Instant Pot Jowar Rava Upma Recipe

If you are looking for a healthy millet rava upma, you have come to the right place. This jowar upma recipe is hearty, wholesome and filling. Perfect dish to make for breakfast, lunch or even dinner.

I use the Instant Pot to make this upma and it takes just 10 minutes of hands on time. And in less than 40 minutes you have a delicious dish. Serve with chutney or a dal for a filling meal.

About the Recipe

Millets are cereal crops or grains that have become quite popular all over the world recently. They are packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. There are quite of few varieties of millets like jowar (sorghum), ragi (finger millet), sama (little millet) and the list goes on.

I have quite a few millet and jowar recipes on the blog. These healthy whole grains are easy to incorporate into daily diet.

So, here I have a South Indian savory porridge aka upma made with jowar rava or broken jowar. Also called cream of sorghum, this whole grain is easily available in Indian groceries. If you can't find it, you can make your own rava - see the Tips section on how to.

You can make this jonna rava upma in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. But it is also easy make on the stove top. Please note it will take a little longer to cook. Instructions for all the methods are in the recipe card.

I add mixed vegetables to make this a wholesome dish. Or you can make it just plain without any veggies and serve it with a curry or dal.

Ingredients

For the details of the exact quantities of each ingredient and the list of ingredients needed, check the printable recipe card below.

Here are the ingredients you need to make jowar upma:

• Jowar rava or jonna rava - this is sorghum grain that is coarsely ground. It is commercially available in Indian groceries or online. If you cannot source it, then make your own by coarsely grinding the whole grain in a grain mill. See Tips section for more details.

• Vegetables are optional, but I highly recommend them because they make the dish wholesome and filling. I use mixed vegetables like carrot, green beans, green peas and tomato. But feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
• Flavoring ingredients - green chilies, ginger, curry leaves and lemon juice
• Tempering ingredients - mustard & cumin seeds, dry red chili and cashews

Instructions

For the detailed instructions on how to make the recipe with exact timings, check the printable recipe card below.

Here is how to make upma in the instant pot. It speeds up the cooking process and does not require any baby sitting. But you can also make it on the stove top, it will just take longer to cook.

Turn on the Instant pot on 'Saute Mode'; heat oil and add mustard, cumin seeds and dry red chili. Once the seeds start to splutter, add cashews and cook till they turn golden.

Next add the onions, green chilies, curry leaves and grated ginger. Cook till the onions turn translucent. Add the mixed vegetables, tomatoes and salt. Cook for 1 minute.

Next add the jonna rawa and stir well to make sure that there are no lumps. Add water, lemon juice (if using) and mix well. Close the lid and set the steam valve to sealing. Turn off sauté mode and turn on manual or pressure cook mode. Cook for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick pressure release the remainder.

Once done, open the lid and stir the upma. Serve hot or warm with some pickle and/ or yogurt.

Expert Tips

• Replace jowar rava with any whole millets or coarsely ground millets in this recipe.
• If you are using whole millet, then soak them for at least 2~3 hours to make them easy to cook and become digestible.
• Want to make millet or jowar rava at home using whole grains? Then wash and drain the millets thoroughly. Spread them out on kitchen towel to dry completely - it is best to leave them on the counter overnight. Once they are dry, grind the grains in small batches until coarse consistency.
• You can use a grain mill to grind the grains as well.
• Add whatever vegetables you have on hand in the upma. Cabbage, peppers, potato, cooked chickpeas etc. are all great options.

You might also like

Here are a few more millet recipes that you might want to try.

I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don't forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram @cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.

Recipe Card