The savoury Karnataka cousin of upma — a thick, spiced semolina dish cooked with vegetables, a tempering of mustard and lentils, and a distinctive hit of vangi bath powder that sets it apart from a plain upma. 'Khara' means spicy in Kannada, and it is the savoury half of the famous Bangalore breakfast Chow Chow Bath, plated alongside the sweet, saffron-tinted kesari bath. It is soft, fluffy, fragrant, and warmly spiced, served with coconut chutney.
Khara bath is a Karnataka breakfast dish, in which 'bath' refers to a cooked rice or semolina preparation and 'khara' means spicy in Kannada. It is best known as one half of Chow Chow Bath, a Bangalore restaurant pairing in which the spicy khara bath is served on the same plate as the sweet kesari bath; 'chow chow' is local shorthand for a mixed combination. While a plain upma is pan-South-Indian, khara bath is specifically the Karnataka version distinguished by vegetables and a masala such as vangi bath powder stirred through, giving it more colour, spice, and body. It is a staple of Udupi-style tiffin restaurants rather than a dish with a single recorded origin.
Soft, fluffy, pale-gold semolina that holds together in a loose mound, flecked with peas, carrot, and curry leaf and warmed through with chili and spice powder. Each grain is separate and tender, never gummy, carrying a savoury, faintly tangy heat deeper than a plain upma. Cashews and fried gram give little crisp bites; a squeeze of lemon lifts it. It is at its best hot and fresh; left to sit it dries and tightens. On a Chow Chow Bath plate the warm spice plays against the sweet kesari beside it.
As with upma, the semolina is dry-roasted first so the starch toasts and the grains stay separate and absorb water evenly without clumping into paste. Hot water is added gradually while stirring so each granule hydrates into a soft, lump-free body. What makes it khara bath rather than upma is the masala — a spice blend such as vangi bath powder, plus chili and vegetables, stirred in so the dish takes on colour and a rounded heat. The mustard-and-lentil tempering must bloom in hot oil before the vegetables go in, or the seeds stay raw and the curry-leaf aroma never releases.
Variations
Plain upma is the milder, unspiced ancestor; khara bath adds masala and vegetables for body and heat. Vangi bath powder is the most common spice base, though some cooks use a simpler chili-coriander blend. On the Chow Chow Bath plate it is fixed opposite the sweet kesari bath; eaten alone it pairs with coconut chutney. Tomato khara bath leans on tomato for tang, and richer versions are heavier on ghee and cashews.
On the Palate
Where Khara Bath sits in the Indian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 3
How it's made
5 steps · 25 min active + 5 min waiting
- 16 min
Dry-roast the semolina in a pan until fragrant and lightly golden, then set aside.
Watch outDry-roast the semolina until fragrant and lightly golden — toasting keeps the grains separate so they hydrate evenly instead of clumping into paste.
- 24 min
In ghee or oil, temper mustard seeds, urad and chana dal, green chili, ginger, curry leaves, and cashews until the dal turns golden.
- 35 min
Add chopped onion and mixed vegetables and saute, then stir in vangi bath powder, chili powder, and salt.
- 45 min
Pour in hot water, bring to a boil, then add the roasted semolina in a steady stream while stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
Watch outRain the roasted semolina into the boiling water in a steady stream while stirring nonstop — dump it in and it clumps into lumps you can't smooth out.
- 55 min
Cover and cook on low until the water is absorbed and the semolina is fluffy; finish with lemon and coriander and serve hot.
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