Bread Upma is the Indian way to use up stale bread. This easy recipe is ideal as an accompaniment to Chai, a light breakfast or packed as lunch.
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Bread Poha and its Avatars
Probably a leftover repurposing idea in the beginning, this simple recipe often reminds me of the ever popular Thanksgiving stuffing idea. I mean, come on, how very different is the concept, right?
My friends from the northern parts of India used to call this as Bread Poha or Seeyali. I am sure that every region in India will have a local moniker for this.
Ingredients
To put it simply, this is like a stir fry made using stale white bread, some spices that you will find in most Indian pantries, onions and tomatoes.
- Bread – is our main ingredient here. Ideally, stale, white bread is preferred. However, we also love sourdough or a fluffy and slightly sweetish bread like the Shokupan. You can always use wholegrain or whatever you fancy too.
- Oil – I recommend using a neutral flavored vegetable oil here.
- Spices– My version is a south Indian spin. So, it is only appropriate that I use mustard seeds and the likes from my spice box, right? Read the variations in the post for more ideas 🙂
- Ginger makes this replete with flavor.
- Ground spices and aromatics – to elevate the taste, aroma and flavor.
- A squeeze of lemon and ground cilantro – because they make everything better, IMHO.
Tomato Blues Tips
- Using stale bread is key to getting this straightforward dish right. For best results, I recommend white bread.
Variations
- Switch up the spices– you can play around with a variety of spices here. Use just cumin seeds and proceed with the entire recipe. Feeling fancy? You can also try exotic spice blends like Ras al Hanout or Tajine here, because why not?
- Add more vegetables- to fortify this otherwise carb heavy dish. Grated carrots, peas, chopped bell peppers are all fantastic here.
- Amp up the protein – toss in some shredded tofu or soy chunks. Adjust the seasonings accordingly because both tofu or soy chunks need more seasonings and spice.
- Experiment with different breads – personally, I love using a rustic sourdough for this dish. The result is a toothsome melange of stale bread that has soaked up all the flavors but with a subtle tang. Ooh..delightful!
- Bake it up- place the prepared bread upma in a deep casserole. Sprinkle some shredded cheese (think Pepper Jack, Ripe Cheddar or Mozzarella). Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 5 to 6 mins. You will have a cheesy casserole that is very desi!
Serving suggestions
- My family loves indulging in this with some piping hot Chai.
- Make this a part of any high tea menu by adding some muffins, pies or samosas.
- Serve this with some fruit salad and a milkshake. This is a brilliant after school snack idea.
- Pack this as lunch along with a fresh vegetable salad for a wholesome afternoon meal.
Method
Chop the bread slices into 1 inch pieces. I prefer retaining the crust. You can discard them if you please.
Heat a pan with oil. Add the mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Once they splutter, add broken white urad dal and allow it to brown.
Now, add slit green chilis, chopped ginger and curry leaves. Mix everything and saute till the green chilis blister.
Add the chopped onions along with salt and turmeric, stir and combine. Continue cooking the onions till they become pink and translucent.
Next, add chopped tomatoes along with Kashmiri chili powder. Mix well and cook till tomatoes disintegrate into a mush. Do this on medium flame, stirring every now and then, to avoid burning.
When the tomatoes are done cooking, add the chopped bread pieces and toss well to coat the bread pieces are coated evenly with the onion tomato mixture.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on low heat. This will allow the flavors to meld with the bread and allow it to soak up any moisture released by the tomatoes.
Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and finely chopped cilantro. Serve hot.
Bread Upma
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottomed pan
Ingredients
- 8 slices white bread stale, day old bread is best
- 1.5 tbsp neutral vegetable oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1.25 tsp broken white urad dal
- 6 green chilis slit lengthwise (use fewer or more depending on your heat preference levels)
- 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
- 12 curry leaves
- 1 cup finely chopped onions
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 cups finely chopped tomatoes ripe red ones are ideal
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tbsp lime juice or lemon juice
- 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Chop the bread slices into 1 inch pieces.
- Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan with oil. Add the mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Once they splutter, add broken white urad dal and allow it to brown.
- Now, add slit green chilis, chopped ginger and curry leaves. Mix everything and saute till the green chilis blister.
- Add the chopped onions along with salt and turmeric, stir and combine. Continue cooking the onions till they become pink and translucent.
- Next, add chopped tomatoes along with Kashmiri chili powder. Mix well and cook till tomatoes disintegrate into a mush. Do this on medium flame, stirring every now and then, to avoid burning.
- When the tomatoes are done cooking, add the chopped bread pieces and toss well to coat the bread pieces are coated evenly with the onion tomato mixture.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on low heat. This will allow the flavors to meld with the bread and allow it to soak up any moisture released by the tomatoes.
- Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and finely chopped cilantro. Serve hot.
For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes
Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.
Supriya Kutty says
As someone navigating the world of home cooking, your blog has been a guiding light. Your ability to transform simple ingredients into culinary delights is awe-inspiring.
maha says
hey..this was very easy to make,very quick one 2..nice recipe
Ramya says
this is the same way we use up leftover bread. we hate to eat bread as it is, so I have to disguise it to make my family eat..Nice click..
Archana says
love this one. The pic is not loading so a bit disappointed.
Priya says
Happy new year wishes to u and ur family..Bread seeyali looks super tempting..
Hyma says
cool recipe! btw, love the event…street food..will deftly link some recipes:-)