Atukula upma / Poha

Another variety of upma that can be eaten as a breakfast item or as a snack.

Ingredients:

Atukulu (Medium thick rice flakes) – 1 cup
Green chilli – 6-8
Onion Medium sized – 1
Potato medium – 1
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt
Turmeric – 2 pinches
Lemon juice – 1 tsp (Optional)
Chopped coriander – 1 tbsp
Peanuts – 2 tbsp (Optional)
Grean pea - 2 tbsp
Sweet corn - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Pour the rice flakes into a colander and put it under the running water and make sure that all the rice flakes becomes wet and keep it aside.

Flaked rice soaked under running water

2. In the mean time Peel the potato and cut into cubes and put it in a microwave approx for 5 min. Timing might vary depending on the power levels. (You can even half boil it in a normal vessel and make sure that the potato cubes are not too mushy)

Potato cubes, Sweet corn, Green pea and Green chili

3. Cut the green chilli and onion length wise.

4. Heat a pan with oil. Once the oil is hot, add peanuts and roast until light brown. Add green chillies, onion, Mustards, salt, curry leaves sequentially one after the other and fry until the onion becomes translucent.

5. Add boiled potato, sweet corn and green pea and turmeric and fry for a minute and cover with lid until the peas and corn becomes soft. Remove the lid and add the rice flakes (Make sure to drain the excess water if any). Stir for a minute and finally sprinkle the lemon juice and chopped coriander and serve immediately. It tastes good when it is warm. The rice flakes will become stiff when cold.

Atukula upma

Vermicelli with Carrot / Semiya Upma

                                                                 Semiya Upma

When I came to UK for the first time, I was very much disappointed with the vermicelli I found in the supermarkets. It was thick and very sticky unlike our famous bambino brand. Especially the colour has disappointed me. Now I have mastered the art of cooking even with the thick vermicelli.

I trick my elder son by telling him as small noodles as I don’t want to cook ready made noodles for him despite of the tangy taste due to obvious reasons, unhealthy, fatty and salty.

Ingredients:
Vermicelli – 1 cup
Water – 4 cups
Grated carrot – 1 cup
Green chilli – 4
Onion – 1
Mustard + Cumin – 1 tsp

Grated carrot, onion, curry leaves and chopped green chilli

Method.

1. Bring 3 cups of water to boil along with salt and drop the vermicelli into it. Allow it to cook for 5 minutes and then pour 1 cup of cold water. This is called as cold magic. When we pour cold water the temperature gets reduced which eventually allow the vermicelli to cook inside as well properly. Other wise you will find sometimes that the outer part is soft and internally it is hard. The same procedure can be followed whilst cooking pasta / noodles

2. Do not over cook them as they will become mushy. Just cook until they are tender.

3. Drain all the water and pour cold water on top to stop further cooking and again drain all the water and keep it aside.

4. Take a wok and heat it with 2 tbsp of oil. When it is hot enough add mustard, cumin seeds , curry leaves, Green chillies and onion. Fry for a minute and add grated carrot and salt. Do not over cook carrot as you will loose the crispiness.

5. Finally add the boiled vermicelli and mix every thing gently

Enjoy the vermicelli upma with pappula podi

Vegetable Upma

I usually prepare this recipe as a meal instead as a breakfast. One reason is, I can finish the meal with just one variety and no need to prepare 2-3 varieties. For this recipe the most important ingredient apart from the vegetables is ginger. This makes the whole story.

Ingredients

Extra Coarse wheat – 2 cups
Water – 4 cups
Carrot cut into small pieces – ¼ cup
French beans cut into small pieces – ¼ cup
Potato cut into small pieces – ¼ cup
Grated ginger – 1 ½ tea spoon
Green chilies slit length wise - 4
Onion large – 1 cut into length wise. If it is too big you can cut into half first and then length wise.
Tomato - 1 large chopped
Mustard + Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves - hand full
Channa dal – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp (Don’t avoid this as this adds the aroma)
Cashews – 2 tsp
Oil – 4 tbsp
Salt

Onion, Potato, French beans, Carrot, Tomato

Method:

1. Heat a wok and add oil. When it is hot, add Mustard, cumin, curry leaves, cashews, channa dal and urad dal a bit later due to the small size and can avoid burning.

2. Add ginger, green chili slits, onion, salt and sauté for 1 min

3. Add all the vegetables sauté and cover the lid. (To save time you can even microwave the veggies for 2 -3 min without adding water)

4. Stir occasionally to avoid any burns and cover the lid again until all the veggies are more than half cooked.

5. Whilst stirring the veggies bring the water to boil in a separate vessel.

6. When the veggies are almost done add rava, mix well and fry for 2 min without covering the lid.

7. Finally add the boiled water to rava mixture stir until every thing mixes well, cover the lid and reduce the flame. Stir in between until the upma done.

Serve it hot and enjoy the taste…

Note: If you do not have extra coarse wheat, you can also use normal wheat rava and you need to adjust the amount of water. The more the coarse, the more the water absorption is.

Oats upma

Rolled oats, prepared by par boiling the oats and rolled them flat. So we don’t need to cook thoroughly like semolina or rice. Oat contains rich soluble fibre and is digested slowly and releases slowly the glucose in the intestines for absorption. So it is prescribed in diabetic diets to prevent and control diabetes.

Not only that,inclusion of oats in diet which contain high fine fibre assists in weight loss and control. Oats needs to chew properly and also brings about a feeling of fullness of stomach and also slows emptying of stomach contents.

Ingredients:

Rolled oats – 1 cup
Green chilli – 6-8
Onion Medium sized – 1
Potato medium cut into ½ inch cubes– 1
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt
Turmeric – 2 pinches
Lemon juice – 1 tsp (Optional)
Chopped coriander – 1 tbsp
Peanuts – 2 tbsp

Method:

Pour the rolled oats into a colander. Dissolve 1 tsp of salt into 2 cups of water and slowly pour over the oats and make sure that all the oats gets wet and keep it aside. As the oats tend to absorb more water and if they become more dry then sprinkle bit more water. By nature the oats are taste less. Doing this the oats will absorb the salt water and tastes better.

In the mean time chop the required veggies.
Cut the green chilli and onion length wise and potatoes into cubes.

Rolled oats, chopped onion, chilli and potato cubes

Heat a pan with oil. Once the oil is hot, add peanuts and roast until light brown. Add green chillies, onion, potato, mustard, salt and curry leaves one after the other and fry until the onions and potatoes are done. And turmeric and fry for a minute and finally add the oats. Stir for a minute and finally sprinkle the lemon juice and chopped coriander and serve immediately. It tastes good when it is warm.

Oats Upma