Bread upma is a popular and savory Indian dish that transforms simple bread slices into a flavourful meal. This versatile recipe is perfect for breakfast along with some chutney or as a quick snack, combining the comfort of bread with aromatic Indian spices and vegetables. Let’s dive into this delightful dish that’s sure to become a favourite in your kitchen!
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Bread Upma is the best dish to make when you have leftover bread at home. Often we have a few slices of bread left and we get bored of the same old sandwiches. That’s when this upma comes to rescue. This South Indian Style Bread Upma offers a delightful combination of textures, with the softness of the bread contrasting with the crunch of the tempering and the freshness of the garnishes. The spices provide a burst of flavour, making it a satisfying and comforting dish that’s loved by many.
One of the best things about bread upma is how easy it is to make. With just a few basic ingredients from your kitchen and about 15 minutes of your time, you can make this delicious plate of bread upma. It’s perfect for those mornings when you want something warm and satisfying but don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.
Why you will love this South Indian Style Bread Upma Recipe?
Quick and Convenient: Bread upma is the perfect go-to recipe for busy mornings. With minimal preparation time, it’s ideal for those with tight schedules.
Budget-Friendly: Using simple, readily available ingredients, this dish is economical and perfect for those looking to prepare a satisfying meal without breaking the bank.
Versatile: The recipe is flexible, allowing you to include a variety of vegetables and adjust spices to suit your taste preferences.
Family-Friendly: Its mild yet flavourful profile appeals to all age groups, making it a hit with both kids and adults.
Reduces Food Waste: This recipe is an excellent way to use leftover or slightly stale bread, helping you minimize food waste in your kitchen.
Ingredients needed to make Easy Bread Upma
Bread: Regular white bread, whole wheat, or multigrain bread can be used.
Oil: Use any cooking oil of your choice.
Mustard seeds, Urad dal, Cashew nuts and Curry Leaves: Add for tempering.
Green Chillies and Ginger: Use for spice and flavour
Onion, Bell Pepper and Green Peas: Use finely chopped onions and bell pepper, boiled or frozen green peas.
Dry spices: Turmeric Powder for colour and flavour
Salt & Sugar – For an added taste
Lemon juice: Add towards the end for a tangy taste
Coriander Leaves: Use freshly chopped coriander leaves to garnish the bread upma.
How to prepare Bread Upma Recipe with Vegetables
Tempering: Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves. Allow them to splutter, releasing their flavours into the oil. Add cashews and sauté till they turn golden brown.
Sautéing Aromatics: Add finely chopped onions and cook until the onions become golden brown, on medium heat. Crush a piece of ginger and a few green chillies together. Add them to the cooked onions.
Adding Vegetables: Add finely chopped bell pepper and frozen/boiled green peas to the mixture and cook until they soften and blend well with the other ingredients.
Seasoning: Sprinkle salt, turmeric powder, and sugar. Mix well to ensure an even coating of the spices.
Bread Cubes: Cut the bread into bite-sized bread cubes and add them to the pan. Gently mix to coat the bread pieces with the flavorful mixture. Add two tablespoons of water and let them cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
Finishing Touch: Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and a splash of lemon juice for a burst of freshness.
Serve Warm: This Simple Bread Upma recipe is best enjoyed hot. It can be served on its own or with tomato ketchup, chutney and hot tea/coffee.
Tips to make the Best Bread Upma
Choose the Right Bread: While white bread is commonly used, experiment with whole wheat or multigrain bread.
Toast the Bread: For better texture, lightly toast the bread before cutting it into cubes. This prevents the bread from becoming too soggy.
Customize Your Veggies: Feel free to add or substitute vegetables like carrots, corn, or tomatoes to suit your preferences.
Spice It Up: Adjust the spice level by adding or reducing green chilies. You can also experiment with spice powders like garam masala or chaat masala for variety.
Keep It Crispy: Add the bread cubes just before serving to maintain a nice texture. Overcooking can lead to soggy bread.
Serving Suggestions
Bread upma is best enjoyed hot and can be served along with a hot cup of Coffee or Masala Chai.
This bread upma can also be served as a breakfast dish or snack, paired with a side of coconut chutney or tomato ketchup
Frequently asked questions
While white bread or sandwich bread is commonly used, you can use whole wheat brown bread or multigrain bread.
While it’s best enjoyed fresh, you can prepare the vegetable mixture in advance and toss it with bread cubes just before serving to maintain the dish’s texture.
Add diced vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, peas, sweet corn or carrots. You can also add paneer, roasted peanuts and grated coconut to make the dish more interesting.
Add the bread cubes just before you are ready to serve to avoid sogginess. The spices and seasonings should be well-coated, but the bread should retain texture. Overcooking or letting the dish sit for too long after preparation can lead to the softening of the bread.
Instead of green chillies, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, chaat masala, sambar powder or pav bhaji masala can add some spice and flavour to the Bread Upma.
Absolutely! In fact, slightly stale bread works great as it absorbs the flavours well without becoming too mushy.
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Quick Bread Upma Recipe with Vegetables
Ingredients
- 8 slices Bread
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeda
- 1 teaspoon Urad Dal
- 10 Cashew Nuts
- Curry Leaves as needed
- 2 medium Onions finely chopped
- 4 Green Chillies
- 1 inch Ginger
- ¼ cup Green Peas Boiled or Frozen
- ¼ cup Bell Pepper Finely chopped
- Salt as needed
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- 3 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 2 tablespoon Water
- 2 tablespoon Coriander Leaves
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves. Allow them to splutter, releasing their flavours into the oil. Add cashews and sauté till they turn golden brown.
- Add finely chopped onions and cook until the onions become golden brown, on medium heat.
- Crush ginger and green chillies together. Add them to the cooked onions.
- Add finely chopped bell pepper and frozen/boiled green peas to the mixture and cook until they soften and blend well with the other ingredients.
- Sprinkle salt, turmeric powder, and sugar. Mix well to ensure an even coating of the spices.
- Cut the bread into bite-sized bread cubes and add them to the pan. Gently mix to coat the bread pieces with the flavorful mixture.
- Add two tablespoons of water and let them cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and some lemon juice if desired.
- Bread Upma is best enjoyed hot. It can be served on its own or with tomato ketchup, chutney and hot tea/coffee.