What Is Rava? Types of Rava and Millet Rava Recipes
Sources: NIN Hyderabad, ICMR, USDA FoodData Central
Rava is semolina: grain broken into small, dry granules that cook in minutes. Most rava sold in India is made from wheat, but rice and millets are made into rava too. This guide explains what rava means, the types you will find in Indian shops, how rava is made, and how to cook the eight millet ravas into upma, idli, pongal and kheer.
What is rava? Meaning and names
Rava (also written rawa or ravva) is the Indian word for semolina: grain that has been broken into granules rather than ground fine like flour. In North India the same thing is called sooji or suji. Said on its own, rava usually means wheat rava, the white granules for upma and kesari. With a grain in front of it, rava means rava of that grain: idli rava (rice), ragi rava (finger millet), jowar rava (sorghum).
Is rava a millet? No. Rava is a form, like flour or flakes, not a grain. Wheat rava is not a millet; millet rava is rava made from a millet.
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Types of rava
Rava in Indian shops comes from three kinds of grain:
| Type | Made from | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Sooji / Bombay rava / upma rava | Wheat | Upma, kesari, rava dosa, halwa |
| Chiroti rava | Wheat (a very fine rava) | Chiroti, sweets, rava ladoo |
| Bansi rava | Bansi wheat | Upma, kesari |
| Broken wheat (dalia, godhuma rava) | Wheat, cracked | Upma, khichdi, porridge |
| Idli rava | Rice | Idli batter |
| Millet rava | Millets (eight kinds, below) | Upma, idli, pongal, kheer, khichdi |
The eight millet ravas differ mainly in colour, taste and how they hold their shape:
| Millet rava | Also called | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Foxtail millet rava | thinai (Tamil) | Mild and golden; an all-rounder for upma, idli and dosa |
| Little millet rava | kutki (Hindi), samai (Tamil) | Light and quick-cooking; upma, pongal |
| Barnyard millet rava | sanwa, sama (Hindi) | Soft and pale; upma, khichdi, kheer |
| Kodo millet rava | kodra (Hindi), varagu (Tamil) | Nutty, holds its shape; pongal, bisibele bath |
| Browntop millet rava | – | Earthy; upma, khichdi |
| Pearl millet (bajra) rava | bajra, bajri (Hindi) | Strong, earthy; khichdi, savoury porridge |
| Finger millet (ragi) rava | nachni (Marathi), kezhvaragu (Tamil) | Dark and earthy; ragi rava idli, porridge |
| Sorghum (jowar) rava | jowar (Hindi), cholam (Tamil), jonna (Telugu) | Mild and pale; upma, idli |
Regional names of the millets from the Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (University of Melbourne).
New to millet rava? Start with foxtail, little millet or barnyard rava: their mild taste is closest to wheat sooji, so your usual upma and idli recipes work with almost no change. You can buy millet rava online in all of these kinds.
How is rava made?
Rava is made by cleaning the grain, removing any husk, and breaking it into granules in a mill; the granules are then sieved, so that one grain can give a coarser rava for upma and a finer one for sweets. Wheat sooji is made from the inner part of the wheat grain. For millets, the inedible husk is removed first; unpolished millet rava is made from millet whose bran layer has not been polished off before milling.
Can you make millet rava at home? Yes, in small batches: pulse clean, dry whole millet in a dry mixer jar for a few seconds at a time, and sieve out the flour. It takes some practice to get even granules, which is why most people buy it ready-made.
Millet rava vs wheat rava (sooji)
| Millet rava | Wheat rava (sooji) | |
|---|---|---|
| Made from | A millet | Wheat |
| Gluten | None by nature | Contains gluten |
| Taste | Mild to earthy, by millet | Neutral |
| Cooks into | Upma, idli, pongal, kheer, khichdi | Upma, idli, kesari, halwa |
Millet rava swaps in for sooji one for one in most recipes. Millets contain no gluten by nature, but packs can pick up traces where grains are handled together, so anyone with coeliac disease should ask their doctor which products are safe.
Why people choose millet rava
- A different grain at breakfast. Millet rava turns the upma, idli and pongal you already make into a millet meal, with no new recipes to learn.
- Quick. Like sooji, it cooks in minutes.
- Variety. Eight millets, each with its own taste, so breakfasts do not feel the same every day.
- No wheat. For households that prefer meals without wheat.
How to cook millet rava
Get the water right and keep the heat low. Start with about 2½ cups of water for each cup of rava: little millet and barnyard rava need a little less, kodo, bajra and jowar rava a little more. Add the rava to boiling water slowly while stirring, so it does not lump, then cover and cook on low heat until the water is absorbed. For the basics behind cooking millets, see how to cook millets.
Easy millet rava recipes
1. Millet rava upma
Heat a little oil or ghee; add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, green chilli, ginger and onion, then vegetables. Pour in hot water with salt, bring it to a boil, stir in the rava slowly and cook covered on low heat until fluffy. Finish with lemon juice and coriander. Full steps in our millet upma recipe.
2. Instant millet rava idli
Mix one cup of millet rava with one cup of curd and a little water; add a tempering of mustard seeds, chana dal and curry leaves. Rest 15–20 minutes, add salt, and steam in greased idli moulds for 10–12 minutes. No overnight fermenting. See our millet idli recipe.
3. Crisp millet rava dosa
Whisk millet rava with a little rice flour, curd and water into a thin, pourable batter with chopped onion, chilli and coriander; rest briefly and pour onto a very hot tawa for lacy dosas.
4. Millet rava kesari or sheera
Cook rava in ghee until it smells nutty, add hot water or milk, then jaggery or sugar and cardamom; stir until it thickens.
5. Millet rava pongal and porridge
Cook rava soft with moong dal and finish with a ghee, pepper and cumin tempering for pongal (little millet pongal recipe), or simmer it in milk with jaggery for a sweet porridge.
Buying and storing millet rava
Look for rava made from one unpolished millet, with nothing else on the ingredient list. Store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, and in the fridge in hot or humid weather; use it within about three months.
Orggu’s millet ravas come to us ready-made from unpolished millets: foxtail, little millet, barnyard, kodo, ragi, bajra and jowar, with browntop coming back soon. No pesticides or chemicals are used: the farmers who grow the millet do not use pesticides, and we do not fumigate or chemically treat our stock. Compare them all on our millet rava page, or see unpolished millets and millet flakes for other forms.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does rava mean?
Rava (also rawa, ravva, sooji or suji) is the Indian word for semolina: grain broken into small, dry granules. On its own it usually means wheat rava; with a grain name in front — idli rava, millet rava — it means rava made from that grain.
Is rava a millet?
No. Rava is a form of a grain, not a grain. Most rava in Indian shops is made from wheat, idli rava is made from rice, and millet rava is made from millets such as foxtail, little millet or barnyard millet.
Rava is made from which grain?
Ordinary rava (sooji, Bombay rava) is made from wheat. Idli rava is made from rice. Millet rava is made from a millet.
How many types of rava are there?
In Indian kitchens, rava is sorted by grain and size: wheat ravas (sooji or Bombay rava, the finer chiroti rava, bansi rava, broken wheat or dalia), rice ravas (idli rava, rice rava), and millet ravas, of which there are eight common ones.
Is millet rava gluten-free?
Millets contain no gluten by nature, so rava made only from millet has none of its own. Packs can pick up traces where grains are handled together; ours is not tested, so with coeliac disease, ask your doctor which products are safe.
Which millet rava is best for upma?
Foxtail, little millet and barnyard rava are the mildest and closest to wheat sooji; kodo rava is nuttier and holds its shape; ragi and bajra rava have the strongest taste.
Can millet rava replace wheat rava (sooji) in recipes?
Yes, one for one in upma, idli, pongal and kheer. Start with a little more water, because millets drink a little differently.
This article is for general cooking information. If you have a health condition or specific dietary needs, please ask a doctor or registered dietitian.
