Millet Upma (Samai Upma)

Millet Upma is a quick and nutritious South Indian dish made with millet and vegetables. This wholesome, gluten-free breakfast is mildly spiced and can be prepared on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot in less than 30 minutes, making it an easy one-pot meal for any time of day.

Upma is a favorite Indian breakfast dish made with rava, millet, quinoa, oats, or vermicelli. It’s simple, full of flavor, light on the stomach, and easy to prepare.

Upma, often compared to North Indian poha, is beloved across India with various unique twists. If you have never tried millet upma, it’s a great way to introduce nutritious grains into your diet. I used small millet (also called samai in India) for this recipe, but other millet varieties will also work well.

This millet upma is an excellent choice for a quick and wholesome Indian breakfast or lunch. It is nutritious with all the wonderful veggies and is great for packing in kids’ lunch boxes. I also shared the millet pongal recipe, which is a regular in our home.

Check out my rava upma and semiya upma recipes for more variations.

What are Millets?

Millet is a cereal grain in the Poaceae family, also known as the grass family. It is widely consumed in Africa and Asia’s developing countries.

While it may appear to be a seed, millet has a nutritional profile similar to sorghum and other grains.

Recently, millet has gained popularity in Western countries, largely because it’s gluten-free and packed with protein, fiber, and antioxidants.

About Little Millet

Little millet, scientifically known as panicum sumatrense, is a variety of millet. It is a tiny, nutrient-rich, gluten-free millet that has been a staple in India for centuries.

Little millet is rich in fiber, protein, and essential minerals such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. It also contains a reasonable amount of calcium.

The seeds of little millet are tiny, round, and usually light cream or yellowish with a slight shine. These seeds are often compared to mustard seeds due to their size and shape. There are different names for little millet in different Indian languages:

• Hindi/Punjabi: Kutki
• Tamil: Samai
• Telugu: Samalu
• Kannada: Saame
• Bengali: Sama

Ingredients

• Millet: I used little millet for this recipe, but you can also use foxtail, proso, or kodo millet to make this upma.
• Ghee: A generous amount of ghee enhances the flavor and aroma of this dish. However, if you are vegan, replace it with a plant-based oil of your choice.
• Tempering: You’ll need mustard seeds, urad dal, hing (asafoetida), and curry leaves.
• Green Chili: For the heat, use green chili; you can adjust the amount to your taste.
• Ginger: Ginger adds a little spice kick to this upma.
• Cashew nuts: I like to use cashew nuts. If you have nut allergies, you can skip them.
• Veggies: I have used popular veggies like onions, carrots, and green peas. You can also use other veggies that you might have on hand.
• Spices: We use simple everyday spices such as turmeric and salt.
• Lime Juice: Use freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice.
• Cilantro leaves: Used for garnish; they add freshness and color to the dish.

How to make Little Millet Upma?

I am sharing both the stovetop and instant pot method to make millet upma below.

Stovetop Method

Washing and soaking the millets: Add the millets to a bowl and wash them with ample water. Change the water and wash a couple of times. You can also wash in a strainer under running water until the water runs clear. Then, soak the millet in water for 15 minutes while you prepare the tempering for the upma.

Tempering: Heat ghee or oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Then add urad dal and mustard seeds. Let them crackle. Then, add the cashews and sauté until they turn golden.

Add the curry leaves and green chili pepper. Then, add the chopped onions and grated ginger.

Saute the onions for a couple of minutes, then add the grated carrots and green peas.

I used carrots and peas in this upma, but you can vary with the veggies of your choice. 

Drain the soaking water from the millets and add them to the pan.

Then, add the salt, turmeric and water. Cook the millets covered with a lid for about 10 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Make sure to stir a couple of times in between.

Once the water is absorbed, turn off the heat and let the upma rest for a few minutes. Then, open the lid, sprinkle the lime juice, and gently stir. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.

Instant Pot Method

• Follow the same steps to soak the millets and saute the veggies. Then add the little millet, salt, and water. 
• Change the instant pot setting to pressure cook (manual) mode on high pressure for 3 minutes.
• When the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally. Remove the steel insert from the instant pot and fluff the millets with a fork. 
• Add lime juice and garnish with cilantro.
• Millet upma is ready to be served.

Variations

Here are a few variations if you want to make this upma often but not always have the same taste:

• Millets: You can use any variety of millet, such as foxtail millet, proso, and kodo millet, to make this upma. You might need to adjust cooking time depending on the type of millet used.
• Vegetables: To make this recipe more nutritious, add some vegetables like green beans, bell peppers, corn, spinach, or edamame. You can also add lightly sautéed tofu or paneer to increase the protein content.
• Vegan: Adding ghee enhances the upma flavor, but vegans can omit it and replace it with any plant-based oil.
• Nutty Crunch: Add roasted peanuts (groundnuts) or almonds along with cashew nuts for added crunch and flavor.
• Coconut: To enhance the flavor of your millet upma, you can add grated coconut along with the vegetables. It gives a natural sweet flavor to the dish.

Serving suggestions:

Millet upma is the best tasting when served hot as it tends to dry out as it cools. You can serve it with mint cilantro chutney or coconut chutney on the side.

We also love to serve this upma with a cup of masala chai. Some enjoy this upma with vegetable sambar.

Give this nutritious millet upma a try and let me know in the comments how it turns out. If you are inclined, share an pic on social media tagging @pipingpotcurry.

More South Indian Recipes You’ll Enjoy

Lentils & Beans

Vegetable Sambar / South Indian Lentils – Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Curry

Potato Masala (Batata bhaji)

Rice & Grains

Instant Pot Bisi Bele Bath

Rice & Grains

Instant Pot Lemon Rice