Besan upma

In many Indian kitchens the same tempering-and-water method that makes rava upma is used with besan instead, and the two flours behave alike once both are roasted. Toasting the flour dry before it meets any water cooks out the raw, floury taste of gram and gives the finished dish a roasted depth that plain upma lacks.

This version adds a full tempering of ghee, mustard, cumin, hing, curry leaves and green chilli before the water goes in, so every grain carries the seasoning. The cooked upma is golden, soft and grainy rather than porridge-like: the flour falls into the boiling water as fine threads, and a short covered cook puffs them.

For besan rava upma, replace a quarter of the besan with rava and toast the two together; the rava makes the grains firmer and more separate. Leftover upma keeps for up to two days in the fridge and reheats well in a pan with a few drops of water. The dish as written uses no wheat, barley or rye (rava is wheat, so skip that swap on a gluten-free diet); check every pack.