Upma (Soojir Upma)

Semolina or sooji upma is a  common breakfast item that I usually make during weekend when we get bored of eating roti sabji and bread omelet . This is a very easy preparation and I made it a healthy one too by adding vegetables like carrot and capsicum.

Ingredients:

1 cup Sooji/ Rava (Semolina)
25 gms fried Cashew Nuts (optional)
8 Curry Leaves

1 inch Ginger chopped
1 chopped Onion
3 Green Chillies slit sideways
1 Potato chopped
1 Capsicum chopped
1 Carrot chopped
1/4 cup Green Peas frozen or fresh
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Urad Daal
1 tsp Channa Daal
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
Chili powder to taste (optional)
2 tblsp Oil
Few curry leaves
Finely chopped coriander leaves
1 tblsp Ghee
Lemon juice to taste

Method:::

• Sift Sooji through a muslin / cheese cloth or very fine sieve.
• Heat 1tbsp. pure ghee / unsalted butter and fry sooji ,on a moderate heat, stiring constantly to light brown color and set aside.
• Now heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and allow them to splatter.
• After mustard seeds start spluttering, add curry leaves, green chili and onions. Fry till onions turn translucent. 
• Add the daals : chana & urad & fry till they turn red.
• Add ginger and green chilies. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Add all the vegetables, turmeric & chili powder, and salt to taste.
• Now add 3 cups of water and cover the pan and allow it simmer on low heat until the vegetables are done.
• Add the fried sooji to it stirring constantly till it becomes little thick.
• Take off from the heat and lemon juice if desired.
• Serve hot garnished with cashews and coriander.

Tips: When you need to cook the Onions and not brown them, best thing to do is to sprinkle a little water. This adds moisture to the onons and cooks them without browning them.