- Finely slice the onion and slit the green chillies. 
- Heat oil in a vessel. 
- Add cinnamon stick and cloves fry till nice aroma comes. 
- Add mustard seeds, when they splutters add urad dal and chana dal. 
- When the urad dal is turning slightly golden, add cashew nuts and fry till golden. 
- Add onions and green chillies.  
- Fry till the onions are translucent. 
- Add 2 1/2 cups of water, salt and mix well. Adjust the salt as per your taste. 
- Close the lid and bring the water to boiling point. 
- Add semiya and keep on stirring to avoid lumps. If you like you can dry roast the semiya before adding it to the water. 
- Cook on a medium flame till semiya is completed cooked.  
- Serve semiya upma hot. It goes well with pickle.