Rava kichadi recipe

Updated on August 27, 2026 by Raks Anand 73 Comments

Rava kichadi or sooji kichadi is a South Indian breakfast popularly made at households, as well as served in Tamil nadu restaurant & catering menu. Let's learn how to make soft textured kichadi (non-sticky), with step by step pictures, quick video.

This wholesome dish is perfect for special breakfast and dinner in a menu. Rich and tasty!

Check out my Khara bath recipe which you would love too, and this goes well with a watery coconut chutney.

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About Rava Kichadi
Rava Kichadi Ingredients
Step by step images
Variations
Top tips
My notes
FAQs
Recipe card

Rava kichadi is one of my top most favourite breakfast recipes. I can live with it. I always love all the recipes with rava/ sooji/ semolina. Upma, dosa, kichadi, pongal…everything 😊. Though Aj and Vj are not big fans, they can eat once in a while. Cook this rarely because its greasy and I prefer wheat rava upma for health reasons.

I make this along with other tiffin items if friends/ relatives visit. The soft texture and the ghee smell in the kichadi tastes and smells out of this world. Also the yellow colour and vegetables we add makes it colourful.

About Rava Kichadi

Rava Kichadi is a South Indian semolina dish made by roasting rava (cream of wheat/ sooji) and simmering it with onion, tomato, mixed vegetables, curry leaves and a mustard, lentils tempering until soft and melt in mouth texture. Compared to plain rava upma, it's often made richer with extra oil or ghee and more vegetables, turmeric powder, giving it a fuller, more soft texture.

Disclaimer: This has no relation to "khichdi" served in North India. This is called "kichadi" in Tamil and no dal in rava kichadi recipe.

Many people come up with a question what is the difference? it's just rava upma. Or confuse it with North Indian Rice + dal Khichdi. Same sounding name, but this is one, they popularly serve in wedding menu and caterings for a reason.

Rava Kichadi Ingredients

Here are the ingredients to make south Indian breakfast rava kichadi

Rava - Sooji -Semolina - I used regular upma rava, you can use any type - the fine rava, roasted, un roasted.
Vegetables - I make sure to add assorted vegetables like carrot, peas, beans. You can even add potato in this.
Onion - Adds flavor and taste
Tomato - I add tomato typically in kichadi for taste and it blends lovely in this loose, soft texture.
Ginger - Promotes digestion, prevents heartburn as well as adds flavor.
Green chilli - Best flavor in the khichadi and adds spice.
Ghee - A must for kichadi for non sticky texture and flavor.
Tempering spices
- Black mustard seeds
- Urad dal (split black gram)
- Chana dal (Split bengal gram)
Curry leaves
Salt

See recipe card below for full list and exact quantities.

Step by step images

Soak chana dal and urad dal firstly for an hour (optional - for soft texture of dals in the kichadi).
Slice onion lengthwise, chop tomatoes, carrot and slit green chillies.
In a big kadai/ pressure pan (I used my mini cooker) heat oil and temper with ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon urad dal, 2 teaspoon chana dal, 1 sprig curry leaves. Roast well in low heat.
Saute for a minute and then add onion, green chillies, ginger and fry furthermore until onions turns transparent. Side by side, boil 4 cups of water.
Roast 1 cup rava well in a teaspoon of oil without changing colour.
I used roasted rava, so skipped this step and just gave it a mix. Add the veggies and fry well for 2 mins in medium flame. Drizzle 1 tablespoon ghee while frying for pleasant flavor. Add rava and mix well. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt.
Mix well and add the 3-4 cups of hot water carefully to this, with flame lowered. Check for salt.
Mix well, wait until the water gets absorbed by the sooji. Once it gets thick, cook covered with a lid, in low flame for 8-10 minutes. Finally switch off the flame and give it a mix.

Serve hot with chutney and sambar. I love it with both. Bliss! Nothing to explain!

Variations

I have updated with video. In it, I have used 1 & ½ cups of vegetables - tomato, carrot, beans, green peas, potato, capsicum. I have added coriander leaves for extra flavour.

Also used 5 cups water instead of 4 cups. 4 cups water will give firmer result while with 5 cups water, you will get more loose, softer results.

While adding 5 cups water, it needs more ghee + oil than when we use 4 cups water. If you reduce the ghee or oil, your kichadi will be sticky.

If you do not want to use this much ghee or oil, please skip making this, otherwise you cannot do justice to the recipe. Best when had hot/ warm.

Check out my viral rava kichadi reel in Instagram.

Top tips

Roasting rava well ensures no lumps.

Use more oil as mentioned and 1 or 2 tablespoons of ghee for non sticky texture.

My notes

You can add 5-6 broken cashews while tempering. It gives nice aroma.

FAQs

What is the difference between rava kichadi and upma?

Upma is made fluffy in texture,white, simply with onion alone or without onion. It uses less water for cooking.
Kichadi is rich version using vegetables, tomato, turmeric, ghee and more oil. Recipe uses more water for a soft, loose texture.
This is nowhere related to the north Indian Khichdi which uses dal. If we use dal with rava, it is called rava pongal.

How to fix sticky upma or sticky kichadi?

Roast the Rava well.

Add more ghee or oil and mix. To avoid sticky texture:

Add rava only to boiling water, do not heat rava with water to bring boil together.

Once cooked, add generous oil or ghee and mix to cook furthermore for a minute or 2. It won't be sticky.

So roasting & generous oil or ghee which fixes the sticky upma or sticky kichadi.

Rava upma vs Rava kichadi?

Upma is basically made with less water ratio and is simple with just onion alone too.

Kichadi is made with more water ratio, more rich with ghee, oil and usually vegetables, tomato and turmeric are added in addition.

Upma is fluffy, soft and firm while kichadi is loose in texture on top of its soft texture.

Recipe card

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5 from 16 votes