Rava kichadi is a popular South Indian breakfast dish usually served in vegetarian restaurants. Even though many people might call this dish upma by its look and ingredients used to make, but rava kichadi recipe is completely different in taste and I prefer this more than upma. Rava kichadi is made using rava, vegetables, whole spices, cashews and lots of ghee.
Rava Kichadi
Whenever we go to our favorite vegetarian restaurant, my usual order will be rava kichadi. Steaming rava kichadi comes with coconut chutney made with roasted dal and sambar. I will never forget to order crispy medu vada. Most of our weekends is fulfilled with this combo. Upma takes place in our breakfast menu at least once a week, but I enjoy rava kichadi more than upma.
In this detailed blog post, learn how to make rava kichadi with stepwise pictures and video.
Table of Contents
About Rava Kichadi
One of the popular South Indian breakfast dish rava kichadi made using lots of vegetables, roasted sooji and ghee. Even though upma is also made with the same ingredients, the texture and taste of rava kichadi varies.
Rava kichadi preparation can be described in few steps. It all starts with tempering whole spices, sauteing fresh vegetables, roasting sooji, adding water and cooking. Thats it.
The process & ingredients of upma preparation and kichadi preparation is same. The only thing that varies is the technique and measurements of the ingredients. You can serve rava kichadi with coconut chutney, tomato chutney, sambar and medu vada to make this a complete South-Indian Mini Tiffin.
Watch Rava Kichadi Recipe Video
Why you will love this recipe
Rava kichadi is more like kichadi, instead of rice it uses sooji. The texture is warm, soft and melt in mouth which is similar to kichadi. I can easily quote rava kichadi as a breakfast comfort dish.
- Everyone will love this melt in mouth soft recipe for rava kichadi, comforting meal.
- Minimum ingredients used, 30 minute breakfast option, one pot breakfast so less washing up.
- This recipe yields higher servings which is filling & nutritious for breakfast.
Rava Kichadi Ingredients
Rava | Sooji | Semolina
I used store bought sooji or rava in making this dish. Even though I usually buy roasted sooji, you have to roast it with the fresh spices and ghee at least for 5 minutes for better taste.
Tempering Spices
Whole spices like mustard seeds, urad dal, split chana dal, cashews, asafoetida, curry leaves, ginger is used in tempering which adds flavor to the kichadi.
Fresh Vegetables
Onions, tomatoes, green chillies is added for taste. carrots, green beans and green peas is the common vegetables used in rava kichadi. Make sure you finely chop the vegetables for even blending.
Oil | Ghee
Rava kichadi has an iconic melt in mouth texture which is achieved by the addition of healthy amount of oil and ghee. I cook my vegetables in oil and use ghee when roasting sooji and in the end for preserving the flavor.
Optional
If you prefer your rava kichadi to be white in colour you can skip the addition of turmeric powder.
Rava Upma Vs Rava Kichadi
Even though upma and rava kichadi used the same ingredients. The texture of the dish differentiate both entirely.
Rava kichadi should have soft, melt-in-mouth texture. Rava kichadi used 4 cups of water for every 1 cup of roasted sooji. So it is 4:1 ratio water to sooji. The texture of the rava kichadi should remain soft even after it cools down, it is achieved by the measurement of water you add while making kichadi. Also this dish used extra ghee and oil for the soft texture. Rava kichadi can be eaten only with a spoon because of its soft texture.
Upma is more crumbly and has added peanuts, cashews, coconut. It uses 2 cups water for 1 cup sooji which results in fluffy and crumbly texture.
Make sure you check my other comforting dish like ven pongal, rava dosa and masala dosa.
Expert Tips
These are the tips and tricks which I have learned over the years for making the best rava kichadi recipe.
Roasting rava
roast sooji for at least 5 minutes with your vegetables. I like to add one tablespoon of ghee when I add sooji. Roasting the sooji enhances the flavor of the dish and removes the raw taste of the sooji.
Using Ghee
Rava kichadi uses extra ghee and oil. Start your dish with oil and reserve the ghee in the end for extra taste.
Water ratio
Rava kichadi should have soft, melt-in-mouth texture. Rava kichadi used 4 cups of water for every 1 cup of roasted sooji. So it is 4:1 ratio water to sooji. The texture of the rava kichadi should remain soft even after it cools down, it is achieved by the measurement of water you add while making kichadi.
Serving hot
Always serve piping hot with coconut chutney. This recipe gives you soft end product even when it cools. You can reheat in microwave or stove top for few seconds till it warms up and serve.
How to Serve Rava Kichadi
You will get the best texture when you serve kichadi piping hot. I like to drizzle extra ghee on the serving bowl when scooping the kichadi to give a glossy shine over it. Rava kichadi should fall right out of the bowl and holds it shape just right. It stays so soft which makes it difficult to eat with your hands, so you can opt for a spoon to enjoy soft texture kichadi.
My personal combination with rava kichadi is coconut chutney which is made with roasted gram dal also known as kadala chutney.
You can Serve rava kichadi with coconut chutney, sambar, tomato gojju or crispy masala vada.
How to Make Rava kichadi (Stepwise Pictures)
1)Heat oil in a kadai. Add in chana dal and cashews first in oil and fry till it gets light golden
2)Add in mustard seeds and urad dal and saute till light golden.
3)Add in asafoetida and mix well.
4)Now add in fresh curry leaves into the hot oil. Make sure you step back when adding curry leaves because it may splatter on you.
5)Cook your spices in oil till golden. Make sure you cook this in a low flame.
6)Add in finely chopped ginger. If you don’t prefer chopped ginger, you can grate it using a fine grater. Sauce for 30 seconds in oil.
7)Add in chopped onions, green chillies and saute for 30 seconds till raw smell leaves from it.
8)Add in finely chopped tomatoes and stir fry for 1 minute. The tomatoes will get just soft.
9)Don’t over cook your tomatoes because it will cook more when you add sooji and water.
10)Add in vegetables carrot, beans and green peas.
11)Add salt to taste. You can add more salt once you add water.
12)Add turmeric powder and stir fry for 30 seconds to remove the raw smell.
13)In goes sooji or rava. I used store bought roasted rava.
14)Add in one tablespoon of ghee over the sooji.
15)Roast sooji with the ghee and vegetables for at least 5 minutes to enhance the flavour.
15)Pour in 4 cups of hot water. Pour the hot water slowly because it can splatter on you.
16)Once you add hot water mix well. The sooji will start to thicken. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee over the thickened sooji mixture. Cover this with a lid and cook on low medium heat for 10 minutes.
17)After 10 minutes the rava khichadi is cooked. Mix gently.
18)Add extra ghee for flavour. Mix gently. The kichadi will look soft in texture which is what you want.
19)Soft rava kichadi is ready to serve. Look at the soft texture.
20)Serve hot with coconut chutney.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rava Kichadi food?
One of the popular South Indian breakfast dish rava kichadi made using lots of vegetables, roasted sooji and ghee. Even though upma is also made with the same ingredients, the texture and taste of rava kichadi varies.
how to make rava kichadi hotel style?
Rava kichadi preparation can be described in few steps. It all starts with tempering whole spices, sauteing fresh vegetables, roasting sooji, adding water and cooking. Thats it.
Is rava kichadi and upma same?
The process & ingredients of upma preparation and kichadi preparation is same. The only thing that varies is the technique and measurements of the ingredients.
What is the water ratio for rava kichadi?
Rava kichadi should have soft, melt-in-mouth texture. Rava kichadi used 4 cups of water for every 1 cup of roasted sooji. So it is 4:1 ratio water to sooji. The texture of the rava kichadi should remain soft even after it cools down, it is achieved by the measurement of water you add while making kichadi.
More Breakfast Recipes
📖 Recipe Card
Rava Kichadi | Rava Kichadi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Onion chopped finely
- 1 Tomato chopped finely
- 4 Green Chillies chopped finely
- 1 Carrot chopped finely
- 5 Green Beans chopped finely
- ¼ cup Green peas frozen & thawed
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 cup Sooji | Rava
- 4 tbsp Ghee
- 4 cups Boiling Hot Water
For Tempering
- 4 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp Split Chana Dal
- 10 Cashews
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Split Urad dal
- ¼ tsp Asafoetida
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
- 1 tbsp Ginger chopped finely
Instructions
- Heat oil in a kadai. Add in chana dal and cashews first in oil and fry till it gets light golden.
- Add in mustard seeds and urad dal and saute till light golden. Add in asafoetida and mix well. Now add in fresh curry leaves into the hot oil. Make sure you step back when adding curry leaves because it may splatter on you. Cook your spices in oil till golden. Make sure you cook this in a low flame.
- Add in finely chopped ginger. If you don’t prefer chopped ginger, you can grate it using a fine grater. Sauce for 30 seconds in oil.
- Add in chopped onions, green chillies and saute for 30 seconds till raw smell leaves from it. Add in finely chopped tomatoes and stir fry for 1 minute. The tomatoes will get just soft. Don’t over cook your tomatoes because it will cook more when you add sooji and water.
- Add in vegetables carrot, beans and green peas. Add salt to taste. You can add more salt once you add water.
- Add turmeric powder and stir fry for 30 seconds to remove the raw smell. This is completely for the golden colour it gives the rava kichadi.
- In goes sooji or rava. I used store bought roasted rava. Add in one tablespoon of ghee over the sooji. Roast sooji with the ghee and vegetables for at least 5 minutes to enhance the flavour.
- Pour in 4 cups of hot water. Pour the hot water slowly because it can splatter on you.
- Once you add hot water mix well. The sooji will start to thicken. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee over the thickened sooji mixture. Cover this with a lid and cook on low medium heat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes the rava khichadi is cooked. Mix gently.
- Add extra ghee for flavour. Mix gently. The kichadi will look soft in texture which is what you want. Serve hot with coconut chutney.
Video
Notes
- Roast sooji in ghee or oil for at least 5 minutes for maximum flavor.
- Add extra ghee to get better texture.
- You can increase the quantity of vegetables if you want.
- Use hot boiling water to sooji and not cold water.
- Cook rava kichadi on low heat after adding water.
Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.
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Seyed
I am now a senior citizen retired 35 years of service in the Middle East. I used to cook as i have had passion towards it. Now that i come across your recipe and tried it - my family liked it very much. They said it is far more better than the Hotel’s.
Thanks ma for sharing this and God Bless you, your parents and family.
Sutha Ajay
hi sister,
I'm a great follower of your recipes. You're such an amazing person all your recipes r simple and easy for all. Thank you Akka and this kichadi made our home with a Devine breakfast.
Sutha Chennai
Shereen
Super easy to prepare thank you
D Sridevi
Thank u for this simple and tasty recepie, my husband doesn't like upma but loved this kichidi. Iam also from Nagercoil.