Thursday, February 24, 2011

How Green is Your Upma?


I'm not one of those who wrinkle their noses in disgust and whose faces take on a scornful expression when upma is mentioned. Most people I know dislike it. I don't eat it a lot myself for various reasons but I do like it.

As is normal with me, there is a box full of semolina in my pantry though I don't recall why I bought it. I do recall roasting it right away and storing it, which is why I didn't see any of the fine creepy-crawlies that generally populate semolina stored for long.

I was in a contrary and subversive (or so I like to think) mood this morning and decided to make the usually white upma green. I had all the accoutrements - green beans, green peas, green curry leaves' powder, and I set about making it. I wasn't disappointed.

Roughly, this is how I made it:

I chopped up a fist-sized onion and two green chillies

I microwaved a cup of chopped green beans and an equal amount of peas till they were three-fourths done, about three and two minutes each.

I heated about two spoons of oil, tempered it with a teaspoon each of mustard and urad dal/hulled, split black gram.

Then I fried the onion till pink. And then I added the green chillies and vegetables, sauteed them for a minute.

Then I added two big spoons of curry leaf powder and salt. For more information on curry leaf, you can go here.

Then I added water - I intended to use four cups but I was so carried away by the brainwave (of the green upma - rendered oh so fibrous and healthy) that I probably added only two.

Only after adding two cups of semolina to the boiling water, I realised I had goofed, so I hurriedly added a random amount, but you, you do as I say, i.e., add four cups of water.

Then I prayed like anything to get the semolina to soften.

My prayers were answered.

I thanked God and immediately ate some of it.


I'm sending this off to Simona who's hosting WHB this week, administered by Haalo and created by Kalyn.

23 comments:

  1. Very much inviting breakfast.
    Lovely click. As usual :-)))))

    ReplyDelete
  2. While living a thome upma mom made them when she didnt had time to make other breakfast and we kids loved it. he way we ate was we sprinkled suagar ( in my case a lot) and we ate it, i love when i munched that i could hear the sugar cracking :-)
    I have not had them for long as i never make here at home. But i should make them as I too have a pack of semolina here.

    ReplyDelete
  3. droolworthy and tempting upma.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Add me to the list of upma haters. But that was untill I was incharge of the kitchen and had to cook for the family.

    ReplyDelete
  5. There are people who do not like Upma. Really ? And they live in your 'hood ?

    I love Upma with lots of ghee. Going green, seeing yours.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love the green in your upma. Glad that everything worked out and it was a success.

    ReplyDelete
  7. :)Envious at the kitchen gods answering your prayers like that. They are normally unyielding when it comes to semolina water ratio!Mine is normally YELLOW coz I add (lots of) turmeric powder. Interesting, the addition of curry leaf powder.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What's that green powder you've served it with? Is it curry leaf?

    I cook by color too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am one of those people who used to wrinkle my nose at upma, but now that I do the cooking, I have found that it is the easiest thing to make for bkfast(apart from idli, that is) and have acquired a liking for it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hello all, and thanks!
    Niranjana, that is curry leaf powder, yes! And it was just a prop in the photo! I'd made a red upma earlier with tomatoes - but it's a known entity called tomato bath!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I used to not like upma, but ever since I got in charge of making it, I have figured out the way I like it - not too dry and not like rice glue! Your green upma is really inspired - must have been very flavourful.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am not sure I understand what is not likable in what you made: it sounds and looks very tasty to me. And I like you idea of being inspired by color. I actually have a soft spot in my heart for semolina: one of these days I will tell the story. Fun and interesting post: thanks for sending it to WHB.

    ReplyDelete
  13. At times my cooking too depends on my mood. My meal has more elements of red when I am feeling all charged up and shows green in dominance when I envy something.
    And today its going to be green again ...after seeing your prayers answered even after goofing up with Upma!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've never made upma before so thanks so much for posting this recipe! Looks so tasty.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I haven't had this (normally breakfast) cereal since I was a child, but your green savory take on it would be a good accompaniment at dinner.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Very delicious. Your upma is great

    ReplyDelete
  17. he! he! i am one of the "upma haters",:)) dunno why never appreciated it in its true form. i only like it as a goey vegggie filled mess.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Your green upma looks enticing. And nice work with the curry powd arrangement and all. Looks pretty!

    (I thought you would be telling us a low energy method of making upma - keep sooji under sun to roast, focus sunlight with magnifying glass to boil water, etc).

    ReplyDelete
  19. i am afraid my upma is never green, usually cream and sometimes with some green and red. but you are an inspiration. i am one of those upma lovers - i come from an army family where discipline is topmost priority - and guess what ever since i can remember let's say 30 years or so upma has always been saturday night dinner!!! hehehhe you can imagine my growing up years :D guess since mum was working saturday evenings was the lull before she cooked up a storm in the kitchen on sundays - when right from morning until dinner there'd be plate after plate of deliciousness.

    on upma storage, i put my packet in the freezer. these days i have even started buying atta in 2 kg packets and storing at the back of the fridge.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hmm...sounds like Green 'G'...Clean 'G'...hehehehe...looks appetizing...but it is more like pulav with greens...Iam back to Bang...lil one is doing fine...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Although I have semolina somewhere in my freezer (to guard against those creepy crawlies), I don't have any idea why I bought it, either - some mysterious Indian or Middle Eastern dessert, I suppose. ; )

    I can't twist my face up against upma until I try it. Your recipe might be a challenge, though; it looks awfully good. And the curry powder is a brilliant idea. Thanks for the link.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Came here through Lubna's blog. happy to drop in here.. And your's surely is a green treat for breakfast. I simply love it

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks folks, for all the comments!

    ReplyDelete

I moderate all my comments. So if you're a human spammer or a bot that can understand this warning, buzz off, don't waste your time here spamming.