Uppittu/upma

Uppittu/upma is an integral part of the south Indian palate.South indian breakfast mostly includes uppitu and its variants .Uppittu is simple and quick to cook.You can make variety of upma or uppittu. Today i am here with the basic or plain uppittu/upma served during our south indian weddings and also consumed during our fast as it doesn't have onion or garlic .Uppittu and sev with coffee used to be the standard menu in almost all the hotels in south india

Ingredients

• 1 cup Bombay Rava/semolina
• 1/2 cup Ghee
• 1tsp Mustard seeds
• 3 Green chillies (slit)
• 1 spring Curry leaves
• 1/2tsp Urad dal
• 10 Cashew nut ( break into pieces)
• 2-3 tsp Sugar
• 2 1/4 cup Water

Cooking Directions

1. Heat Ghee in a pan add urad dal and mustard,let it splutter.Then add cashew nut and fry till golden brown and then the green chillies and fry for a couple of seconds .At last add curry leaves and fry again.Now add water ,sugar and salt to taste.
2. Bring the water to boil,lower the flame,then slowly add semolina little at time from left hand and keep stirring with your right hand to avoid any lumps.
3. Keep stirring till rava/semolina is semi solid,cover it with a lid for 2 mins on lowest flame.
4. Now open and mix it well and switch off the flame.
5. Serve hot with sev

2nd method:

1. Heat oil in a pan add uraddal,mustard,greenchillies and curry leaves and some cashew nuts ,then add soji/rava  and fry over a low flame to a light brown color,stirring continuously
2. Now add 21/4 cup of boiling water.Stir well,cover and cook over a low flame till soft,stirring twice at intervals of 3-4 mins.

variation: add some onion while after frying rava for 2nd method or add onion just after the tempering and before adding water in 1st method.

You can also garnish it with some fresh grated coconut and coriander leaves and a juice of lime to enhance the taste.

Most of the time i follow the 1st method as it takes less time than 2nd.

Pepper Rasam

Pepper Rasam

There are so many ways of making rasam or saru (konkani word),every family has their own secret ingredients some add toordal and some prepare it with ready made rasam powder and what not.But my pepper rasam is very simple and easy.I prepare this pepper garlic rasam during winter and rainy season especially when my kids are suffering from cold and cough and sometimes when my hubby demands,he simply adores soups and this pepper rasam is one of his favourite.

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10-12 mins
Ingredients

• 3 Tomato ( chopped)
• 1 Tamarind (marble sized ball)
• 2tsp Pepper corns (powder)
• 5-6 Garlic cloves ( crushed)
• 2 Dry red chillies (Whole)
• 1 spring Curry leaves
• 1/2tsp Mustard
• 1/2tsp Red chilly powder
• 2tsp Coconut oil/Ghee
• 1/4tsp Sugar (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Grind tomatoes,tamarind,red chilly powder and garlic cloves to smooth paste.
2. Now add 5 cups of water to ground tomato paste and bring to boil.
3. Add salt and sugar and boil for 2-3 mins.
4. Now prepare tempering by heating coconut oil or ghee in a small pan,add mustard,let it crackle ,then add red chilly pieces and curry leaves.Lastly add coarsely powdered pepper corns and switch off the gas and pour this over the rasam and our hot and tangy rasam is ready to relish!

Serve hot with rice and pappad or have it like a soup