Sabudana Kitchedi / Sabudana Upma / Lemony Sago / Jowarisi Upma

Sabudana Upma:

I have this love and hate kind of relationship with upma! While growing up, my mother never made any sort of upma for us (lucky me)! As far as I remember, even my grandma never made them either. And I am fine about it:)

So, I encountered upma for the first time' in the hostel! Which completely gave a bad impression. You know, nothing new...as usual hostel food sucks...particularly the pongal, upma are highly disgusting over there! I wonder how all the cooks, in most(at least in many) hostels...correctly target some particular recipe and ruin it globally!!! That's exactly the reason, why I felt all the upmas are man-made threat to palate!! Moreover, whenever I visit relatives place, people overwhelmingly prepare this item (totally ignoring the fact that how much you hate the dish)and make you eat more!! Finally now am gifted with my own kitchen and good enough to create my own food!

When AK said that, he loved this particular dish 'Sabudana Kitchedi'...I thought it was some kind of sick joke!!! Anyway, he offered to cook,(I dunno why' when guys offer to cook' they cook for themselves). Well...now I have to change my verdict...Oh boy, this looks darn good and delicious to be a upma. Now the hatefulness has come down a bit' I started appreciating the color' appearance, presentation, esp' this dish looks like mini pearls! Maybe by mistake I tasted it a bit too:)

Ingredients:

Sago 1 cup
Buttermilk 1 cup
Salt
Lemon juice 1/4 cup
Green chilies 3-6 sliced
Curry leaves few
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Chana-Urid dal 2 spoons
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Soak the sago pearls over night in buttermilk. Next day, drain and wash them.

Heat a wok, add oil to it. Add the spices and wait till it sizzles.

Now add the sago, salt and turmeric to it. Cook briefly.

Remove from heat and add lemon juice to it.

That's it, you are done:)

Samba Rava Pongal

Godhumai Ravai Pongal:

Cracked Wheat Pongal. Samba Godhumai Rava Pongal.

Myself and my brother live in two different time zones...that we can't always talk:( We have 17 hours difference (He is in Australia)...so he should stay up all night and I should get up too early to get hold of him. So, does this have changed anything at all for me!! No, he still tracks me down for my mistakes.:( Good that I don't get 'kottu' on my head anymore.:)

Pari mailed me Y'day. It had usual blah blah blah stuff and something about my blog!

In his own words: "I checked your blogspot - was disappointed to see too many unhealthy and crap foods like the cheese chilli and fried cheese sticks etc - horrible and junk food. how on earth you could eat the cheese sticks fried? never expected such foods from you. you can have a competition with mcdonalds :)Searched ur site for samba rava upma, samba rava dosai and samba rava idly recipes. Couldn’t find any."

I am pretty upset myself, felt very awful...am I deviating from the track?? Well, as per his wish, here is a recipe for him, using Samba Rava - 'Godhumai Ravai Pongal'. Hope he will be bit happy now.:)

Ingredients:

Godhuma Rawa/Samba Rawa 1/2 cup
Moong dal 1 table spoon (well cooked)
Whole black peppercorns 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Curry leaves
Cashew nuts 10
Ghee/butter few spoons
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Melt ghee in a pan and add cashew nuts. Fry them till reddish brown. Set aside.

In the same ghee fry curry leaves...till crisp.Fry pepper and cumin seeds. Let them pop and splutter well.

Dry toast the cracked wheat.

Now heat the well cooked moong dal. Add 2 cups of water and followed by cracked wheat. Cover and cook.

Once they are done, run the tempered items and remove from heat.

Garnish with fried cashew nuts and curry leaves.

Serve warm with pickles.

Makka Cholam Rawa Upma

Corn Meal Upma:

Corn Meal Kitchedi.

Ingredients:

Corn Meal 1 cup
Vegetables 1 cup(carrots, beans, peas, potatoes....)
Salt to taste
Onion 1 large sliced
Garlic 2-3 cloves sliced
Chilies 2-3 sliced
Curry leaves few
Cilantro leaves few
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Oil.

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustards and curry leaves. Wait till they pop up.

Then add garlic, onion and chilies....fry real good for few minutes.

Add salt and veggies. Cover and cook the veggies. Maybe when they are almost done.

Now stir-in cornmeal and 3 cups of water. When all the moisture is absorbed and cornmeal gets well cooked, remove from heat. Add cilantro leaves and few more spoons of oil.

Serve as evening dinner, light and healthy!

Semolina - Garlic Upma

Rawa Kitchedi:

Rawa Upma with lots of garlic!

Never really appreciated rawa kitchedi/upma kind of stuff. It was one of the cruel dish they make it at hostel all the time. There were several occasions my mess bill used to be NIL. I never show up to the mess hall at all....managed to eat out, big time!So off lately...whenever I am kind of in a hurry, where nothing comes to mind...I don't think it is so bad to make kitchedi after all. Hmmm....I could infuse lots of spices if I want!! So on one such busy day.....Garlicky Umpa!

Ingredients:

Rawa/semolina/sooji 1 portion(it rises to 3 fold)
Red/green chilies 2 sliced
Onion 1 large coarsely chopped
Garlic 1 whole head peeled
Tomato 1 chopped
Carrots 1-2 chopped
You could use as many as veggies you want!(beans, potato, cauliflower and peas)
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetid 1 pinch
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons(be generous to avoid stickiness)

Method:

Toast semolina in a heated pan, carefully without burning them...then set aside.

In a deep, wide pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves. Wait till they splutter up.

Then add chilies, garlic and onions....fry real good. One could add salt right here...to hasten the procedure(of frying onions).

Then add veggies and tomatoes to it. Cook them well covered for few minutes.

Then add pinch of turmeric and toasted rawa. Add 3 portions of water. Cover and cook over sim heat....until all water is absorbed and kitchedi is kind of throwing up oil on the sides.

Hmmmmm...its ready, transfer the contents and consume immediately....it tastes awful when it left to stand over!

Upma Kozhukattai

Upma Kozhukkattai:

Kaara Kozhukattai. Savory Modhak

When you don't have rice-mill here...its easy to fix this type of Kozhukatai(modhak). Although I hate the fact of soaking and grinding rice....I happend to fix this one day! Well....before I even tried this...I was not sure of....how its going to turn up! I heard this recipe from my Mylapore Aunty Radhai! Oh....she is a great cook in the family! To my surprise....it turned okay!

Ingredients:

Raw Rice 1 cup
Chana-Urad dal 4 spoons
Mustard seeds few
Ginger 2" grated
Curry leaves few
Asafoetida
Chilies few chopped
Onion 1 chopped
Cilantro leaves few
Cashewnuts few
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Soak rice for couple of hours and coarsely wet-grind ...using the same water(which you used for soaking). Make sure batter is heavy and tuff!

In a wok, heat oil. Add mustard,asafoetida, chan-urad dal, cashews, chilies, ginger and onion. Fry real good.

Now add wet-ground rice batter and add salt. Fry over low heat. Add cilantro too.

Wait till its moisture evaporates. When the rice is kind of getting cooked...remove from heat.

Wet your palms in cold water and smear with oil. Make these dough into modhak shapes.

Steam them for about 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy as evenning snack or dinner!

Aval Upma

Aval Upma:

Pohe Upma. Poha Upma. Avalaki Upma.

Ingredients:

Rice flakes(aval/poha') 1 cup
Potato 1 cubed
Salt
Turmeric 1 pinch
Green chilies 1 finely chopped
Ginger 1-2" finely chopped
Onion 1 fienly chopped
Chana-Urad dal 2 spoons
Mustard 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Curry leaves few
Cilantro to garnish
Lemon juice 2 spoons
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Rinse quickly the rice flakes....held them in colander....set aside.

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, chilies, ginger, chana-urad dal and curry leaves. Wait till they pop up.

Add onions and potaoes. Fry real good. Cover and cook.

Add salt and turmeric as well. When the potatoes are almost done, stir-in washed rice flakes. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat...add lemon juice and cilantro leaves.

Enjoy this mild food as breakfast or dinner!

Idly Upma:

Inspired by 'Surya Vamsam' movie!!! Thanks to Vikraman, he always reteives some lost recipes like 'Arisi Vadam', 'Designer's Appalam' and 'Idly Upma'!

Generally its prepared with left over cold idlies. One could still prepare with fresh idlies if you want.

Ingredients:

Cold/fresh idlies 4
Green chilies 3 finely chopped
Purple onion 1 small bulb - finely chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1 pinch
Chana dal 1-2 spoons
Urad dal 1-2 spoons
Ginger 1" grated
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Pepper 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves few to garnish.

Method:

Tear and crush the idlies to fine texture...leave few bits to be chunky. Set aside.

In a wide, iron wok...heat oil. Add mutard, cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves. Let them pop an dsplutter well.

Then add chana and urad dal. Let this come to reddish color.

Further add ginger, chilies and onions. Fry real good, maybe till they turn aromatic.

Add salt and pinch of turmeric, stir-in idly pieces. Continue frying over high heat for a while. Maybe till the idlies get evenly coated with oil and yellow in color.

Serve warm, garnish with cilantro leaves. Serves as an evenning meal.

Samba Rava Upma

Gothumai Ravai Upma:

Cracked Wheat Upma.

Ingredients:

Cracked Wheat 1 cup
Green chilies 3-6 slitted/finely chopped
Garlic 6 beads finely chopped
Onion 1 large fienly chopped
Toamto 1 small chopped
Salt
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

Method:

Dry toast cracked wheat for few minutes. Maybe till its fragrant. Set aside.

In the same pan, heat oil. Add mustards and wait till it pops.

Thena dd chilies, garlic and onions. Fry real good for few minutes. Maybe till onion turns translucent.

Now add toamtoes and salt. Cover and cook for few minutes. Maybe till tomatoes turn pulpy.

Stir-in toasted cracked wheat. Add 2-3 cups of water. Cover and cook over medium heat.

Whent the wheat gets cooked leaving the pan.(oil shows up on sides and no more moisture left back) Remove from heat.

Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve warm as a main dish. Can be accompanied with mint or coriander chutney.

Buck Wheat Upma:

African Wheat(Cracked Buck Wheat) Upma.

Ingredients:

Cracked Buck Wheat 1 cup
White onion 1 finely chopped
Green chilies 3 finely chopped
Carrot 1 - diced
Beans 6-8 chopped
Peas fistful
Salt
Garlic 6-8 cloves
Mint leaves 6
Olive oil few spoons.

Method:

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil. Add green chilies and let it crack well.

Further add onion, garlic, mint leaves and salt. Fry them for few minutes.

Followed by carrots, beans and peas. Cover and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.

When the veggies are semi-done....add buck wheat! Add enough water(generally as per direction) 1:1. Cover and cook till they are done.

Serve warm as a main dish. Adjust sesonning to your taste.

Cous Cous Upma:

To explain it simple...'Cous Cous' is Ethiopian 'Sooji'! As Semolina is broken from wheat....this cous is also is broken from a kind of wheat(buck wheat). Semolina is directly being broken.....whereas cous cous is broken after kneading them into a dough! So...cous cous is not gooey! Thats the one of the reason....I chose it!
Though 'cous cous' is generally cooked with chicken broth...used as base for salad and main course......here I tried it in a differant way. The idea is adapted from my brother. Thanks to Pari!:)

Ingredients:

Cous cous 1 cup (pearl cous cous)
White onion 1 finely chopped
Green chilies 3 finely chopped
Carrot 1 - diced
Beans 6-8 chopped
Peas fistful
Salt
Garlic powder 1 spoon
Mint leaves 6
Bay leaves 1
Olive oil few spoons.

Method:

In a stron bottomed pan, heat oil. Add Bay leaves and saute it for few minutes.

Add green chilies and let it crack well.

Further add onion, garlic powder, mint leaves and salt. Fry them for few minutes.

Followed by carrots, beans and peas. Cover and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.

When the veggies are semi-done....add cous cous! Add enough water(generally as per direction) 1:1. Cover and cook till they are done.

Serve warm as a main dish. Adjust sesonning to your taste.

Rawa Kushka:

Semolina Biriyani. Rawa Biriyani. Sooji Biriyani. Hot n Spicy Rawa Kushka. Masala Rawa Upma.

Ingredients:

Semolina 1 cup
Thick Coconut milk 2-3 cups
Salt
Chili powder 1 spoon
Green chilies 6 slitted
Onion 1 large – thinly sliced
Ginger- garlic paste 2 spoons
Tomatoes 2 finely chopped
Lemon juice from 1 fruit
Mint leaves 1 cup(use only the leaves, discard the stem)
Coriander leaves 1 cup(use only the leaves, discard the stem)
Cinnamon sticks 2
Cloves 3-5
Cardamom pods 5 semi crushed
Star Anise 2
Bay leaves 3
Fennel seeds 1 spoon
Ghee/clarified butter 1 cup.

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet. Dry toast semolina in it till fragrant. Then transfer it to a bowl.

In the same skillet, heat ghee. Now add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, bay leaves, marathi mokku and fennel seeds in it. Fry for few minutes.

Then add slitted chilies and allow it to splutter. Then followed by onions, fry them real good. Maybe till the onions turn to golden color.

Now add ginger + garlic paste. Fry them real good. Further add mint and coriander leaves. Fry them till they wilt.

Now add chopped tomatoes and continue frying. Maybe till tomatoes loose their water content and oil shows up on sides.

Add salt, chili powder, lemon juice and sauté for few minutes.

Add 3 cups of coconut milk and allow it to boil.

Now stir in ‘semolina’ without forming any lumps. Cover and cook.

Once semolina is done and oil shows up on sides….remove it from the stove.

Serve warm along with onion or cucumber raita.

Hot n Spicy Semolina-Chicken Upma:

Semolina Chicken Biriyani. Rawa Chicken Biriyani. Sooji-Chicken Biriyani. Hot n Spicy Chicken-Semolina Bath. Hot n Spicy Chicken-Semolina Upma. Masala Chicken Upma. Rawa Biriyani.

Ingredients:

Semolina 1 cup
Chicken –(boneless, skinless) cubed ½ cup
Thick Coconut milk 2-3 cups
Salt
Chili powder 1 spoon
Green chilies 6 slitted
Onion 1 large – thinly sliced
Ginger- garlic paste 2 spoons
Tomatoes 2 finely chopped
Lemon juice from 1 fruit
Mint leaves 1 cup(use only the leaves, discard the stem)
Coriander leaves 1 cup(use only the leaves, discard the stem)
Cinnamon sticks 2
Cloves 3-5
Cardamom pods 5 semi crushed
Star Anise 2
Bay leaves 3
Fennel seeds 1 spoon
Ghee 1 cup.

Method:

Heat a non-stick skillet. Dry toast semolina in it till fragrant. Then transfer it to a bowl.

In the same skillet, heat ghee. Now add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, bay leaves, marathi mokku and fennel seeds in it. Fry for few minutes.

Then add slitted chilies and allow it to splutter. Then followed by onions, fry them real good. Maybe till the onions turn to golden color.

Now add ginger + garlic paste. Fry them real good. Further add mint and coriander leaves. Fry them till they wilt.

Now add chopped tomatoes and continue frying. Maybe till tomatoes loose their water content and oil shows up on sides.

Now stir in chicken and sauté it real good. Maybe till it turns to opaue.

Add salt, chili powder, lemon juice and sauté for few minutes.

Add 3 cups of coconut milk and allow it to boil.

Now stir in ‘semolina’ without forming any lumps. Cover and cook.

Once chicken and semolina is done and oil shows up on sides….remove it from the stove.

Serve warm along with onion or cucumber raita.

Oats Upma:

Oat Meal Upma. Spicy Oats Recipe. Indian Oats Recipe.

Ingredients:

Oats 1 cup
Green chilies 3-6 slitted
Onion 2 large – thinly sliced
Garlic 6 cloves
Salt
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Chana dal 2 spoons
Urad dal 2 spoons
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.
Coriander leaves finely chopped ¼ cup for decoration(optional)
Carrot finely grated ¼ cup for decoration(optional)

Method:

In a deep wok, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin….wait till they pop and splutter well.

Then add chana and urad dal….fry till they turn to golden – reddish color.

Now add curry leaves and sauté it for few minutes.

Add sliced onions and garlic cloves. Fry them real good….maybe till onion turns to translucent color.

Add salt and 2 cup of water. Let it boil. Then stir-in oats. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Within few minutes….oats will suck almost all the water and gets cooked at the same time.

Remove this from stove. Garnish with coriander leaves and grated carrot.

Serve warm.

Bread Upma:

White Bread Upma. Brown Bread Upma. Spicy Bread Recipe. Bread Upkari. Keema Bread. Kaima Bread.

Ingredients:

White or Brown Bread slices 6-8
Purple or Red Onion large – 2 (finely chopped)
Green chlies 6 – slitted
Garlic 6 cloves finely chopped
Ginger 3” size peeled and chopped finely
Curry leaves 1 cup
Salt
Lemon juice few spoons
Turmeric powder ¼ spoon
Asafoetida ¼ spoon
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Black pepper ¼ spoon
Chana dal 2 spoons
Urad dal 2 spoons
Oil 1 cup.

Method:

Trim the dark sides of the bread. Then chop them roughly into bite size pieces.

In a wide pan, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Wait until they pop and splutter well.

Then add chana, urad dal, pepper, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chilies to it. Fry for few minutes.

Then stir in chopped onions. Fry till it turns to golden color.

Then add bread pieces to it and continue frying.

Further add salt, turmeric and lemon juice to it. Cover and cook for few more minutes. Maybe till the bread is done.

Serve warm along with mint and tomato chutney!

Easy to fix with left over bread.

Noi Arisi Upma:

(Cracked Rice Upma/Arisi Rawa Upma)

One can buy commercially cracked raw rice/cracked par-boiled rice for this recipe. Or if you just only have whole rice.....dont panic. Its very simple to crack it down. Wash the whole rice several times and let it get well soaked in water for 20 minutes. Then spread then in a clean cloth or plate or kitchen tissues and sun dry them. Again if it is severe winter out....no worries. Dry roast the rice in medium heated pan. At the same time, do not turn their color. Just roast to remove moiture. Then using a blender crack the rice.

Ingredients:

Cracked rice 1 cup
Onion 1 large finely chopped
Curry leaves 1 cup
Dry red chilies 6-8
Chana dal 1 fistfull
Urad dal 1 fistfull
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Salt to taste
Oil 1 cup.

Method:

In a large wok, heat oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Let them pop and splutter well.

Then add asafoetida, chana dal and urad dal....fry them till the dals turn golden-reddish color.

Now add dry red chilies and curry leaves. Then followed by onions. Fry them real good until onions turn golden color.

Now add cracked rice and fry them for few minutes...let the rice get well coated with oil. Then add enough water and salt to this. Cover and cook over medium heat.

Serve hot with ginger thokku or tomato thokku.

Rawa Pongal

Sooji Pongal:


Rava Pongal. Semolina Pongal. Sooji Pongal. Bombay Ravai Pongal.


Ingredients:

Sooji or Bombay rawa 1/2 cup
Whole black peppercorns 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Curry leaves
Cashew nuts 10
Ghee/butter 1-2 cup.

Method:

In a pan heat a cup of ghee and add cashew nuts. Fry them till reddish brown. Set aside.

In the same ghee fry curry leaves...till crisp. Set them aside.

Add another cup of ghee to this. Fry pepper and cumin seeds. Let them pop and splutter well.

To this add 3 cup of water. Allow it to boil. Add salt to this.

Separately roast sooji....maybe for few minutes.

Add this sooji to the boiling water. Mix well. Cover and cook. Maintain the stove at medium flame.

Use wooden spatula....to toss them. Cook until all water evaporates and oil shows up on sides.

Garnish with fried cashew nuts and curry leaves.

Serve them hot with pickles.