Suji Upma

If etymology is your scene, the word for upma in all the south Indian languages combines salt and flour.   

For those who never had upma, think of it as a savory porridge made from semolina (also called rava in South India and sooji in Northern parts of India). It is pretty close to polenta in terms of texture but it is definitely spicier. 

While upma is often served as breakfast or snack, you can pack it for school/office lunch too.

 

Though the origin of this scrumptious dish is shrouded in mystery, it is probably a modified version of a simple meal that widows used to eat in days of yore. The widows were not supposed to have fancy veggies or spices so they used to eat rava cooked in water for dinner.

Over the centuries, it probably evolved into a quick and delicious snack between meals and into the upma that we know. Gradually, it started gaining popularity and other women of the house began to cook this for themselves by adding veggies, onions and green chillies.

Suji has more nutrition value than all purpose flour---

• Since rava or suji or semolina is not refined, it contains all the goodness and nutrient of the wheat.
• It is rich in micro-nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
• Being rich in protein, semolina takes longer to digest and keeps you satiated for a long time avoiding unnecessary snacking. 

This is the history of Upma. When I was young, I never liked Upma. It was not cooked in our home as then it was not as popular as it is today in North Indian households. When I got married, me and my Father-in-Law were two people who would not touch this dish! But my husband was o.k. with upma, so when we moved to our own home in Chicago, I started preparing upma for breakfast and since I myself cooked this dish, also started eating it!!

But my upma was not very tasty and this I got to know when I tasted it in Udupi Restaurant. That upma was so yummy that I instantly wanted to learn it. I started searching recipes on internet and then combining several recipes, developed my recipe of upma which always turns out yummy!

Ingredients:

1. Suji or semolina-1 cup
2. Water- 2 cups (If you like udupi type moist,use 3 cups)
3. Onion-1 (finely chopped)
4. Green chillies-4
5. Mustard seeds-1 tsp.
6. Chana dal-1 tbsp.
7. Curry leaves-8-9
8. Cashew halves-6-7
9. Raw peanuts-3 tsp.
10. Carrots sliced-1 tsp.
11. Green peas-1/4 cup
12. Tomato-1 finely chopped
13. Ghee 1 tsp.
14. Lemon juice -1 tsp. (optional)
15. Cilanto leaves-2 tbsp.
16. Refined oil-3 tbsp.
17. Salt

Procedure:

• In a thick bottomed pan, roast suji on low medium heat for about 3 minutes or till it get fragrant, should not turn dark.
• Remove suji in a bowl and add refined oil.
• When slightly warm, add chana dal and stir for a moment.
• Now add peanuts and cashew and keep shallow frying all these on low flame.
• When cashew starts looking pink in color, add mustard seeds.
• When this starts popping, add curry leaves and stir for a second.
• Now add finely chopped onion and green chillies and saute till translucent.
• Then add Carrots, peas and tomato or any vegetable of your choice.
• Add salt and chopped cilantro.
• Saute for a couple of minutes and then add water and cover till it boils.
• Open the lid and start adding roasted suji in several batches and after each addition, just stir it; this way your upma will be very light and fluffy.
• After mixing this, add ghee and lime juice if using and stir and cover.
• Turn the heat on low setting and cook for 2 minutes. 
• Serve hot with nariyal chutney or without any accompaniment.