Rava, or semolina is a staple ingredient across many southern and western Indian households where upma and sooji halwa are frequently cooked for breakfast and afternoon snacks. In most homes, rava is ordered in bulk from the local grocer and it is lightly roasted on the flame before storing it away for quick use.
There are at least three textures of semolina, thin, medium-thick and thick, based on the size of the granules. The texture of the rava granules influences the structure of the upma. If you want to make a paste-like, smooth upma, go for thin semolina, but if you want to whip up a slightly airier version, the thick or medium-thick rava can render it the required structure.
Each of these variations have to be roasted lightly before making halwa/sheera or upma. Roasting rava perfectly is a skill acquired and perfected over time because it requires a sharp eye and constant stirring to ensure that semolina turns pink, without burning or browning too much. This is an exercise in patience and requires meticulousness at a whole different degree of culinary execution.
A perfectly roasted rava is the difference between a delicious, soft upma and a granular, slightly burnt version which can have an unappetising, bitter aftertaste. Since rava needs ample of time to be roasted over a low flame, this activity is performed at the beginning of the month in many a large household to save cooking time on busy work days. However, roasting rava is a tricky business so here are some simple tips and tricks that will make roasting and storing rava easier:
Choosing The Rava
Picking the right rava according to your preference can work its magic on making an upma with a texture most favoured by your taste buds. You can experiment with different semolina textures to find your preferred type of rava. To dry-roast the rava, simply pour it into a kadhai and keep the flame burning low to ensure that every granule of your semolina is toasted to perfection. Barik rava requires more attention but also produces the best upma if roasted right.
Keep Stirring
Stirring continuously with a wooden spatula is perhaps the most important tip for roasting rava to perfection. Although the flame is kept burning low, rava can stick to the bottom of the pan once it starts heating and burn very quickly. Keep stirring so that layers of semolina keep shifting in the pan and switch off the flame as soon as it acquires a pinkish, golden hue.
Use Dry Kadhai And Container
Storing rava in a dry container keeps its structure intact after it has been roasted. Keep the rava tin in a dry cupboard, away from moisture to maintain this consistency. Using a dry kadhai to roast the rava prevents formation of lumps and keeps semolina dry and smooth. Pat the kadhai or pan dry with a cloth and let it heat over the flame to get rid of moisture before pouring in the rava for roasting.
Keep Flame Low
Rava has to be particularly roasted on a low flame for it to acquire a slightly crispy texture. When mixed with warm water in the upma making process, this roasted semolina cooks well and gets that fluffy, smooth feel synonymous with a plate of warm upma. Low flame works towards uniformly roasting every granule of semolina and achieveing that toasty feel. It also reduces the risk of accidents like burning the rava or overdoing the roasting process because heat can be controlled and managed more quickly.
Check The Rava With Your Fingers
Perform a visual inspection first to test if the rava is dry-roasted right. Next, perform a sniff test because as soon as the rava starts roasting, it will exude an unmistakable aroma that will wake-up slumbering taste buds. When that aroma wafts through the kitchen, carefully pick out a few of granules, by first catching them on the spatula, then holding them between your fingers to examine if they have been roasted enough. This is as much a matter of skill as of culinary expertise and repeating this process enough times will give you a measure of what to look for to check if the rava is roasted right.