Upma- the delightful taste of Southern India

Upma is a yummy dish of South Indian origin. Evident in Tamil etymology the word is derived from 'uppu' means salt and 'maavu' means flour. Hence the term upma means salty flour as per the preparation is done. It is even known as 'Uppindi' in Telegu and 'Uppittu' in Kannada. Upma is a very popular food all over the world where South Indians have migrated. In USA, UK this is available in take away counters by the roadside. Once there was a news that an American cook won 1,00,000 Pounds in a Master Chef contest by cooking simple upma with semolina and mushroom toppings. Thereby upma was considered as a tasty, wholesome food by the Western population besides the minority Indians. Let's see the method of preparation of this simple yet wholesome food and how the magic of Semolina keeps everybody spellbound and lip smacking.

Ingredients: (for 4 people)

Semolina/rava/suji (250gms.),

Carrot ( 1 medium sized chopped into smaller pieces),

Green peas ( 30 gms. ),

Onion ( 1 medium size chopped nicely),

Tomato (1 medium sized chopped nicely),

Mustard seeds ( 1 pinch),

Kari patta /Murraya Koeniiji leaf ( 1 stream),

Cashew nuts,

Salt as per taste,

Oil for frying.

Procedure: Take a frying pan and heat it. Put the semolina in it and dry heat( roast) till it takes a slightly brownish color. Keep it aside. Put a little oil and heat it. Dash Kari patta and mustard leaves in it. You will smell the mind boggling flavor of kari patta. Dash the rest of the vegetables( carrot, green peas, onion, tomato) to it. Fry it for 5 minutes till the vegetables get soft. Then add the roasted semolina and 2 cups of water. Keep stirring the mixture till the water  is absorbed by the semolina. Care should be taken that the semolina should not be soggy/sticky but should reman light. Add salt and cashew nuts to upma. Remove it from the frying pan. Put in a serving plate and it's ready to serve.

You may prepare this wholesome dish and enjoy it as an evening snacks. For busy moms it's an ideal item to be prepared for kid's lunch box. This can be enjoyed in breakfast even. May keep in fridge and enjoy the following day just by putting in a microwave. Enjoy food, enjoy cooking and enhance your creative skills.