Upma

Method

1. 1

   About Upma: Upma is a quick South Indian breakfast made from roasted semolina cooked with vegetables and tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. It is light, nutritious and comes together in under 20 minutes. The key is roasting the semolina well and adding the water at the right moment.

2. 2

   Roast the semolina: Take 1 cup coarse semolina (rava or sooji). Heat a dry pan on medium heat. Add the semolina and roast, stirring continuously, for 4-5 minutes until it turns very lightly golden and smells nutty. Transfer to a plate immediately — it will continue cooking from residual heat if left in the pan. Roasting prevents lumps and gives a better flavour.

3. 3

   Boil the water: Bring 2.5 cups water to a boil in a separate pot or kettle. Keep ready. The ratio of water to semolina is critical — too little water makes upma dry and grainy, too much makes it mushy.

4. 4

   Make the tempering: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy pan. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and wait for them to pop. Add 1 tsp chana dal and 1 tsp urad dal and fry until golden — about 1 minute. Add 2 dried red chillies, 1 sprig curry leaves, 2 green chillies slit and 1 inch ginger finely chopped. Fry 30 seconds.

5. 5

   Add onion: Add 1 large onion finely chopped and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.

6. 6

   Add vegetables: Add any optional vegetables — half cup green peas, 1 small carrot finely diced, a few green beans chopped. Cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly softened.

7. 7

   Add water: Pour in the boiling water. Add salt to taste. Bring to a rolling boil. The water must be boiling before adding semolina.

8. 8

   Add semolina: Reduce heat to low. Add the roasted semolina in a thin steady stream while stirring continuously with the other hand. Stir constantly and quickly to prevent lumps from forming. This step requires attention.

9. 9

   Cook and stir: Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Remove the lid and stir vigorously breaking any lumps. Cover again for 2 more minutes until the upma is cooked through and no raw semolina remains.

10. 10

    Add ghee and serve: Add 1 tbsp ghee and mix in. Add fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice. The upma should be light, fluffy and separate — not sticky or gluey. Serve hot with coconut chutney and a cup of filter coffee.