Rava Upma | Upma recipe | How to make upma?

Upma is one of the easiest breakfast that can be made in a jiffy. If you ask me, that would be the fastest breakfast that I can make, not considering idly and podi. But for idly, I would go slightly overboard and make chutney and mostly sambar as well ;) So coming back to upma, many do not like upma. In fact I hated it as a kid. I must say that I started appreciating it more after getting married ;) Not coz it's easy to make. But because my mil makes some kickass upma which is neither dry nor gooey but the perfect consistency. The key is in finding the correct ratio of water required for the consistency that suits your liking. The rest is breeze. Experiment with that and I am sure you will reach there too soon :) The ratio I have mentioned here is for a more firm and fluffy upma. So let's see how to make it..

Serves: 2 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

I Used:

Oil/Ghee	-	1 tbsp
Mustard	-	1 tsp
Urd Dal	-	1 tsp
Curry Leaves	-	A sprig
Roasted Rava/Semolina	-	1 cup
Onion	-	1 no (medium sized - chopped)
Green Chilly Asafoetida	- -	2 nos  ¼ tsp
Water	-	2 ¼ cups
Salt	-	As needed

The Way:

1. Take the rava/semolina in a kadai. Roast the rava on a low or medium flame for 3-4 minutes till they are crisp. Keep stirring else it will get burnt

2. Heat oil in a kadai/pan. Splutter mustard. When it splutters add the urd dal. Allow it to turn golden. Take care not to burn

3. Add curry leaves, chopped onions and green chilly and saute 

4. Add salt and asafoetida as well and saute till the onions slightly turn colour. I don't make them brown and just saute for 2-3 minutes as we like it that way

5. Now add water (refer notes) and check salt. It should taste salty. If not adjust salt. Allow the water to boil

6. Once it boils, reduce the flame and add the roasted rava little at a time and constantly stirring with your other hand. Keep the flame reduced, as the water can splutter 

7. The rava will absorb the water and become thick. Then close the pan with a lid and allow the rava to cook in low flame for about 5-6 minutes

8. Now open the lid and check. You can stir in between if needed or you are worried that it might stick to the bottom of the vessel

Garnish with little grated coconut or coriander leaves before you serve !

Notes:

• Use ghee for a more yummy flavour and taste

• You can also add fried cashews for a richer taste

• I always use roasted rava/semolina as it makes my life easier! If you are using unroasted one, then as the first step roast the rava in a pan for 3-4 minutes in medium flame until you get a nice roasted flavour. Keep stirring else it will get burnt

• We like our upma plain. If you want to add veggies like carrot, beans or peas, you can add them after sauteeing the onions and then proceed to the next step once the veggies get cooked

• You can even add tomatoes for a tangy flavour

• My mom adds some chopped ginger along with the onions, so if you like that flavour you can add them as well

• The quantity of water mentioned here is for a fluffy upma. If you like more gooey one increase the quantity of water. Either ways make sure the rava is properly cooked. Low flame and covered cooking is the key for a properly cooked and fluffy upma !

Cheers,

Chitz

Semiya Upma | Vermicelli Upma | Seviyan Upma | Easy Breakfast Recipes

I'm going on a spree and continuing to post breakfast recipes on a row now. This Semiya Upma is one of the most simple and quick fix recipe that you can make, especially if you are on an intense hunger pang and want something filling & yum to keep you through for a couple of hours. This can be had as a breakfast or dinner or even snack. Since it has veggies and also peanuts for the crunch, it can be had as such without any side dish but if you are a little particular you can have it with coconut chutney or peanut chutney :) It is such a simple dish that I thought twice before posting it but since I like it so much I thought I will go ahead and post it :)

Serves: 2 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

I Used:

Oil	-	1 tbsp
Mustard	-	1 tsp
Urd Dal	-	1 tsp
Channa Dal	-	1 tsp
Curry Leaves	-	A sprig
Roasted Vermicelli/Semiya	-	1 cup
Onion	-	1 no (medium sized - chopped)
Veggies (Carrot, Beans & Peas)	-	¼ cup
Roasted Peanuts	-	¼ cup
Green Chilly	-	2-3 nos
Water	-	2 cups
Salt	-	As needed

The Way:

1. Heat oil in a kadai/pan. Roast the vermicelli for 3-4 minutes in low flame till it changes to golden. Take care not to burn. Once they turn golden, remove them onto a plate and keep them aside. If you are using peanuts and do not have the roasted ones, then add a tsp more of oil and roast the peanuts on low flame for 3-4 minutes till they turn crisp

2. Splutter mustard. When it splutters reduce the flame to simmer and add the urd dal and channa dal. Allow it to turn golden. Take care not to burn

3. Add curry leaves, chopped onions and green chilly. Saute. Add salt as well and saute till they slightly turn colour. I don't make them brown and just saute for 2-3 minutes 

4. Then add the chopped veggies (carrots, beans and green peas) and give a quick saute. Then add the roasted peanuts as well 

5. Now close the lid and allow the veggies to cook for around 3-4 minutes. Check in between and saute so that it does not burn and stick to the bottom

6. Once the veggies are cooked add water (refer notes) and check salt. It should taste salty. If not adjust salt. Allow the water to boil

7. Once it boils, reduce the flame and add the roasted vermicelli and keep constantly stirring with your other hand 

8. The vermicelli will absorb the water. Once the water is absorbed, close the pan with a lid and cook in low flame for about 4-5 minutes

9. One done, fluff it with a fork and serve

Garnish with little grated coconut and(or) coriander leaves before you serve ! Serve as is or with coconut chutney.

Notes:

• I always use roasted vermicelli as it makes my life easier! If you are using unroasted one, then as the first step roast the vermicelli in a pan for 3-4 minutes in medium flame until you get a nice golden colour. Keep stirring else it will get burnt

• You can add any veggies you want like carrot, beans, peas, capsicum, potato as per your personal choice

• The quantity of water mentioned here is for a fluffy upma. I always use bambino vermicelli and the ratio works fine. If you are using some other brand, just check for the instructions behind the pack

Cheers,

Chitz

Easy Broccoli Stir fry | Easy Broccoli Poriyal | Easy Broccoli Upperi

Love quick fixes and love broccoli? Then this is the recipe for you. Actually you cannot call this a recipe as such, it is more like a salad kinda dish with a basic salt-pepper dressing. And this is how my mom makes broccoli at home. She says Indian spices do not go well with broccoli and so she never uses ginger-garlic paste or garam masala while making them. And I too agree and follow her while making broccoli. You can serve this as a side dish with dry or as a sabzi for your chapathi as well. So let's see this simple recipe today :)

Recipe Source: Ma

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Serves : 2-3 persons 

I Used:

Broccoli	-	100 gms
Onion	-	1 medium sized - chopped
Tomato	-	½ of a medium sized one - chopped
Pepper Powder	-	2 tsp (As Needed)
Salt Turmeric powder	- -	As Needed ¼ tsp

The Way:

1. Clean and cut broccoli to small bite sized florets

2. Parboil the broccoli. This step is optional. If you want to parboil, in a saucepan heat water. When it starts to boil, add the broccoli florets along with salt and turmeric powder and reduce the flame to medium. Leave it for about 5 minutes. Then switch off the flame and drain the water

3. In another pan, heat oil. Add the chopped onions and saute

4. When they turn translucent, add the chopped tomatoes and saute

5. When the tomatoes are almost cooked, add in the pepper powder and salt. give a quick stir

6. Now add the par boiled broccoli and stir well. Leave it for 2-3 minutes. Then switch off the flame and serve. If you have not parboiled the broccoli florets, then add the broccoli and sprinkle some water. Close the lid and cook till done. Stir and sprinkle water (if needed) in between to see that it does not get burnt 

Cheers,

Chitz