Millet upma recipe with Kuthiraivali, barnyard millet in english. An easy and tasty recipe with the healthier ingredient to kick start your day.

Perfect and filling way to kick start a day with healthy millet upma.
This was the first millet recipe I tried in my kitchen. But posted thinai paniyaram first.
Why I love this?
This upma is very easy and basic to cook, can start with this if you are new to millets. Need not worry that cooking millet is complicated.
This tastes similar to arisi upma. You can make it same way as no onion and without vegetables too.
But I added veggies. Even bachelors can try this. This is a healthier option for rice upma coz of its nutritional values, improve metabolism of our body.
Good for diabetics too. It is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron and rich in fiber content. When cooked, it gives a lot of volume. Keeps you feel full for long time too.
Barnyard Millet
- In Tamil - Kuthiraivali
- In Hindi - Jhangora
- In Telugu - Odalu
- In Kanada - Oodalu
With this millet you can do Bhagar recipe
Similar to the method, but just the following changes.
To make Bhagar, you should skip mustard, temper with cumin, peanuts instead of the south Indian items.
Use boiled, cubed potato in place of carrot, sendha namak in place of regular salt and you can consume it for Vrat (Vrat ka khana)
Instructions
1. Wash the millet once or twice and drain water completely.
2. Heat a kadai with oil, temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table in order. Followed by onion, green chilli and ginger. Fry till onion turns transparent. Add veggies and fry for 2 minutes in low flame.
3. Add water and salt. Bring to boil and add the millet. Mix well.
4. Cook covered in low flame for 8 to 10 minutes or until all water dries up.
Serve hot with any spicy coconut chutney or even sugar. I had with peanut chutney.
Recipe card
Kuthiraivali (Barnyard millet) upma recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Barnyard millet
- 1 & ½ cup Water
- 1 Onion skip on fasting days
- 2 tablespoon carrot finely chopped
- 4 Beans finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger very finely chopped
- 2 Green chilli
- Salt
To temper
- 1 tablespoon Coconut oil or any cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Urad dal
- 1 tablespoon Chana dal
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
Instructions
- Wash the millet once or twice and drain water completely.
- Heat a kadai with oil, temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table in order.
- Followed by onion, green chilli and ginger. Fry till onion turns transparent.
- Add veggies and fry for 2 minutes in low flame.
- After that, add water and salt. Bring to boil and add the millet. Mix well.
- Cook covered in low flame for 8 to 10 minutes or until all water dries up.
Notes
- Can be garnished with grated coconut.
- Coconut oil and ginger adds nice flavor.
- If making without onion and veggies, add asafoetida while tempering and add pepper powder for flavor.
Kurinji
Healthy upma...
Kurinji
Raks one doubt? 1/2 cup milletkku 3 cups water venduma?
Ramya Venkateswaran
delicious healthy upma
Sridevi
Where can we buy them?
Raks anand
May I know where do you live?
Aarthi
Love your pot, where did you find them..And love your upma..
Durga Karthik.
Raks.Enriching entries.Do tell me when you find this in Singapore.i suppose you bought from India.
Lavi Raj
Have to explore all these raks. Nice pics!
Sridevi
In US, it is fine if you can tell about the sources in India. If you can tell online sources or places in US still the better
Anonymous
Healthy upma:-)love the texture
Shama Nagarajan
healthy upma
gemkd
Hi Raks,
Great looking and healthy upma!
If I use thinai arisi instead (which I bought last week :)), then can I follow the same method (soaking time included)?
Btw, loving the golden server pot!!! (where from?)
best,
Hasita
Raks anand
Yes you can sure try the same way, same water proportion...
I got this brass bowl from chennai Rathna stores 🙂
Kirthi Manivannan
Raks cud u pls tell me which coconut oil do v need to use pls? Can v use normal parachute , I think the smell will be different....
Raks anand
VVD is edible so you can use it for cooking
A Cook @ Heart
Sridevi, try sprouts farmers market
Sashi
Is this the same as couscous or is this a different grain?
Raks anand
Different.
Dr.Ram
Superb.. Thanks for the recipes...
sivagamy agri
nice.iam trying this today
RAMACHANDRAN.J
Nice, thanks raks
DeutschLern @ Kovai
Hi Raks, I tried this Upma. A doubt. I added 3 cups of water to 1 cup of kuthiraivali. It is sticky even after longtime. Am I right with the measurement? Thanks
Raks anand
Check if your millet is unpolished ones. Is it white or dull in colour? Its like difference between brown rice and white rice.
DeutschLern @ Kovai
Thanks for the reply. I haven't tried brown rice. So how should i cook unpolished or dull ones?
Raks anand
I too have not cooked it, so no idea sorry that I could not help you with this.
DeutschLern @ Kovai
Thank you, Raks!
chithrasri74
1 cup 2 cups water is it ok
Selvi Hari
Hi its nice recipes update more millet recipes
By
Selvi.v
Magic123
Hi Raks this is my first recipe with millets. Was a bit tensed if my hubby & daughter would complain. But exactly followed ur recipe. Came out very eell. they also liked it. Thanks so much. Chitra
Sudha Sreedhar
Tried the upma and tasted good. All the 4 of us liked in the family...
Unknown
Hi ....this upma was so nice..thanks a lot for good receipes
Lakshmi
Can we make this upma as like our normal arisiupma?
Raks Anand
Yes you can. You mean grinding or method. Either ways yes can.
Meera Rao
Hello,
Foe Uppma do we need to soak the Millet or wash and cook as per instructions.
Thanks.
Raks Anand
No need to soak, just wash and cook as mentioned.