Bread Upma

Bread Upma is an easy and delicious Indian breakfast recipe made from bread, onions, tomatoes, vegetables, spices, and herbs. This spicy masala bread upma comes together in 30 mins, makes a filling meal with chai, and is a great way to use up that leftover bread!!

Rava Upma and Poha were regular for breakfast dishes at mom's but she made bread upma only when we had lots of leftover white bread lying around.

It is one of my favorite breakfast and snack recipes and I looked forward to breakfast on those days!!

There is something so addictive about those masala-soaked bread that I just can't stop eating!! and bet you won't be able to either.

This Bread Poha is

• extremely delicious
• great way to use that leftover bread
• easy and quick
• can be made ahead of time
• perfect for lunchbox

Bread Upma, is also known as a bread poha and is a Maharashtrian and South Indian recipe.

It is made by cooking bread pieces with onion, tomato, spices, and herbs.

Bread Poha is referred to as upma or poha because of the way the bread is tempered. It is similar to when we make upma or poha, just that instead of rava (in upma) and pohe we use bread pieces.

Although this masala bread upma is a great way to use that stale leftover bread, fresh bread works too.

It's a delicious and easy recipe that can be served for breakfast, snack, or brunch!! So let's see how to make Bread Upma!!

Recipe Ingredients

Bread - I prefer using slightly stale bread as it works best for this recipe. Although fresh can be used too.

Any type of bread can be used like sandwich bread (white, whole wheat, brown bread, or multigrain) or pav (dinner rolls), or even burger buns.

I have cubed the bread using a knife (for more uniformity) but my Mom would simply tear it into small pieces with her hand. So your choice!!

Veggies - onions and tomatoes are the basic ones. In addition, I also like to add bell pepper and green peas. You can add more veggies to make it nutritious!!

Tadka (tempering) - mustard seeds (rai), cumin seeds (zeera), curry leaves (gives great flavor), green chili (adjust according to your spice level), and ginger (adds great flavor).

Spices - just basic ones like salt, sugar, turmeric, red chili powder and lemon juice for the perfect balance of sweet, salt, tang, spice and color.

Herbs - Cilantro leaves for garnishing. I prefer using the cilantro stems as well in making the masala as it adds great flavor. So don't throw away those stems and use in sabzis and curries.

Step by Step Method

1 - Cut the bread into pieces (cubes) or tear it into small pieces with hand. Keep aside. You can do this ahead of time and store them covered in the fridge.

2 - Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds to the hot oil.

3 - When the mustard seeds start spluttering add the cumin seeds. Saute till the cumin seeds also splutter and change their color.

4 - Stir in the green chili, curry leaves, and ginger. Be careful as the oil will splutter high and rapidly when you add the curry leaves and green chilies. Saute a few seconds so curry leaves crisp up.

5 - Add the onions, saute for a minute or until they just turn translucent.

6 - Stir in the bell pepper and green peas.

7 - Cover and cook for 2 mins or until onions are golden and veggies are almost cooked. If you prefer crunchy bell pepper, add it once tomatoes are cooked.

8 - Stir in the cilantro stems (optional but recommended) and tomatoes. Cover, and cook for 2-3 mins or till tomatoes are soft.

9 - Add in the spices, turmeric, chili powder, salt, and sugar followed by 1-2 tablespoons of water.

10 - Cook until the spices are cooked and the onion-tomato masala is almost dry.

11 - Stir in the bread pieces and mix well together to ensure the onion-tomato masala coats the bread pieces evenly. Cover and cook for about 2 mins to help bread absorb all the flavors.

12 - Finally squeeze in some lemon juice and add cilantro leaves. Mix well. 

Delicious Bread upma is ready!! Serve hot!!

Serving suggestion

I like to serve bread upma hot garnished with some more cilantro, sev (Indian noodles made with chickpea flour), a lemon wedge, and chai on the side. Makes such a delicious meal!!

If you prefer, add a green chutney or spicy ketchup on the side to dip!!

Recipe Tips

Bread - Any leftover bread or fresh bread of choice can be used for this recipe, Slice bread, dinner rolls, pav, white bread, whole wheat, brown bread, or even multigrain can be used.

Toast the bread - this is optional but if you prefer slightly crunchy bites rather than soft bread upma, toast the bread first before cutting it in pieces and adding to the masala. I prefer soft upma so I skip this step.

Alternately, you can leave the pan undisturbed on medium heat to get those slightly crispy and caramelized bites.

Nuts - If you like some crunch, add roasted peanuts or cashews at the end to the upma.  To roast, just saute raw peanuts or cashews in oil and remove them and keep them aside.

Variation - craving Mumbai masala pav? add some pav bhaji masala along with the other spices!! Or you can also add sambar powder for that fun twist!!

Frequently asked questions

More Breakfast Recipes

Hope you enjoy this Bread Upma recipe!! If you give this recipe a try, please rate by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️ ! You can also follow me on Facebook | Instagram to see what’s cooking in my kitchen!!