Thursday, November 29, 2012

Nokia Lumia 920

Ankit just bought a new phone, Nokia Lumia 920. His five year old iPhone was now almost dying so we figured we needed to get something new and fast. I already had the iPhone 5 so he didn't bother buying another one and decided to look at something different. We had been hearing about the Nokia phone for quite a while now and clearly it was winning in almost all aspects when compared to the iPhone 5 (I have to admit it, even though I love my iPhone). We went and got it on a Black Friday deal and the phone is lovely. I personally love the red one. It doesn't feel like a phone. It feels like a very savvy piece of technology when you use it.

That is the lock screen. It has a bigger screen than the iPhone 5 and higher pixel density. It also has a flash with dual LEDs and sensor shift stabilization. But honestly, I tested the iPhone 5 camera with this one and I think that the fight is very close. I still think iPhone 5 clicks better pictures but Ankit disagrees. iPhone 5 does happen to have an built-in HDR mode which Nokia Lumia 920 doesn't. It does, however, have 0.7 more megapixels than the iPhone 5 and also a better front camera. I think it was very close and maybe I'm biased, but I think my phone has a better camera (lol). 

The iPhone happens to have way more apps than Windows but Ankit looked though it and said that all the important apps that are needed are available for free. The phone also has an inbuilt Microsoft Office (which I think is brilliant). The amount of ringtones that this phone has to offer is so fantastic and really awesome tones (even Bollywood music). I wish iPhone also had more variety in terms of the tones. It would've been more fun. Movies are more fun to watch on this phone because the screen is so nice and big. It's definitely heavier and bigger than the iPhone. 

I'm realizing this post is slowly turning into a comparison between iPhone 5 and Nokia Lumia 920. Let's get back to talking about just Nokia for now. The Nokia Lumia 920 has a radio, Near-Field-Communication (NFC) (allows wireless transactions like payments), super fast uploads, wireless charging, USB mass storage support and a very good battery back up. 

Overall, we loved this phone. Ankit fiddles with it all day long (as far as I know). He keeps telling me he has a better phone and I always deny it but must admit that he's right. If people think that there isn't a better smart phone out there than the iPhone, then they are sorely mistaken. iPhone needs to come up with something out of the norms to beat this baby. 

The new Nokia Lumia 920

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Mera Jahan

I usually put on a hindi movie with good songs while I do my daily chores at home. I don't think I can live alone at home if it's too quiet. Movies usually make me feel at ease when I'm alone. I put on Taare Zameen Par today and this song caught my attention. These are words of a child; very meaningful.


Here are the lyrics and I've tried to translate to the best of my ability. 


Singers: Adnan Sami, Auriel Cordo, Ananya Wadkar

Lyrics:

A Little Sweet, A Little Sour
A Little Close, Not Too Far
All I Need, All I Need
All I Need Is To Be Free

Chhoo Loon Main (I can touch it)
Itna Kareeb (So close)
Chal Padun (Start walking)
Toh Kitna Door (It seems far)
Sapnon Ka Buna Sweater Sa Warm (Warm as a sweater knitted of dreams)
Safed Baadalon Ke Paar (Past the white clouds lies)
Mera Jahan (My world)

Let Me In Without A Shout
Let Me In I Have A Doubt
There Are More, Many More
Many Many Many More Like Me

Akela Nahin Main (I'm not alone)
Khuli Aankhon Se Neend Mein Chalta (Sleep walking with my eyes open)
Girta Zyada, Kam Sambhalta (Tripping more, protecting myself less)
Phir Bhi Na Koi Shaq, Na Shuba (Still without doubts or suspicion)
Nikalega Phir Se Sooraj Jo Dooba (The sun that set will rise again)
Hairat Ho Sabko Aisa (Amazing everyone, like that)
Ajooba Hai Mera Jahan (My world is miraculous)

Open Eyed How I Run
How I Run To The Other Side
Then I Glide Like A Bird
I Just Want To Be

Udne Ko Sau Pankh Diye Hai (100 feathers have been given to fly)
Chadhne Ko Khula Aasmaan (An open sky to climb)
Mudne Ko Hai Karwat Karwat (Sides to turn)
Aur Badhne Ko Mera Jahan (And my world to grow)

Bachpan Ke Din Chaar (Childhood won't remain long)
Na Aayenge Baar Baar (It will not come again)
Jee Le Jee Le Mere Yaar (Live it, live it, my friend)
Jeib Khaali To Udhaar (If pocket is empty, then borrow)
Jee Zindagi (Live life)



Here's a link to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oYqanTWruE
Enjoy 
x

Ogden's Christmas Village

Ogden's Historic 25th Street holds the largest Christmas Village in Utah. It opens on the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year. I was super excited to go because there was going to be a Holiday Electric Lights Parade and lighting up of the Christmas Village. I love lights; I'm fascinated by them. 

The parade was full of elaborate floats, beautiful themes, music and performers. Here are some pictures from the Parade:





The parade ended with Santa's arrival at the Christmas Village
After Santa's arrival, everyone headed towards the Amphitheater where the opening ceremony of the Christmas Village was held and the illumination of all the lights, followed by fireworks and live entertainment.

The Opening Ceremony
Fireworks
Live Entertainment
Christmas Village all lit up 
It is so beautiful! The entire place is covered with lights featuring more than one million lights and various static displays, aerial ornaments and fireworks. Small cottages have been installed at Ogden's Muncipal Garden, creating a miniature village modeled after Santa's village in the North Pole. Here, elves, snowmen and Santa are depicted in a perpetual state of getting ready for Christmas. Each cottage has its own theme.

There is one human-sized cottage near the garden's entrance on 25th street where children will get a chance to meet Santa, share their Christmas wish lists and click pictures. 

Hot chocolate was being sold everywhere and added to the sweet aroma of the dazzling winter wonderland. I can't wait to go back again.



Here are some examples of the cottages of Santa's helpers:



Photo by: Ogdencity.com

The entire place has a very festive and a happy vibe to it. If you haven't been there, yet, you must. It is estimated that 150,000 people visit the Christmas Village every year. Beginning Nov 26, Santa will greet children in his castle from Monday-Friday, 6-9:00 PM, and Saturdays, 5-9:00 PM through December 23. Live entertainment will be held in the Amphitheater every Tuesday-Friday from 6:30-7:30 PM.

Location: Municpal Gardens
Address: 2500 Grant Ave, Ogden, Utah
Times: 5:00 pm - 12:00 am

Enjoy!

x

Thanksgiving (11/22/12) and Black Friday (11/23/12)

Thanksgiving is a holiday which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada. It's different in both countries because winter starts sooner in Canada. Thanksgiving is a tradition to celebrate the harvest of the year. Many other countries celebrate Thanksgiving at different times according to their harvest season.

Thanksgiving dinner is the main event of the day when families get together for a feast and give thanks for all that they are grateful for. Turkey plays a central role in the Thanksgiving celebration; the turkey is either baked or roasted. Mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, other fall vegetables and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. This year I had the privilege to celebrate it with an American family for the first time.

Thanksgiving Feast











My plate
Our friends had cooked a lovely Thanksgiving meal for us. There was turkey, salad with dressing, stuffing, another sort of a salad with fruits and orange cream, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade bread rolls and homemade pumpkin pie.




Pumpkin Pie


Right after Thanksgiving, comes Black Friday. Black Friday marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. On this day, many major retail stores open very early (usually 12:00 AM of Friday) and offer promotional sales to kick of the holiday season. Prices are majorly slashed and that is why Black Friday is considered to be the biggest sale and busiest shopping day of the year (somewhat like Boxing Day in the UK). This year however, many shops opened the sale much earlier (8:00 PM of Thursday) and named it "Gray Thursday." People were out and shopping at 8:00 PM on Thursday. Many protested that this was wrong because Thursday was meant only for Thanksgiving and not shopping. 
Well, I'm all ready to go shopping! :p
Black Friday rush at Walmart
Check out the crowd at Walmart at night. It seems as if people just ate their dinner and rushed to the stores. The workers at these stores probably didn't get any time at all to enjoy Thanksgiving. Black Friday is known to attract aggressive shoppers and there have been instances when shoppers have trampled on other shoppers in order to get the best deal. I've heard that someone died a few years ago because they got crushed under a stampede of people. We had our Thanksgiving dinner very early so we had enough time to come home, rest, get dressed and go out again. We weren't particularly looking to buy anything; I just wanted to see what it was like. Eventually, we did end up buying some DVDs and Blurays because they were just so cheap. 

My Black Friday Shopping :)










It was fun, though. Never thought I'd see so many avid shoppers at midnight. It was a good experience. I guess I'll be a smarter shopper next time around. I like the idea of Cyber Monday though (which was yesterday). Cyber Monday is an online sale which I think is a lot smarter because you don't have to stand in long queues to pay, you don't have to fight to get into the store to find the deals and feel bad if you didn't get it. I did my shopping online yesterday from Forever 21 because it was free shipping! I love free shipping :)

Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. 
We are thankful for such wonderful family and friends.
God bless everyone.
x

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The Grand Canyon - North Rim

It's such a beautiful day. I love winters. I feel more relaxed and peaceful during the winter. We watched Skyfall this weekend. I can't say I was impressed. We got bored after the first half and it wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be. I've been watching a lot of TV lately. Recently, I finished watching all the seasons of the West Wing. I loved watching West Wing and miss it now. I started watching Eureka these days and I find it quite interesting. I might be hooked to this one for a while. I also started watching Commander in Chief (my substitute for the West Wing); that's quite interesting too. 

Anyway, today's post is about my weekend trip to Southern Utah. While we were visiting Zion, one morning we decided to drive down to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon because it was a two hours drive from there. It was 19°F (-7°C) that morning... super super cold. 

Me, right before entering Grand Canyon National Park. It was freezing.
The Grand Canyon's North Rim is more remote and less developed than the South Rim. It's less "touristy" and gives you a chance to breathe in the nature instead of fighting the crowd in the South Rim. The viewpoints in the North Rim are located at much higher elevations than the ones in the South Rim and some people think they are more beautiful. I haven't been to the South Rim, yet, but have heard all about it from my husband. The North Rim was not a lot like what I had heard about the South Rim but the views I saw were spectacular, nonetheless.

The North Rim forms the edge of the Kaibab plateau and the elevations range between 8,000-9,000 ft above sea level. In 1908, the park was founded as a national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt and in 1919, it became a national park. The park is about 1.2 million acres in area and lies entirely in the state of Arizona. The Grand Canyon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the 'Seven Natural Wonders Of the World.'

The drive was beautiful because we saw deer everywhere. Apparently, they're most active in the early hours of the morning. We had to drive very carefully to not ram into one. Highway 67 leads to the entrance of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and is also the way out. 

Kaibab Mule Deer in the middle of the road
Check this deer out, casually crossing the road in broad daylight. Unfortunately, it can't be told that there isn't a crosswalk and drivers must be very careful to avoid accidents. There were a lot of dead deer on the side of the road and I'm guessing they were probably hit by cars. This was more of an issue early morning and as the day passed, the deer stopped appearing on the roads.

Services in the North Rim are open from mid-May to mid-October. A Trans Canyon Shuttle runs between the South Rim and the North Rim once each day, in each direction. This is a 4.5 hours drive each way. When we arrived, the park was closed but the highway was open so we could drive through. The entrance fee is $25, valid for seven days and includes the entrance to both North and South Rim. We have an annual pass valid in all national parks around the United States, but since the park was closed, we just drove in for free.

Ankit, hiking up to Bright Angel Point
We decided to do a trail that led to 'Bright Angel Point'. The trail was short but can be scary for people who are afraid of heights. The trail is a well built, concrete paved path, that goes through the canyon. There are steep drops on either side of the trail.
Bright Angel Fault

The trail is about 0.25 miles in distance and is along a narrow peninsula dividing Roaring Springs and Transept Canyons.

Because this is a shorter trail, it's usually crowded. We saw a bunch of photographers at the end doing photography. According to them, the North Rim is prettier than the South Rim and during this time it's easier for them to take good pictures because the park isn't very crowded. 






I clicked this picture after reaching the end of the trail. Here is where I saw a bunch of photographers with their fancy cameras clicking pictures. Well, guess what? I used my iPhone for this panoramic view and I'm so proud :)

Next, we decided to check out "Point Imperial" which was a short drive away from here. On our way to Point Imperial, we saw two coyotes crossing the road. Crazy stuff.

A coyote who stopped on the side for me to pose while I clicked a picture



Point Imperial (Elevation: 8803)
Ankit, at Point Imperial

The view from here was 'grand' and  just how "Grand" Canyon should be. For a first-timer like me, I was awestruck. There are a lot of other really beautiful trails one can do at the North Rim, but we were short on time and this trip was something we snuck into our Southern Utah trip. Luckily, we had enough time to see everything and came back satisfied. 

Hopefully in the future, I'll get a chance to visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon too. The North Rim didn't fail my expectations and I can recommend it to travelers. The best time to visit would be around end of September and mid-October because the weather is cool enough to go hiking. 

Well, that's it for my post for today. Thanksgiving is day after tomorrow. Hope everyone has a nice holiday.

Love.
x

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Diwali

Diwali just passed. Last year, I was celebrating Diwali with my parents and waiting to see Ankit for the very first time. I had my first date with Ankit a day after Diwali, last year. Good memories. I made a huge rangoli and had so many lights put up around the house. This year wasn't the same. I really wish our families were here. Such days just remind me again and again how important it is to have your family with you. Times like these make me nostalgic. Festivals are no fun if your family isn't around to celebrate with you. 

For all those wondering what Diwali is, it is a Hindu festival of lights. It is also a public holiday in India. Diwali comes from the world Deepawali which literally means "array of lamps." Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Ram, Sita and Lakshman after their fourteen long years of exile and defeating the demon-king, Ravana. To celebrate their return, the people of Ayodhya (Ram's capital) illuminated the city with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst firecrackers. Diwali falls on a new moon night and we light lamps all around our house to ward off the darkness and symbolize the removal of evil. On this day, we welcome Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and Lord Ganesha, the God of auspicious beginnings, by cleaning and decorating the house. By invoking their blessings, we look forward to a good year of wealth and prosperity. Different cultures celebrate Diwali for different reasons in other parts of India.

A rangoli is a folk art from India made on the floor, at the entrance of the house or the living room to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. It is typically made of colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or even flower petals. Rangoli is thought to bring good luck, reduce negative energy and bring positivity to the household. Rangoli is traditionally made by women and designs can be simple geometric shapes, diety impressions or even flower shapes. 


Rangoli by me
Since I didn't have access to color sand or rice, I made my rangoli with different lentils :p It turned out quite decent. What do you think? I also didn't have access to earthen lamps, so I used floating candles which I picked up from the dollar store. Traditionally, the feet of Goddess Lakshmi are also made with rangoli colors to depict Goddess Lakshmi entering the house. I conveniently forgot to do that this year (oops).


Ankit, ready for puja (prayers)
I decorated our mandir (temple) and made suji ka halva as offering to the Gods. 
*See recipes section for the recipe of suji ka halva.

Here, Ankit just got back, tired, from work, ready for the Diwali puja. After the prayers, we ate dinner and that was it. 

Mum was telling me, the sky was covered in smog on the night of Diwali because people burst so many crackers. I've always been against bursting fire crackers because it adds to the already polluted city in India. It's not good for the atmosphere and for health. People should just light diyas, make rangoli, wear new clothes, and eat good food. That's what we did :) It was a nice and quiet Diwali for us. Delhi would have been loud on this day because of all the fireworks. 

Diwali is my favorite Hindu festival because I love how the entire city is illuminated a week in advance with colorful lights. It's a sight not to miss. The festivity flows in the air with sweet fragrances of jalebi and gulab jamun (Indian sweets). I remember, I used to stand in the huge line outside Bikaner (Indian fast food shop) to buy jalebis. Bikaner makes the most delectable jalebis after Jalebiwala, in Chandni Chowk.  Ah, it's lovely. The whole atmosphere is so festive and beautiful. It might be like Christmas, here. I'm looking forward to it; like REALLY looking forward to it. I hope it snows that day and we can have a white Christmas :) 


Me in my new clothes :)
I hope everyone had a lovely Diwali and hope you have a lovely rest of the year.
God bless you.
x

Friday, November 9, 2012

Zion National Park

Guess what's happening right now? It's snowing again! :) And quite heavily, might I add. Everything is beautiful again. I know a lot of people who don't like the snow, but I guess since I never really experienced much of it, it's still quite fascinating for me. I can see people having snow fights and making a snowman. Oh, so lovely! :) The snow always makes me so happy and cheerful. It's such a beautiful time. 

I was thinking about the last time when it snowed and we were wondering if we would be able to make it to Zion for our weekend trip. Well, we did make it :) It hadn't snowed there yet and the roads were clear, too. Zion National Park took us by surprise. I guess I wasn't expecting it to be so beautiful. I had gone through some pictures on Google and didn't think it was anything extraordinary after experiencing Yellowstone. But I realized, when you're in Zion, no matter how many pictures you click, it'll never do justice to the beauty of it. 


Ankit on one of the trails
Ankit and I usually get out to have a picture clicked with the park entry board for memory. This time we didn't bother because we didn't expect Zion would be anything special. I greatly regret not doing so because when we finally entered Zion, our eyes popped out in amazement. But no worries, I'm very sure we'll go to Zion again sometime soon because we realized we definitely need to spend more time here.

The entrance fee is $25 for one private vehicle, which is valid for seven days. This fee also includes free unlimited shuttle service that takes you from the visitor center into popular view points within Zion National Park. In fact, the shuttle is the only way to travel inside Zion and I think it's quite a convenient way to see the park. Shuttles run from April until October 28. We happened to be there on October 27. It does, however, run on weekends in November, too. But after October 29, private vehicles are allowed to drive through the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. There are two entrances into Zion National Park and one huge visitor's center from where the shuttles run. The shuttle is a hop on-hop off service and we didn't have to wait more than a minute for the next shuttle to arrive, so it's very convenient that way. 

Me on one of the trails
The park is located in Southwestern Utah, around Zion and Kolob Canyons, and protects incredible rock formations and high Navajo sandstone cliffs. The geology of Zion and Kolob Canyons together represents 150 million years of mostly Mesozoic-aged sedimentation. This park is comparatively smaller than most other national parks but has a wide variety of hiking opportunities. The hikes around Zion is what brings out the charm of this park. 



We must have spotted about 50 deer all over Zion. It was just so beautiful to see these creatures walk around freely around us, graze and soak up the sun. It was a wild, yet peaceful atmosphere. We even saw a beautiful reindeer who was moving too fast for me to click a picture.

From the shuttle, we noticed rock climbers on these high rocks. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be for them to get a top view of the entire park.

Upon entering Zion, a park newspaper will be given to you which has all the latest information about the park as well as a hiking guide. There are several hikes that can be done at Zion. They are divided into three categories: Easy, Moderate and Strenuous. As unfit and lazy as I am, I decided to do one of the Easy trails called "Lower Emerald Pool Trail" which my husband agreed to because we had had a long day and were slightly tired. The Emerald Pools Trail is divided into three parts: Lower, Middle and Upper. Middle and Upper were both moderate hikes which I was not interested in doing. 


Here I am hiking up to the Lower Emerald Pool. The hike was just beautiful. The pathway was covered by lush green trees and surrounded by red sandstone canyon. 

By this time, Ankit had taken over the camera because I needed to concentrate on staying alive :p

Lower Emerald Pool



We  finally reached the Lower Emerald Pool.  

This was quite a pretty sight, I'd have to say.


After this point, Ankit was more pumped up and somehow convinced me to hike up to the Middle Pools and that was NOT an easy hike. Sometimes I wonder what got into me that I said "yes." I was ready to hike back from this point because I was really tired and I honestly had no energy to hike uphill. I guess I was curious, too, like Ankit, to know what was up there. It was already so pretty. I'm glad I agreed, though, or I would've never seen what I saw next.



Middle Emerald Pool

Here is a picture of the Middle Emerald Pool. Look at that view. I wish I had a better camera sometimes because it can be frustrating when you have all this beauty around you and you can't capture it. I'm a huge fan of clicking photographs. It's a hobby that I enjoy very much. Someday I'll own an awesome camera which won't be too big and heavy to carry. 

At this point, Ankit looked at me and said "Do  you really want to come this far and not see what's at the end? You're almost there" and yet again, I agreed to hike up more to see the Upper Emerald Pool. I'm glad I did it, too. The hike was tricky; loose gravel, red sands, and the uneven terrain made it a tough hike. But I didn't kill myself this time like I almost did in Yellowstone :) 
On our way to the Upper Emerald Pool, we encountered some spectacular views of the canyon


Here it is! The Upper Emerald Pool. And it is beautiful! Feels like another world. You're standing there in the middle of the canyon, realizing how tiny you are in this huge world. Kind of like the feeling you get when you see the Grand Canyon.

We were thinking "Wow, what a trail" and later, we did our research and realized that there are more trails fifty times prettier than this one in Zion. Those are the strenuous trails which I very conveniently skipped. I've promised Ankit that I'll be more fit the next time around and do those 8-10 hour long "strenuous" trails. 
 Upper Emerald Pool
Our cabin suite
While we were visiting Zion, we stayed at a resort called Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort. It was beautiful. It had everything anyone can need while on vacation. We had our own cabin suite with attached bathroom. We were hoping Ankur Bhaiyya and Astha would come with us so we booked the suite. It had a double bunk bed, a sofa bed, TV, DVD player, microwave, coffee maker and central heating. Pretty fancy for a cabin in the woods and we loved every bit of it.


This was such an awesome trip. There was a mini golf course, volleyball court, tennis court, swimming pool, table tennis, pool table, trampoline bungee, a zip line, paintball, pony rides, rapelling lessons, jeep tours, ATV rides and the list goes on and on. We took the unlimited coupon for mini golf and did the zip line over the ranch.


Ankit and I agree that Zion National Park has become our new favorite national park and might have even surpassed Yellowstone. THAT is saying something, guys. You must must MUST visit Zion National Park. I can't believe it's not that famous. I'm sure there are other beautiful places in this world to see but one cannot rule out Zion from that list. 



Lots of love from Ankit and Akoo :)

x

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Sooji ka Upma

Today I cooked Sooji ka Upma for breakfast. I had this for the first time at my Mother-in-law's. I had the opportunity to spend some time with her before my marriage, when Ankit was still in the States. One morning, for breakfast, she cooked sooji ka upma for me. I had never eaten it before, but it was delicious and different than other conventional breakfasts. It's also quite healthy for you. This breakfast is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamin B and iron. For all those who are wondering what sooji ka upma means: Sooji (rava) is semolina and upma is a popular South Indian breakfast dish; so a South Indian breakfast made of semolina :)

Ingedients:

1 cup sooji/rava (semolina)
2 tbsp fried cashew nuts
1 tbsp chana dal
1 inch ginger chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 green chili chopped (or serrano pepper)
1 medium potato chopped
1/2 an onion chopped
1/2 a capsicum chopped
1/2 a carrot chopped
1/4 cup green peas
1 green onion chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
6-8 curry leaves
1/2 tsp haldi powder (turmeric powder)
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp oil (vegetable or olive)
1 tbsp ghee
Chopped coriander/cilantro leaves for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon juice to taste

Method:

1. In a pan, add 1 tbsp of ghee (or unsalted butter) and cook the sooji until it turns into a light brown color. Keep stirring constantly to keep the sooji from burning. Keep aside after it is cooked.


2. In another pan, heat some oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and chana dal. Cook until the dal turns red.

3. Now add ginger, garlic and green chili and cook until they start to brown.


4. Then add the onions and cook until they become transparent.

5. Add the rest of the vegetables. Cook for a few minutes and then add turmeric powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. 

6. Cook for a few minutes and then add 3 cups of water. Close the lid and let the vegetables simmer on low heat until they are soft. 


7. Once the veggies are tender, add the pre-cooked sooji into this pan and stir constantly. The sooji will soak up all the water in no time.

8. Once all the water has been soaked up, your upma is done. Garnish with chopped fried cashew and cilantro leaves.


Enjoy your upma with tomato ketchup :)

Have a nice day!
x