Tis a truth, universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a large fortune must be in need of a wife! - so wrote Jane Austen in the opening lines of her famous "Pride and Prejudice".I agree! I agree! "Tis a truth universally acknowledged, that only people who love to eat, can really cook very well!" To be able to dish up means that you know which flavors tempt, which ones tease, and which ones elicit gluttony, which satisfy and which haunt!
With that in mind, I started breakfast today - I mulled over what was in my larder and decided to make the very basic Upma - a steaming hot, satisfyingly filling, rice semolina concoction, which is one of the very first dishes taught to a young girl who is being groomed to cook in her in-laws joint family kitchen after marriage. All I had seen was a bland, oatmeal kinda dish - yummy, nonetheless, cause my mother is a chef non pariel. She would whip this dish with chopped onions, a bit of chopped ginger and it would taste just fantastic.
But I always have to go a step further and make it a healthy meal, so here's what I decided to put into th
e dish:Semolina: 1 cup
Carrot: 1/2 finely grated
Green pepper: 1/2 finely chopped
Onion: 1 finely chopped
Ginger root: small piece finely grated
Potato: 1/2 finely chopped
Chili: 1 red
Water: 2 cups
Oil: 1 tsp
Black mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
As I started to cook this meal, I got a call from a friend in India. Normally, I cannot multi task while cooking because I need to concentrate, but since this dish (remember, I had mentioned that this is one the first dishes a young girl learns to make?) was something I could make while blindfolded, I continued to talk and cook.
First, I roasted the semolina in the dry, hot pan with no oil.
See picture on the right. Then I removed it from the pan and dropped in the oil. Waited until the oil was hot to drop in the mustard seeds. When the seeds crackled, in came the chopped onions, red chili, grated ginger and chopped potatoes. Few minutes until the potatoes cooked, turned down the heat and added 2 cups of water. Added salt and waited for the water to boil. Once the water boiled, added the roasted semolina in slowly until all the water was absorbed. Now added the chopped green peppers, and closed the dish to let the green pepper partially cook in the steam. 2 more minutes, and this dish is done - add the grated carrot and here it is - a heart-healthy, low-fat, satisfying, breakfast dish - just eat it- you need no accompaniments with this.
See picture on the right. Then I removed it from the pan and dropped in the oil. Waited until the oil was hot to drop in the mustard seeds. When the seeds crackled, in came the chopped onions, red chili, grated ginger and chopped potatoes. Few minutes until the potatoes cooked, turned down the heat and added 2 cups of water. Added salt and waited for the water to boil. Once the water boiled, added the roasted semolina in slowly until all the water was absorbed. Now added the chopped green peppers, and closed the dish to let the green pepper partially cook in the steam. 2 more minutes, and this dish is done - add the grated carrot and here it is - a heart-healthy, low-fat, satisfying, breakfast dish - just eat it- you need no accompaniments with this.
Looks yummy - upma made glamorous.
ReplyDeleteI need to eat something now *SMILE*