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!

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