Rava Upma

I'm sure this is one staple breakfast or tiffin all my friends from back home(especially from south India) would have had atleast once a week..

Rava upma is so widely popular in south India...Every home, restaurant or special gatherings like weddings, picnic have this in their breakfast menu...Upma has its high and low experiences...On the low side if it is not well done this could be one tasting so awful. Honestly this is one breakfast I would never wished to see in any special occasions...and on the high side if one is able to get it right this is one awesome tasty breakfast along with some chutney like coconut, ginger or mint and sambar(optional). Upma is also accompanied by one Andhra special pan crapes called "pesarrattu" and that is a famous combo breakfasts. Hope to blog about pesarattu sometime.

I too have mixed experiences with upma...I seldom used to like the upma my mom made..the slippery version...on the contrary use to love my grandma and aunt's versions with addition of small potato cubes and roasted ground nuts or cashew nuts , which used to have a smooth texture but not slippery.

Upma can be made in a number of ways....Addition of ghee enhances the flavour and the taste of upma...but in today's world we are not so fortunate to add it so generously for health reasons.

To some extent my upma has not been so bad in my ten years experience.

This weekend especially it really turned out so good that I'm forced to post it in my space here...BTW my hubby and two boys always enjoyed my upma..

Let see the recipe now...

Ingredients:
To Roast
2 cups fine Rava/Suji/Semolina
2 Tbsp ghee 0r oil

For Tempering
2 Tbsp ghee 0r oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp Channa dhall
12 -15 curry leaves
1 small piece ginger cut into small cubes with skin on
1 medium onion sliced
4 green chillies slit length wise
4 cups of water...increase 1/2 a cup depending upon the quality of rava
Salt to taste

Optional:
1 medium potato cut into small cubes
1 medium tomato cut into small cubes
a handful of cashew or peanuts
1 more Tbsp ghee or oil
Finely chopped coriander leaves.

Procedure:
Heat up a deep tawa, add 2 tbsp ghee or oil and roast rava/semolina till the color changes slightly with nice aroma. Take care not to burn the rava. Empty the rava into a container and keep it separate.
Now add another 2 tbsp ghee or oil to the heated vessel and allow mustard to splutter , add the channa dhall and roast and then add the nuts and roast and finally add all the other seasoning/tempering/optional ingredients and fry them till onion, tomato and potato are cooked.
Now add 4 cups of water, salt to taste and bring this to boil.
Now simmer, and slowly fold in the roasted rava into this and keep stirring thoroughly seeing that no lumps of rava are formed.
Cover and allow to cook for 3 - 5 mins
Remove lid and add the remaining 1 tbsp of ghee or oil and mix it thoroughly.
Add finely chopped coriander if desired...
Remove from heat and let stand for 10 mints or till the heat is manageable to eat.

Enjoy with your favorite home made chutney and sambar... Check my mint chutney coming next.