Finely chop 1 medium sized onion, 1 to 2 green chillies and 1/2 inch ginger and some coriander leaves.

Take 8 to 10 curry leaves, 10 to 12 cashews, 1 tsp chana dal and 1 tsp urad dal.

Start roasting the rava. Stir often while roasting the rava.

The rava or sooji grains should become fragrant and start to look dry, separate and crisp. Don’t brown the rava.

Switch off the flame and place the roasted rava in a plate and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp ghee or oil. add 1 tsp mustard seeds in a pan.

When you hear the crackling sound of mustard seeds, it means they are getting fried. 

Now add the 1/2 tsp cumin seeds along with 1 tsp chana dal and 1 tsp urad dal. Fry till they begin to brown a bit

Add cashews Immediately and begin to fry. The cashews get golden the dals would also get golden.

Add finely chopped onions and saute them till they become translucent. Then add the chopped green chilly, ginger, curry leaves. Saute for a minute. Add 2.5 cups water to this mixture. Add salt as required.

Then add sugar. Sugar is optional and you can skip it. We prefer a slight sweet taste in the upma and hence we add it. Stir well. On a medium to high flame, heat the water and let it come to a to a rolling boiling. When the water comes to a rolling boil, lower the flame to its lowest. Then add the rava in 4 to 5 batches with a spoon.

Once you add the rava, stir immediately. Then add the next batch of rava. Stir again. This way keep on adding and stirring the rava up to the last batch

Quickly stir and mix well. The rava grains absorb water and thus swell and get cooked. Cover and allow the rava upma to steam for 2 minutes on the low flame. Then switch off the flame. Now the rava is getting all cooked up and the upma is ready.

Lastly add about 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Stir well. Serve upma with coconut chutney or lime slices or lime pickle.