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

Tomato Rice (Spanish)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil ( I use 1 tbsp, it tastes the same yummy)
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp ginger minced - optional
1 red or green chili - optional
2 cups of long-grain white rice or Basmati or Jasmine rice
3 cups vegetable stock or water ( amount of water depends on the kind of rice being used)
Half cup freshly cut tomatoes and 1 cup cooked and pureed tomatoes (or) 1 cup freshly cut tomatoes (or) 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp cilantro chopped
Salt to taste (more or less 2 tsp)

Method

1) Heat oil in a large pan. Cook the onion until softened. Add garlic, ginger and chili and stir through for 1 minute. Add rice to the skillet and cook onion rice mixture, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes or until the rice is starting to become brown.
2) In a separate sauce pan bring vegetable stock or water to a simmer. Add tomato puree and/or fresh cut tomatoes, half of the cilantro, brown sugar and salt. Add rice to broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Lower heat and cook 15-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Fluff and sprinkle rest of the cilantro and serve.

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:
3 cups Basmati or any fine rice
1 large fresh Coconut (grated) (or 1 can of coconut milk)
3 tbsp. ghee (or oil)
1 large onion (Finely sliced)
2 green chilies (or to taste)
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
½ cups finely cut coriander (cilantro) leaves
2.5 tsp salt (or to taste)
½ cup cashews
Serves 6
Method:
Grate the coconut, soak in three cups boiling water and when look warm, pass through a blender and strain the juice. (Or use 1 can of coconut milk)
Soak the rice for half an hour.
Heat ghee and fry cashews and keep aside. In this ghee fry the onion few minutes till transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry till golden brown. To this mixture add chilies and rice fry for 5 minutes. Add coriander leaves, coconut milk, water and salt. Cook in the rice cooker or till done. Garnish with cashews.

This rice can be made with vegetables like potatoes and green peas and/or carrots.