Arisi upma

arisi upma

🌾 Arisi Upma (Rice Rava Upma) – A Traditional South Indian Tiffin from Grandmother’s Kitchen

Arisi Upma, or Rice Rava Upma, is one of those humble, traditional tiffin dishes that has been around since our grandmothers’ time — and probably even before that. It’s a simple, comforting dish made with coarsely ground rice, flavored with cumin, cracked pepper, a touch of dal, green chilies, and curry leaves.

In earlier days, rice was at the heart of most meals. Since it was often homegrown or bought in bulk, people found creative ways to use it in everyday cooking. Arisi Upma was one such invention — wholesome, filling, and economical. Rava or semolina wasn’t as commonly used then, so rice was the obvious choice for upma and many other tiffin items.

Rice flour and rice rava were typically milled at home using a heavy mortar and pestle — a slow, laborious process but one that gave an unmistakably fresh, earthy flavor. Our ancestors truly knew how to make the most of simple ingredients.

The traditional method of making rice rava was indeed a process — soaking rice, spreading it on a cloth to air dry, and then pounding it coarsely at home. The result was soft, uneven grains that cooked beautifully into a flavorful upma. In many homes, it’s still prepared the old way, especially in a vengala paanai (bronze pot) — which keeps the upma soft and warm for hours. There’s truly no substitute for that taste!

But for those short on time, or without a bronze pot, there’s good news — we now have excellent store-bought rice rava (the same variety used for idlis) that gives almost the same result. The grains are even, cleanly milled, and perfect for quick, tasty upma.

I must confess, I often use this ready rice rava myself — and I’ve even turned it into a ready-to-cook mix for travel days! It’s my little kitchen hack for enjoying comforting Arisi Upma anywhere — all I need is a small rice cooker.

While I cherish traditional recipes, I also believe in keeping cooking simple and practical for today’s lifestyle. My goal is to help beginners, bachelors, and students cook wholesome, homely food without getting discouraged by time-consuming methods. That’s why I’ve created several ready-to-make mixes — not just for tiffin items, but even side dishes — perfect for travel or quick meals.

Traditional flavors, simplified for everyday life — that’s what my kitchen is all about. 🌿

Arisi Upma — a humble yet comforting South Indian tiffin — carries the warmth of home in every bite. Made the traditional way using soaked, drained, and sun-dried rice ground coarsely into fresh rice rava, this upma has a rustic texture and an earthy aroma that no store-bought version can match. Seasoned with coconut oil, mustard, and crunchy urad dal, it pairs beautifully with chutney, pickle, or just a drizzle of ghee. This old-fashioned Arisi Upma is simple, wholesome, and takes you straight back to those serene village mornings when breakfast was cooked slowly with care and love.

Ingredients

1 cup raw rice

1/4 cup toor dal or less ...we like little more dal in rice upma so i have used 1/4 cup .

1 tsp pepper , add more for a spicier upma

1 tsp cumin

2 1/2 cups water

2 tbsp coconut oil ....generous amount of coconut oil will give super soft moist upma

For tempering

2-3 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp udad dal

1 tsp chana dal

curry leaves

2-3 green chillies red chillies as preferred

salt

1/4 cup grated coconut

Method

Wash and drain rice and toor dal, spread on a clean cotton cloth to air dry

after about 2 hours, grind to a coarse powder sieve and use if you want fluffy rice upma, dont sieve if you prefer slightly a mushy consistency water required will depend on qualityy of rice, sometimes for 1 cup rice dal mixture, we may need about 3 cups water also . i needed just 2 1/2 cups water . for preparing upma, watch video below.

arisi upma