Is that upma hell bent on polarising your family?
Now, here is a thought.
Upma is a recipe that needs some maturing up to enjoy. It doesn’t easily satisfy everybody. Moreover, everyone has a version of the upma that they prefer. Now this is hard to match.You may like the version made by your mum mother in law or grand mother or the one made by the restaurant. You may evolve and make one for yourself.
The first appreciation of upma comes when you cook on your own. The quick and fairly easy way that it comes together, faster than takeaway meals makes a start at getting valuable. Over a period of time, you and your spouse will enjoy upma times. As I said before it matures with age. So hang in there with the upma wars, make your version and one day you will see it win.
If you are interested in trying my version here it is.
Now, here is a thought.
Upma is a recipe that needs some maturing up to enjoy. It doesn’t easily satisfy everybody. Moreover, everyone has a version of the upma that they prefer. Now this is hard to match.You may like the version made by your mum mother in law or grand mother or the one made by the restaurant. You may evolve and make one for yourself.
The first appreciation of upma comes when you cook on your own. The quick and fairly easy way that it comes together, faster than takeaway meals makes a start at getting valuable. Over a period of time, you and your spouse will enjoy upma times. As I said before it matures with age. So hang in there with the upma wars, make your version and one day you will see it win.
If you are interested in trying my version here it is.
Ingredients to make vegetable upma
Vegetables: since this is a veggie loaded upma, we use a variety of colourful veggies. It is not specific what vegetables you can use. You can use carrot, beans, corn, peas, sweet potato, cabbage, chayote, zucchini, potato, pumpkin and capsicum. I would recommend avoiding bitter gourd, okra, ash gourd and eggplant. Not because it cannot be used, because these have a stronger flavour and may not be perfect. Onions is actually optional. I like to add a bit finely chopped or sliced.
Broken wheat: usually for upma some form.of wheat or rice grits is used. I have used dhalia or wheat grits. You can use coarse sooji rava also to make the upma. Often, we use Emmer wheat grits as these are extremely tasty.
Oil: i prefer making this upma recipe in coconut oil. You can choose anytype of oil to make it based on your preference or choose ghee.
Coconut: grated coconut mixed in provided a bit of sweetness and softness to the upma. You can use freshly grated or frozen. If using dessicated coconut add it a bit earlier and it will cook along with the broken wheat.
Tempering for tempering, use whole mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, ginger root, curry leaves and green chillies.
Seasoning: Salt is the flavouring needed for this recipe. You also need asafoetida as tagt provides a unique flavour to the recipe.
Broken wheat: usually for upma some form.of wheat or rice grits is used. I have used dhalia or wheat grits. You can use coarse sooji rava also to make the upma. Often, we use Emmer wheat grits as these are extremely tasty.
Oil: i prefer making this upma recipe in coconut oil. You can choose anytype of oil to make it based on your preference or choose ghee.
Coconut: grated coconut mixed in provided a bit of sweetness and softness to the upma. You can use freshly grated or frozen. If using dessicated coconut add it a bit earlier and it will cook along with the broken wheat.
Tempering for tempering, use whole mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, ginger root, curry leaves and green chillies.
Seasoning: Salt is the flavouring needed for this recipe. You also need asafoetida as tagt provides a unique flavour to the recipe.
Lets make vegetable upma
Chop the vegetables: Wash and chop the vegetables finely. Finely chop the ginger and chilli and set it aside.
Roast the broken wheat roasting the wheat grits or rava ensures the upma being fluffy than sticky.
Tempering
Saute vegetables
Adding boiled water
Cook the broken wheat
Add coconut
Finishing touches
Roast the broken wheat roasting the wheat grits or rava ensures the upma being fluffy than sticky.
Tempering
Saute vegetables
Adding boiled water
Cook the broken wheat
Add coconut
Finishing touches
How is this recipe different from upma kozhukattai?
Upma kozhukattai is a steamed version that starts with a composition of upma. Here the base grain is rice grits. Seasoned with or without vegetables this upma kozhukattai has a double cooking process. First on the stove and then steamed. Upma on the other had is made with crushed wheat or sooji and just on the stove top with seasonings.
Meal prep the upma
We like a bit of upma to warm up and have when back from work. It saves us from reaching out for a lot of unhealthy choices. The upma stays good for upto 5 days. However if you ar adding potato itvwill stay only for yp to 3 days. The upma will freeze amazing for up to 2 months. To thaw, defrost in the microwave and then heat it up.
What pairs well with upma?
Upma and coconut chutney is the most common combination. My parents prefferd it with steamed plantains and my inlaws with sugar sprinkled on them.
Upma is one that really leads itself as a combination easily. You can serve upma with sambhar, podi, vegetable curry or even pickle.
Upma is one that really leads itself as a combination easily. You can serve upma with sambhar, podi, vegetable curry or even pickle.
Fluffy mixed vegetable upma
made with broken farro (sambha) wheat
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1 cup broken wheat farro broken, dalia or sambha godhambu
- 1.5 cups mixed vegetable
- 2.5 cups drinking water
- salt to taste
tempering needs
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp Urad Dal
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 inch fresh ginger root finely chopped
- 1-2 Green chillies chopped or slit
- 8-10 cashewnuts broken
- 1 pinch Asafoetida
to garnish
- 1 tbsp grated coconut fresh grated is better
- 1 tsp coriander leaves chopped
Instructions
- Wash and chop all the vegetables you prefer to go in the upma. I commonly use onion, tomato, carrots, beans, potato and peas.
- Clean and finely chop the ginger. Wash the green chillies and chop or slit them. Clean and wash the curry leaves. tear them for a better aroma.
- Into a pan add the coconut oil and when it warms up add the urad dal and mustard seeds.
- When the mustard crackles add the curry leaves, chillies, ginger, cashew nuts and hing
- Saute till onions turn translucent and add the mixed vegetables.
- Saute them well and add salt
- Add the water, cover and bring to a boil. This will help to cook the finely chopped veggies.
- When the water is on a rolling boil stream in the roasted wheat rava and keep stirring so no lumps are formed.
- Immediately cover the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer.
- This will allow the broken wheat to fluff up and cook in steam.
- After about 4-5 minutes the water will be absorbed and the upma nearly ready.
- open the lid and mix the upma gently. Add the coriander leaves and coconut and stir in.
- Serve hot with almond chutney or stuff a few persarattu with it.
Notes
The other vegetables you can use in this are sweet potato, snow peas, cauliflower, asparagus or corn. You can totally avoid the coconut if you don't like it or the coriander.
Nutrition
Calories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 4gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0.02mgSodium: 484mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Stay connected
Hopefully your upma woes will solve soon, if it hasn’t yet hang in there and make some for yourself. One fine day they will decide it is tasty and hand around with you. Till then, don’t lose touch of making the best upma.
If my version is satisfying for you, do share the experience in comments. We will love to see and read your comments.
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See you in the next post.
