Need breakfast inspiration? Whip up a delicious and healthy bowl of semolina porridge topped with your favorite fresh fruits, nuts and a drizzle of berry sauce. Make food beautiful!
I love breakfast. I also hate waking up early. So you see how I’ve got a problem on my hands. I am a night owl, and always have been. I love watching the moon and stars rather than the rising sun.
The kiddo’s school schedule makes me get up early now, but mornings are still a mad rush. A bite of toast, hastily eaten with endless cups of coffee is no way to start the day.
But weekends are a different story. Weekends are when we gather around the table for a leisurely breakfast. Whether we go Indian with crisp, hot dosas and chutney or continental with toast, eggs and pancakes, weekend breakfast/brunch is the time to kick back and just enjoy the moment.
Semolina (rava or sooji) cooked in milk and lightly sweetened is one of our favorite foods. It is simple but comforting at the same time. It is something that I like to have when convalescing or when I crave something sweet but super easy to make. Boy loves this simple semolina porridge or rava payasam as he calls it. The best thing about it is that it can be eaten for breakfast, a light meal or simple sweet treat.
This semolina porridge makes a great breakfast bowl as well. Add some fresh, colorful fruits, crunchy roasted nuts and a drizzle of berry sauce, and you have yourselves a delicious and comforting breakfast porridge bowl.
In this breakfast bowl recipe, I have kept the semolina porridge as close as possible to how it is made traditionally. It is lightly sweetened and flavored with fragrant cardamom. You can use vanilla extract if you do not have cardamom. Sometimes a dollop of ghee is added for richness, but I have omitted that since I was going to top it with fruits and fruit compote. Semolina porridge or rava payasam is delicious and gentle on tummies and can be had any time of the day.
Semolina cooks really fast too, so you can be on your way to a delicious and wholesome breakfast bowl pretty fast. The smooth and creamy semolina forms the perfect base for this porridge bowl. The kiddo likes to have it with bananas usually, but you can add any fruits that you like. I’ve used kiwi, strawberries and blueberries and also made a quick blueberry sauce to drizzle on top.
Add a side of fresh orange juice and hot coffee for a delicious and wholesome start to the day.
- Semolina - ¼ cup
- Milk - 3 cups
- Sugar - 3 tbsp
- Salt - a pinch
- Cardamom powder - ¼ tsp (or replace with ½ tsp vanilla extract)
- Blueberries - 1 cup, divided
- Kiwi - 2, sliced
- Strawberries - 4, sliced
- Roasted pistachios - 2 tbsp
- Chocolate shavings - as topping, optional
- Dry roast the semolina in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Keep stirring and roast till you smell a nutty aroma, around 3-4 minutes. Do not let it brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat milk in a saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and stir in the roasted semolina. Cook till semolina is soft, stirring constantly so that no lumps are formed. It will take around 5-10 minutes.
- Add sugar, salt and cardamom powder. Stir and simmer for 1-2 minutes. The porridge will be slightly thickened and it will thicken further as it cools.
- Meanwhile, take ½ cup blueberries in another small saucepan, add 2 tbsp of water and cook them till berries are soft and can be broken down to make a simple blueberry compote or sauce.
- Divide semolina porridge among 2 bowls, top with fruits, nuts and a drizzle of the blueberry sauce. Top with some shaved chocolate if desired. Enjoy warm or cold.
2. You can use any of your favorite fruits and nuts to make your breakfast bowl.
3. Semolina porridge will thicken as it cools, so stop the cooking process when semolina is soft but porridge is still of a pouring consistency. If it has thickened considerably before serving, you can loosen it with some warm milk.
4. You can use honey instead of blueberry sauce to sweeten the porridge.
Dig into that warm, creamy goodness!
Do try this delicious semolina porridge, fruit and nut breakfast bowl. It’s easily customizable and you can use any fruit depending on what’s in season.
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Are you a morning person? What’s your breakfast story? Do share.
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I am sharing this over at Fiesta Friday & Saucy Saturday.
Requesting this on Mother’s Day. IN BED!! Gorgeous, Anjana.
It would be perfect for Mother’s Day!!
I love semolina, but I never had it in sweet version. It must be delicious! Thanks a lot for bring this recipe, along those beautiful photos, at FF!
Thank you and Happy FF!!
I love the sound of dry roasting the semolina before cooking it. What a quick a lovely porridge for breakfast. And oh gosh, the table shots are just gorgeous 🙂 They are so perfectly atmospheric, capturing a mid-morning breakfast with the sun streaming in and a chair welcomingly pulled out.
Thank you so much. I love how comforting this simple meal can be. Your kind words inspire me, thanks again!!
Looks so gorgeous Anjana!!! I love the way you made a simple rava sheera transform itself into a lovely healthy porridge for breakfast with all the lovely rainbow of fruits 🙂 Love, love, love your photography and style of writing!
Thank you so much for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed this post!!
Anjana
I am in love with your new food photo styling. It weaves a story.
That bowl looks very comforting !
Thank you, Sonal! I loved setting up this shoot, glad you like it 💖