Uppittu

This is a Karnataka breakfast dish which is sometimes called upma. But I will never call it upma, it is always uppittu  because upma is for me my favourite Kerala dish. Uppittu is a very soothing comfort food, and easy and fast to make.

Ingredients

1 cup sooji (semolina)

2 ½ cups water

1 tbsp milk (optional)

1 tbsp oil

¼ tsp mustard seeds

¼ tsp cumin seeds

A few broken cashew nuts

2 tbsps finely cut onion

 A few curry leaves

1green chilli

1 ½ tsps sugar

Salt to taste

2 tbsps grated coconut

Instruction

-          Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, when they splutter, add cumin seeds, broken cashews, then the cut onion, green chilli and curry leaves.

-          When the onion become translucent, add the water, sugar and salt (also milk, if you plan to keep the uppittu for a long time because the milk prevents discoloration of onion pieces in that case)

-          When the water boils, reduce the flame and stirring continuously, slowly add the semolina. Keep stirring and when it is still liquidy, after a minute or two, switch off the gas and cover it.

-          Garnish with grated coconut while serving.

Broken wheat upma- Kerala style

This is like the Kerala upma that is eaten with plantain, but the taste is different. It is made in a different way than the other type of broken wheat upma and they also vary in taste.

Ingredients

1 cup broken wheat

2 tbsps ghee

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 small onion chopped fine

A few curry leaves

½ tsp finely cut ginger

1 green chilli cut

7 cashews split into halves

Salt to taste

2 cups boiling/hot water

2 tbsps grated coconut

Instruction

Heat the ghee in a pan, add the cumin seeds when the ghee is hot.

When they brown, add the cut onion, curry leaves, ginger, and chilli. When the onion becomes transparent, add the cashew nuts, stir for a few seconds and add the broken wheat.

Keep stirring for about two minutes when the aroma comes.

Now add the boiling water and salt, stir, cover and keep on low fire for about three minutes.

Open and check, when it is cooked, add the grated coconut, mix well, cover and remove from fire. Let it sit for five minutes and serve hot with plantain.