Mixed Vegetable Upma

For Day 3 of BM# 16 under "breakfast" theme, I made a super simple and comforting upma. Growing up, I was not a big upma fan. But now that I'm older and wiser, I realized how quick and easy making upma is and the dish can be dressed up or down as per the occasion.

As I was looking for breakfast recipes in Mallika Bhadrinath's "100 Tiffin Varieties", I found this vegetable upma variation. I thought the addition of tamarind with mixed vegetables was interesting and decided to give it a try. This upma is slightly spicy and tangy and a great variation to regular plain upma. Definitely worth a try!!

Ingredients:

Fine emolina (Sooji, Bombay Rawa) - 1 cup

Onion - 1 learge, thinly sliced

Green Chilies - 2, slit

Mixed Vegetables - 2 cups, chopped (I used potatoes, carrots and peas. Cabbage, capsicum and cauliflower would be good too)
Tomato - 1, chopped 

Tamarind pulp - 3tsp

Turmeric - ½ tsp
Salt - to taste

For tempering:
Chana dal - 1tsp
Urad dal - 1tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Dry red chili - 1
Curry leaves - 6-8 (I didn't have any on hand)

 

Method:

• Heat 2tsp oil and 1tsp ghee in a large pan, add the tempering ingredients and once the seeds start to splutter, add onions and green chilies; saute until onions turn translucent.
• Next add the mixed vegetables and cook covered on medium-low flame until tender.
• Add tomato and cook for a minute.
• Next add turmeric and tamarind and cook until it does not smell raw anymore, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add 3cups of water to the veggies; cover and bring to a boil. Slowly add the sooji/ bombay rawa in a steady stream while continuously stirring the water to avoid forming lumps. Cook on medium-low flame until all water is absorbed and semolina is cooked through, this will take about 5-6 minutes.
• Leave covered for 5 minutes. Serve hot with as is or with pickle or chutney.

Let’s check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked up for Day 3 of BM# 16.