Masala Bread Upma Recipe | Bread Upma Recipe | Step by Step

I rarely make Bread Upma because TH has toast every morning for breakfast and the last thing he wants in our meals is - bread! However, a Bread Upma Recipe is great to have in hand when you are left with an unavoidable loaf of extra bread that is expiring the next day. While technically a Bread Upma should be quick and easy to make, this is a slightly longer version but, as always, completely worth it.

{Here's the regular Bread Upma Recipe, in case you are interested in that instead}

There's a bit of a story behind how this recipe came to me. Amma was visiting my Athamma in Salem and Athamma's neigbour, an aunty she's been friends with for many years, brought over Bread Upma as breakfast for everyone. One bite into it and Amma was asking her for the recipe so she could pass it to me and I could post it here! That mother of mine constantly amazes me, I tell you.

I can understand why Amma fell in love with this Bread Upma recipe. The taste is very different from any other Bread Upma I have tasted, the consistency is moist and almost sticky (due to the poppy seeds) . The bread soaks up the masala beautifully and it tastes great even the next day without being too soggy.

I would recommend using a crusty bread for Bread Upma and you really shouldn't use a fresh loaf of bread for upma (try mint chutney sandwiches instead!). For best results, use bread that's refrigerated overnight or for a couple of hours. This also makes it easy to get clean pieces when you cut the bread into piece-sized pieces for the upma.

MASALA BREAD UPMA RECIPE

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 2-3
Recipe source: Athamma's Neighbour-Aunty

Ingredients:

• 10 slices of day-old bread, refrigerated and cubed (I used 6 whole-meal dinner rolls)
• 1 of onion, cubed
• 1 of tomato, cubed
• 1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tbsp of ghee / butter / oil
• 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
• 1 tsp of chilli powder
• 1 tsp of coriander powder
• 1 small bunch of coriander leaves, for garnish
• 2 tsp of salt (adjust to taste)

Dry-Roast and Grind to Powder:

• 2 tbsp of poppy seeds / khus khus (I used coconut because poppy seeds are not available in SG)
• 1" piece of cinnamon
• 3 of cloves
• 1/4 tsp of saunf / fennel seeds

Grind with Water to a Paste:

• 3 tbsp of grated coconut
• 1 tbsp of roasted gram / pottukadalai

How to Make Masala Bread Upma:

• Heat 1 tbsp ghee and lightly roast the cubed bread in small batches. Add more ghee in between batchesghee if required. Set aside.
• In the same pan, add the mustard seeds and when they pop, add the onions
• Fry until golden brown and add the ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, and coriander powder. Fry some more until fragrant
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until soft
• Meanwhile, grind the coconut and roasted gram together to a smooth paste adding water
• When the tomatoes are cooked, add this mixture to the pan along with some water (used to wash out the blender)
• Continue to simmer
• Meanwhile, dry-roast the poppy seeds (or coconut in my case) and the cinammon, fennel, and cloves for 2-3 mins. Grind to a powder
• When the mixture on the stove has simmered for 3-4 mins, add the chopped coriander leaves and this powdered mixture and stir well to combine. Add salt
• When ready to serve, add some toasted bread pieces to a plate and pour the gravy over it. MIx well and eat hot!

Step by Step Pictures for Masala Bread Upma

1. Toast the cubed bread pieces in ghee or butter until browned slightly. Set aside.

2. Add more oil or ghee to the same pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pip, add the onions and fry until light golden (or transparent). Add the ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, and coriander powder and fry for another 3 mins.

3. Top off with the cubed tomatoes and chilli powder.

Cook for 4-5 mins until soft.

4. Meanwhile, grind the coconut and roasted gram into a smooth paste by adding some water.

Tip into the cooking tomato-onion mixture. Add more water and let it come to a boil.

Simmer for 3-4 mins and in the meantime...

... dry-roast the poppy seeds (coconut in my case) along with the cinnamon, fennel seeds and cloves for 2-3 mins, or until fragrant.

Powder this and set aside.

5. When the gravy has simmered for a while and become semi-thick, add chopped coriander leaves and the powdered poppy seeds (or coconut). Mix well and keep warm until ready to serve.

To serve, place some toasted bread pieces in a bowl or plate and pour enough gravy on top. Mix and eat immediately!