Vegetable Upma

Quick & Comfort food ~ Vegetable Upma

Veggies for my Upma

Upma is a quick and delicious comfort food that it is prepared in every household at least once a week(?). It is called as Upma in Malayalam & Tamil, Uppindi in Telugu, Upeet in Marathi and Uppittu or Kharabath in Kannada is a wholesome Indian dish made of rava or sooji or semolina which is nothing but a form of wheat. Added to this are vegetables ranging from carrots, peas, potatoes, peppers or simply the plain old onions.

When upma is being prepared at home, the aroma from the vegetables and the toasting of rava infuses in the air and makes one’s appetite for breakfast, lunch or dinner even stronger. It’s a no fuss dish and needs a very few ingredients and is sure a crowd pleaser.

Recipe: (Makes for 3 - 4 people)

1 cup sooji
1 carrot diced
1 potato diced
1 onion or shallots chopped
1/2 bell pepper diced
2 small pieces of ginger (approx. 1 tsp)
1 green chili - halved
A couple of kari leaves
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp urad dal
Salt to taste
2 - 3 tsp oil
A few slices of cashews
1/2 - 1 tsp lime or lemon juice

In a pan, heat oil and add the mustard seeds. Let it splutter and then add the urad dal and saute until it turns golden brown. Add the onions, ginger, green chili. cashews and saute. Add the rest of the vegetables and mix well. Sprinkle a little bit of water is necessary, then cover it with a lid and let it cook until the vegetables are half cooked. Now add add the sooji and toast it until you can smell the aroma.

Upma toasting

Then add 2 times water for each cup of sooji. Of course, add more water if needed. Add salt, lime juice and taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Bring it to a boil, lower the flame, cover it with a lid and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Serve hot with coconut chutney or pickle or just by itself. I am sure it will melt in your mouth.

Melt-in-your-mouth Vegetable Upma served with coconut chutney