Upma

Upma is a Great option for a Valentine’s Day dinner 🙂

“Oompa loompa, doompety doo, I’ve got a perfect puzzle for you…” Every time I cook Upma (pronounced Oopma), my wife sings the opening lines of this song from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. So, now whenever I think of Upma, I hear the “Oompa loompa” song in my head!

Upma is a thick porridge cooked from Semolina, spices, peas and onions. It is typically eaten for breakfast but makes for a delicious meal any time of the day. You can adjust the quantity of peas, onions and green chillies to your liking. Many of the ingredients have been flagged as optional, so if you don’t have them all available, it will still taste delicious. The key proportion to keep in mind is that the quantity of water to be added is 3 to 3.5 times that of the Semolina.

Ingredients

1 cup Semolina
1 tsp Split Black Gram (Urad Dal)
1 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Ginger (finely diced)
1/2 cup Onions (finely diced)
1/2 cup Green Peas
3 cups Hot Water
1/4 tsp Asafoetida (optional)
1-2 Green Chillies, chopped (optional)
6-8 Curry Leaves (optional)
1 tsp Salt (to taste)
Lemon Juice (to taste)

Upma Ingredients

Yield: 3-4 cups (about 2 servings)

Preparation

Roast the Semolina in a pan on medium heat for about 5 minutes. It will change color slightly but should not turn brown; set the roasted Semolina aside.

Semolina – before roasting

Semolina – after roasting

Cooking

1. In a pan, heat the oil and add the Mustard Seeds. When the Mustard Seeds start to sizzle, add the Split Black Gram.

2. When the Split Black Gram turns light brown, add the Ginger and Asafoetida.

3. When the Ginger is lightly browned, add the Onions and Curry Leaves and cook for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the roasted Semolina and Salt and mix well. IMPORTANT: Add the salt at this stage; if you add it after you add the water it will not mix uniformly.

5. Add 3 cups of hot water and mix well.

6. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 5 minutes. The water should have been absorbed. Now the Upma is ready.

Upma tends to become lumpy when it cools, and so it is best served hot. Don’t forget to add lemon juice.

Curry on!

Upma

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Upma is a thick porridge cooked from Semolina, spices, peas and onions. It is typically eaten for breakfast but makes for a delicious meal any time of the day.

Author: PureCurry.com

Recipe type: Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup Semolina
• 1 tsp Split Black Gram (Urad Dal)
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Ginger (finely diced)
• ½ cup Onions (finely diced)
• ½ cup Green Peas
• 3 cups Hot Water
• ¼ tsp Asafoetida (optional)
• 1-2 Green Chillies, chopped (optional)
• 6-8 Curry Leaves (optional)
• 1 tsp Salt (to taste)
• Lemon Juice (to taste)

Instructions

1. Roast the Semolina in a pan on medium heat for about 5 minutes. It will change color slightly but should not turn brown; set the roasted Semolina aside.
2. In a pan, heat the oil and add the Mustard Seeds. When the Mustard Seeds start to sizzle, add the Split Black Gram.
3. When the Split Black Gram turns light brown, add the Ginger and Asafoetida.
4. When the Ginger is lightly browned, add the Onions and Curry Leaves and cook for 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the roasted Semolina and Salt and mix well. IMPORTANT: Add the salt at this stage; if you add it after you add the water it will not mix uniformly.
6. Add 3 cups of hot water and mix well.
7. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 5 minutes. The water should have been absorbed. Now the Upma is ready.

Notes

Upma tends to become lumpy when it cools, and so it is best served hot. Don’t forget to add lemon juice.

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