MTR Instant 3-Minute Vegetable Upma Review – Lacks Freshness
Nishtha Sethi
There are certain elements that worked for MTR’s Instant Upma, but the aftertaste is something that brings down the overall rating.
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Mishry Rating
Summary
We do not recommend the MTR 3-Minute Upma because of its dry texture and slightly lower-than-average taste. The veggies lack freshness and the aftertaste of fat brings down the rating further. We liked that it is convenient to make and is travel friendly.
Imagine this. You’re running late and have skipped breakfast. By the time it’s lunch time, you know the hunger levels will cut through the roof. So what can you eat when a piece of fruit won’t gratify and the nearby tapri food isn’t something you feel like having? A RTE meal!
This range of MTR pohas and upma claim to be ready in just 3 minutes and all you need is hot boiling water. We gave the veggie upma a try and here is all that you need to know.
Our MTR instant vegetable upma review is based upon taste, texture and the convenience it offers.
Table of Contents
MTR Instant Vegetable Upma – Quick Glance
Tabular information about the product –
| MTR Instant Vegetable Upma | Product Information |
| Price | Rs 27/- |
| Net Weight | 60 gm |
| Shelf Life | 9 months |
| Buy Now | Add to cart |
| Mishry Rating | 2.75 |
Our Review Factors
What are we looking for? A well-seasoned, fresh tasting upma which is ready within minutes.
To test the MTR vegetable upma, we set the following parameters –
1. Taste
The presence of characteristic Southern flavors, taste of vegetables, lingering flavor of fat and seasoning levels were all checked under this parameter.
2. Texture
Sticky and soft or dry and drab? We checked for the texture of the semolina along with the vegetables. Does the dal retain its crunch? How is the overall mouthfeel of the upma?
3. Convenience
Considering all you need is hot water and a bowl to make this, we also marked it for convenience.
Other non-tasting parameters like price and packaging were also considered.
MTR Instant Vegetable Upma– Detailed Review
Price + Packaging
The upma comes in a red and yellow pouch pack. It is a single-serve pack and hence not resealable. A 60 gm pack is priced at Rs 27/- and has a shelf life of 9 months.
Appearance
In the dry mix, we could see a lot of well-roasted semolina, black mustard seeds, some dal, dehydrated onion flakes and orange carrot bits.
Ingredients
Wheat semolina (72%), Interesterified vegetable fat, Iodised salt, Dehydrated carrot (2.9%), Green chili (2.1%), Ginger, Sugar, Maltodextrin (corn), Curry leaves, Mustard, Bengal gram split, Dehydrated onion, Anticaking agent (INS551), Acidity regulators (INS330, 334), Natural and nature identical flavoring substances.
We like that the core Southern flavors were added via the mustard seeds and curry leaves. But the fat source could have been better. Owing to the additives in the upma, this is definitely not something you consume regularly.
How To Make This?
The instructions given on the pack are –
- Empty the entire pack into a bowl. Add 100 ml of hot boiling water.
- Mix well. Cover with lid.
- Rest for 3 minutes and mix well. Enjoy!
Our take: Cooks well within the mentioned time frame. Make sure you mix the upma well before consuming as it can become consolidated.
Our Experience
There is no strong aroma of the dish before or after cooking. Although there is a very mild smell of oil which isn’t pleasing.
Once we mixed it well after cooking, the semolina grains became very khila-khila (well separated). Considering that most homemade upmas are slightly stickier and gooey, this seemed dry.
The vegetables are a big disappointment. They have not rehydrated well and have a tough, stringy bite. The carrots are added generously, but because these do not taste fresh the overall taste of the upma reduces.
Flavor wise, the curry leaves, ginger and mustard seeds make their presence felt. The green chillies give a mild kick in a few bites. This is salted appropriately.
The plus point is the convenience. It can be carried while travelling/camping or kept in your office pantry for ill-timed hunger pangs because all you need is hot water. But going purely by the taste and texture, we can safely say that there are better instant meals available in the market.
If you are looking for a stickier, more homestyle upma and apt utensils/kitchen space is available we say try this upma by MTR instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some interesting FAQs on MTR instant upma.
It contains dehydrated vegetables which soften and plump up once we add the hot water.
Homemade upma is a good source of carbohydrates and fiber if you add sufficient veggies. Consuming it occasionally for breakfast is a good option.
It is best to start your day with something light like warm water with lemon or soaked nuts. We would not recommend eating a bowl of upma first thing in the morning.
No. But it does contain maltodextrin which helps enhance the shelf life of the product. It also contains anticaking agents and acidity regulators.
MTR’s 3 Minute Veggie Upma contains mustard seeds, chillies, curry leaves and ginger to amp up the flavor of the dish.
To Conclude
This isn’t something we would eat if we had the choice of making the original MTR Upma. Sure, it takes longer and needs a proper kitchen setup but the taste and texture are on point.
The 3-Minute Upma by MTR is super convenient to rustle up and carry, but lacks a desirable texture, isn’t fresh tasting and has an aftertaste of fat. You could keep this as a last-minute option if nothing else is available.
Have you tried this before? What is your opinion on the product?
Team That Worked On This Review
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