Upma

Upma

Upma or uppumaavu is a very common breakfast of South India. It is cooked with roasted  sooji / semolina with added vegetables of individual preference. The right consistency of the dish is the key to making the best Upma. The cheap cost of the ingredients and the easiness to cook makes it a ‘common man’s dish’. My version of the dish has very less ingredients but you can add the vegetables of your choice and make a variation.

Serves: 2

Ingredients

·         Semolina: 1 cup
·         Water: 1.5 cups to 1 ¾
·         Onion: 1 small diced to small cubes
·         Green chilly  : 2 finely chopped
·         Salt
·         Oil : 2-3 Tbspn
·         Curry Leaves
·         Mustard seed : ¼ tsp

Method

1. Keep the water to boil in pan and add required salt
2. While water is boiling add oil to another pan and splutter the mustard seeds followed by the curry leaves
3. To this add the chopped onions and green chilly and sauté till translucent. (Add veggies in this stage if needed and cook. Suggested veggies include carrots, peas and beans)
4. Add the semolina and roast for 3-4 minutes on medium flame
5. By this time the water should be boiling. Keep adding the boiling water little by little to the roasted semolina and keep stirring so that semolina gets cooked evenly and also is free from lumps. Adding the water little at a time will help you decide the consistency of your upma.
6. Once all the water is added in batches the semolina must be cooked all through and you can serve it hot with any side dish of your choice or can be eaten the way it is!

Note: The quality of semolina will decide the water needed for the upma. So boil water slightly more than the mentioned quantity and keep adding little at a time so that the right consistency is obtained.

Easy cooking!