Easy Indian Breakfast: Masala Chai and Upma

Start your day with this deliciously simple breakfast, packed with nutrients and flavour: Upma and Masala Chai. This recipe will nourish your soul, and feed your heart because masala chai, and upma make everything better!

What Is Upma?

Upma is an Indian-style porridge that is made with semolina. Semolina is the hard grain left after milling wheat such as durum wheat. It is considered to be high in protein because of its high gluten-content too. Upma is made by toasting semolina and nuts, then it is spiced with mustard seeds, curry leaves and an onion and tomato masala. I have added moringa leaves to this recipe for some extra vitamin C and antioxidants to start your day. To make this gluten-free, you can use rice and mix it with cauliflower for that extra crunch.

Masala Chai Recipe

To make the perfect chai, you need to have an excellent blend of chai spices. I have a recipe below to make your own concoction of chai masala to keep in your fridge for over 2 months. You will need:

• Green Cardamom
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Star Anise
• Black Peppercorns
• Fennel Seeds

Once you have your own blend, you can make your own aromatic chai at home with freshly grated ginger, and lemongrass powder (it’s not traditional, but it is my personal touch and it is YUM)

Sometimes boiling the milk for too long can create the chai to be very thick, so I’ve split the milk with water to make an equal ratio that is smoother and lighter in texture.

My milk replacement to make this vegan is soy milk. I don’t like using any other milk for this recipe because it splits and tastes off when you boil it.

Easy Indian Breakfast: Masala Chai and Upma

The Veggie Wifey

Protein packed breakfast made with lightly spiced semolina with toasted nuts, and a smooth masala chai made with plant-based milk

5 from 1 vote

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Servings 2

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

Upma

• ▢ 1 cup sooji (semolina)
• ▢ 1/4 cup cashew nuts
• ▢ 1/4 cup pine nuts
• ▢ 1/4 cup peanuts
• ▢ 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ▢ 1 tbsp urad dal split black gram lentils
• ▢ 10-15 curry leaves
• ▢ 1/3 cup fresh coriander chopped
• ▢ 1/3 cup fresh moringa leaves
• ▢ 1/2 tomato chopped
• ▢ 1/2 onion chopped
• ▢ 1 fresh green chilli chopped
• ▢ 1 tsp ginger minced
• ▢ 2 tbsp oil/ghee
• ▢ 2 cups room temperature water
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ a pinch of pepper
• ▢ 1/2 tsp sugar or a low-GI sweetener of your choice

Masala Chai

• ▢ 2 cups soy milk you can use another plant-based also but almond milk does split
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 5 tbsps coconut nectar or a low-GI sweetener of your choice
• ▢ 2 tbsp black tea I use SOCIETY brand
• ▢ 2 tsp chai masala* store-bought or you can make your own using the recipe below in the notes
• ▢ 1 tsp cardamom powder optional
• ▢ 1 tsp lemongrass powder optional

Instructions

Upma

• First toast the semolina and nuts in the kadai, until fragrant and light brown. Set this aside.
• Using the same kadai, add the ghee, mustard seeds, curry leaves and urad dal. Cook this on medium heat until the seeds start to crackle.
• Add the tomato, onions, moringa leaves, ginger, coriander and chilli. Sauté this until the water evaporates from the tomato, and the vegetables combine together.
• Add the toasted semolina, and nuts. Sauté this until everything is fully combined. You can add the salt, sugar and pepper at this stage.
• Slowly, add the water while mixing all the ingredients together. You can cover the kadai with the lid for 2 minutes to ensure the water is fully absorbed by the semolina, so it is completely cooked.
• Serve this warm!

Masala Chai

• Over medium heat, add the water, black tea, chai masala, cardamom powder, lemongrass powder to a large saucepan and mix together. Let this mixture reach a boil (you will start seeing the bubbles form at the top of the pan)
• pour in the milk and let this reach a bubbling simmer
• Use a wooden spoon to help prevent the mixture from spilling over. Let the spoon sit on the edge of the pan (this is a grandma hack). Once it reaches a fast bubbly simmer, reduce the heat to low.
• Add the sweetener to the pan and take it off the gas.
• Strain the chai and serve in your favorite mug!

Notes

Make your own chai masala: 

Makes about 1/4 cup of chai masala which is enough for 15 cups of tea!

• 2 tbsp green cardamom pods (you can smash them with the back of a spatula for easier roasting)
• 1 tbsp cinnamon sticks that are broken
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp dried ginger powder or you can use 1 tbsp fresh ginger when you’re boiling the tea
• 1-2 star anise
• 1/2 nutmeg grated 

Method:

1. Dry roast the spices
2. Grind in a spice grinder until fine powder
3. Store in an air-tight jar for up to 2 months