Easy Indian Breakfast: Masala Chai and Upma
Protein packed breakfast made with lightly spiced semolina with toasted nuts, and a smooth masala chai made with plant-based milk
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
- Dry roast the spices
- Grind in a spice grinder until fine powder
- Store in an air-tight jar for up to 2 months