Upma

Ingredients:
Cream of wheat (Hindi: Sooji)
1 cupThinly Chopped or shredded vegetables (Cabbage, Carrot, Capsicum and Onions)
1 cup Green Chilies 2 nos (1 for mild spice)
Ginger, minced – 1 teaspoon (optional, it gives good flavor that goes well with all other ingredients used)
Curry Leaves 1 sprigCoriander (cilantro) leaves to garnish
Salt to taste (about 1 tea spoon)
Sugar 1/2 tsp (optional)
Tomatoes chopped 2 nos (optional)
Water 2 cups
Oil 4tsps.Mustard 1 tsp.Channa dal (split garganzo beans) 1 tsp
Cashews or Groundnuts/Peanuts 1/4th cup (Eliminate this if you have allergy to nuts)

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when it cracks add channa dal and nuts, when done (golden brown) add chopped green chilies, minced ginger and curry leaves. Add the vegetables
and onions. Add salt and sugar and cook the vegetables till done (about 5 min) on a low flame. (Don’t overcook or brown them)Add chopped tomatoes and cook till soft. Add water and bring it to a boil. Lower the flame and to the boiling water slowly stir the cream of wheat in and cook. (to avoid lump formation, add cream of wheat to the boling water very slowly from a cup while stirring the water constantly with a spoon). When the water content begins to reduce lower the flame and cook under cover for 5 minutes. Before serving garnish with coriander leaves.

Servings : 2
Cooking time: 15-30 Min

Upma can be made in different variations, according to the availability of vegetables. All the variations are tasty and have their own different taste. · Use just onions, without any other vegetables or tomatoes (this is just Upma)· Use Onions and Tomatoes (this is called Tomato Upma)· Those who don’t like onions can avoid onions and use combination of other vegetables. You can experiment with the mix of your favorite vegetables (well may be not Broccoli). Curry leaves is the key ingredient to get authentic flavor but Upma still tastes good without