Sooji/Semolina Upma can be one of the delicious alternatives to the usual bread and eggs or cereals for breakfast. As semolina is a vegetarian product it can be consumed by any individual and on top of that, it also does not require much time to cook. This recipe will give you more taste, more nutrition & less cooking time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup semolina flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon split black gram (Urad dal)
- 1 small onion chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 small green chills split lengthwise
- 10 curry leaves
- 1/4 cup diced boiled carrots
- 1/4 cup boiled green peas
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Kosher salt
- 2 1/4 cups water
Method
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Place semolina in cast iron pan and cook over medium heat until toasty but not browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool till room temperature.
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Return the pan to medium heat and put ghee or oil in the pan. Add the mustard seeds and split black gram, stir until they splutter, about 30 seconds. Add chopped onion, fry it until slightly soft, about a minute (take care not to brown). Add the slit chillis, curry leaves and stir until fragrant, about a minute longer. Add the carrots, peas, red chilli powder, and sugar, and stir until fragrant and the mixture is coated with the ghee/oil, about 1 minute.
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Add toasted semolina and stir vigorously until the mixture resembles wet sand—about a minute. Add the salt and gently pour in the water. The semolina will bubble and spurt as it absorbs the water. Reduce heat to low. Allow this mixture to cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. The Upma absorbs water very quickly and tends to dry out too, so turn off the heat when the mixture is slightly runny. Serve immediately with a cube of lemon.