a nutritionist if you want to get exact calories.
I go back and forth between craving sweet breakfast and savory breakfast. And this upma sounds like one delicious savory breakfast! Hang in there, Manali! 🙂
Such a nice recipe for some leftover bread. Looks very yummy too, Manali.
Have a great weekend!