Nalgonda Jonna Pindi Upma Sorghum Breakfast

Coarsely ground sorghum (jowar rava) cooked with onion, green chilli and curry leaves into a savoury upma — the breakfast preparation of the Nalgonda district of Telangana where sorghum is the primary grain. More filling and coarser than semolina upma, with an earthy, nutty character.

Ingredients

1.5 cups coarsely ground sorghum (jowar rava — available at Telangana and South Indian grocery stores; substitute: coarse semolina for a lighter version)
3 cups water, salt
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp urad dal, 1 tsp chana dal
10 curry leaves, 2 dried red chilli
1 onion — finely chopped
2 green chilli — finely chopped
1 tsp ginger — finely grated
salt to taste
coriander leaves

Method

Dry roast the jowar rava: Dry roast the coarsely ground sorghum in a heavy pan on medium-low heat, stirring continuously for 3 to 4 minutes until it smells slightly nutty. This roasting removes the raw grain smell. Cool.
Boil water: Bring 3 cups water to a rolling boil in a pot with salt.
Make the tempering: Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wide, heavy pan. Add mustard seeds — pop. Add urad dal and chana dal — stir until golden. Add curry leaves and dried red chilli.
Cook onion: Add finely chopped onion. Cook 5 minutes until soft.
Add green chilli and ginger: Add green chilli and grated ginger. Stir 1 minute.
Add the roasted jowar rava: Add the dry-roasted sorghum rava to the pan. Stir to combine with the tempering.
Add boiling water: Pour the boiling salted water into the pan all at once, stirring vigorously and continuously to prevent lumps.
Cook covered on low heat: Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until the sorghum has absorbed all the water and is fully cooked.
Fluff: Uncover. Fluff with a fork or spoon. The upma should be grainy and slightly coarser than semolina upma — this is correct for jowar rava.
Serve: Scatter coriander. Serve hot with coconut chutney or yogurt.
Note: Jonna Pindi (jonna = sorghum/jowar, pindi = flour/ground grain) upma is the traditional breakfast of the sorghum-growing districts of Telangana — particularly Nalgonda, Yadadri and Suryapet. Sorghum (jowar) upma has a coarser, more earthy character than the semolina upma that has become more common in urban Telangana. In rural Nalgonda households, jonna pindi upma is the standard breakfast before farm work, providing long-lasting energy from the whole-grain sorghum.