Sunday 22 July 2012

How I make Upma & its renditions?



Simple Upma

1. Roast one small bowl of semolina (Rava/Suji) without oil/ghee till it spreads nice aroma. Semolina burns faster once it gets heated. So need to be more careful. Better keep the pan on medium flame and stir continuosly. Best way is to roast it in a pressure cooker, since the vessel of pressure cooker is very thick. This avoids the suji to get burnt faster, though left unattended for few seconds.
How to roast semolina for Upma/Sheera?
2. Keep water to boil on other stove.
3. Put 2, 1/2 spoons of desi ghee in a Kadhai.
4. Once the ghee gets heated, sprinkle in 2-2 pinches of cumin seeds and mustard seeds.
5. Now put in finely chopped onion & green chillies.
6. Saute till onion gets pinkish & nice aroma of onion-chilly starts spreading.
7. This is the right time to put in roasted semolina.
8. Keep stirring till the mixture spread nice aroma.
9. Then start pouring the boiling water slowly with continuous stirring.
10. Doing both the things Simultaneously at times seem difficult. In this case put in small amount of water, stir, then put more.
11. Ensure that all of your semolina gets cooked properly. Pour only that much water. Otherwise chances are that your upma turns into a paste.
12. Once done put in salt & sugar as per taste. Remember this is not a sweet dish. So sprinkle salt just to get light sweetness.
13. Now cover the pan with lid and let the upma steam for few minutes on low flame.


Doi Upma

'Doi' is curd in Bengoli, but upma is originally a South Indian dish.

1. Roast one small bowl of semolina (Rava/Suji) without oil/ghee till it spreads nice aroma. Semolina burns faster once it gets heated. So need to be more careful. Better keep the pan on medium flame and stir continuosly. Best way is to roast it in a pressure cooker, since the vessel of pressure cooker is very thick. This avoids the suji to get burnt faster, though left unattended for few seconds.
2. Put 2, 1/2 spoons of desi ghee in a Kadhai.
3. Once the ghee gets heated, sprinkle in 2-2 pinches of cumin seeds and mustard seeds.
4. Grated ginger strands, finely chopped green chillies, 2-2 pinches of chana dal, urad dal, 2 table spoons of peanuts. Stix it till 2 minutes. Let the peanuts and dals get roasted.
5. Put in finely chopped 1,1/2 medium sized onion and stir till the get pink.
6. Sprinkle on it few drops of water. This will ensure that the onion doesnot get brown.
7. Put finely chopped 1 medium sized tomato and stir till 2 minutes.
8. On the other side wash the frozen green peas, carrots, sprouted moong and cook it in microwave for 4 minutes by putting them in a microwave safe box with water.
9. Now put 1/2 table spoon of turmeric powder, 1,1/2 table spoon of salt, 1,1/2 table spoon of sugar on the tomato-onion mix and stir for 1 minute.
10. Put the peas, carrots and sprouts and cook for 2-3 minutes.
11. Till that time boil 2 small bowls of water on other stove.
12. Put 2 table spoons of curd in the boiling water and mix well.
13. Put the boiled water in the pan with peas, carrots, sprouts pan.
14. Allow the mixture to boil.
15. Now put the semolina slowly into the pan, stiring the mixture continuosly.
16. Once done, cover the pan and keep for 5 minutes till the semolina gets cooked properly.
17. Off the stove and keep for 2 minutes.
18. I like to serve the upma using moulds and garnishing it with nylon sev, finely chopped coriander, grated cocunut. Serving with coconut cutney and lime enhances the taste.

Vegetable Upma

Skip the curd from "Doi Upma" and you can make vegetable upma.

Masala Upma

1. At times I didn't had green chillies at home. Then I tried the upma using red chilly powder. It too tastes good.

Vermicelli Upma

1. Replace the semolina with vermicelli and make the upma.
2. Remember that roast vermicelli in ghee unlike semolina.
3. Nowadays you get already roasted semolina & vermicelli. But I would advice you to roast it again atleast for some time. This will free the odour which is generally observed with stored semolina/vermicelli.


Upma of Rice Noddles

1. Rice noodles are unlike vermicelli. These require boiling before putting to use.
2. The process for boiling these should be followed as directed on the packet.
3. But generally, it is like we have to pour boiling water on them and keep aside for some time.
4. Then drain the water and use them.
5. Now since they are already boiled the process of making upma differs.
6. Heat oil.
7. Put mustard seeds, green chillies & curry leaves.
8. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, put the noodles, tumeric powder & salt to taste.
9. Mix well, cover and keep for few minutes on low flame, so that the noodles steam properly.

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