Vermiceli Upma

Dear Lovelies,

This is my son's favourite and thought would be helpful to all moms who worry a lot about there lil ones not eating food.

preparation time : 30 mins

Ingredients:

• Vermiceli
• Onion - 1 medium
• Green Chili/Red Chili - 2-3
• Curry leaves
• Oil - 2-3 sp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 sp
• Uddina Bele/Urad dal - 1/2 sp
• Kadale Bele/Channa Dal - 1/2 sp
• Cashews - around 10
• Tomato - about 1/2
• Salt as per taste
• Turmeric - a pinch
• Coriander leaves/Cilantro - about 1 sp finely chopped

It is very simple n can be prepared in no time and very colourful. The trick is that vermiceli must be separated and it should not be sticky. here goes the method.

1. Firstly dry roast the vermicelli until they are very light brown in color. Simultaneously bring water to boil in a sauce pan. (approx ratio might be 1 cup of vermiceli into 2 and 1/2 cup of water would be sufficient). Add 1/2 t sp salt and few drops of oil into the boiling water. Now add the dry roasted vermiceli into the water, turn off the flame, cover it for 2 mins and remove all the excess water using strainer. Adding few drops of oil is the trick for vermiceli tobe non sticky.
2. Prepare tadka with Oil, Mustard Seeds, curry leaves, Red/Green chilies, Channa n Urad dals, Cashwes, Onions. Cook until Onions are transparent. Add Tomatoes and cook until they are soft. Add pinch of Tumeric powder. 
3. Add the Vermiceli and Salt as per taste. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro n Serve hot.

Ps: It makes a good evening time snack or a light break fast. You can alwys skip tomatoes n add fresh lime juice according to your taste and also number of chillies can be varied depending on the requirement. Do try and let us know your experience. Happy Cooking!!

Dalia/Broken Wheat Upma

Dalia is a good substitute for rice and tastes similar to rice when you have it along with sambar, rasam. Its tastes good with any dry sabzi too.Its good for Diabetes, weight control as its very high in fiber and a small amount of dalia will leave you with full.Thanks to my friend Nishitha who introduced me to dalia and since then i was having dalia with sambar or Rasam and i just happened to replace Semolina in Upma with Dalia and it tastes really good and healthy, so thought of sharing with you all.

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients:

• Dalia/Broken Wheat - 1 cup
• Onion - 1
• Green chilies - 6-7
• Carrot - 1
• Beans - 15
• Potato - 1
• Cauliflower florets - Few
• Methi Leaves - 1/2 cup
• Tomato - 1
• Oil - 3sp (To fry all vegetables)
• Mustard Seed - 1/2 sp
• Urad Dal - 1sp
• Channa Dal - 1sp
• Curry leaves- few
• Cilantro/Coriander leaves - finely chopped
• Salt - As per taste

The Combination of vegetables can be varied, i just used all these and taste was amazing. It takes time to clean all vegetables and to cut them to equal size but rest of the process will be very fast.

How to proceed :

• Take a cup of Dalia/Broken wheat in a pressure cooker, add 1 and half cup of water, Salt (1/2 sp) and cook until 3-4 whistles.Allow pressure to ease.
• Heat 3sp oil in a thick bottom pan, add mustard seeds allow them to splutter well.
• Add Urad dal, channa dal fry until light brown.
• Add Curry leaves and Slitted Green chilies.
• Add Onion and fry until transparent.
• Add finely chopped Carrot, Beans, Potato, Cauliflower florets, 1/4 sp salt saute well and cook until vegetables are soft.
• Add finely chopped tomato and cook. (You can avoid tomatoes and replace it with lemon juice when you turn off the flame)
• Add the cooked Dalia from step 1 to the vegetables mix well. 
• Add finely chopped Cilantro/Coriander leaves and serve hot.

Ragi Uppittu/Upma

Preparation Time:30 Mins

Ingredients:

• Ragi Flour - 1 bowl
• Onion - 1 (Cut into 1/2 inch Cube)
• Green Chilies- 4-5 (Finely Chopped)
• Red Chilis - 4-5 (Unevenly broken by hand)
• Curry Leaves - 7-8
• Oil - 4-5 sp
• Ground Nut - 2-3 Sp
• Cashews - 8 - 10
• Urad Dal - 1sp
• Channa Dal -1sp
• Mustard Seed - 1/2 sp
• Grated Coconut - 1 Bowl
• Freah Cilantro - 1/2 bowl
• Salt - As per Requirement
• Water - Approx 1 cup

Method:

• Boil Water in a sauce pan, Add Ragi flour, Salt in to a mixing bowl, add water in little increments and mix the flour. Care should be taken while adding water. May be for 1 measure of Ragi flour, less then 1/2 measure of boiling water must be sufficient. Transfer this into greased plate and steam cook for 10 -15 mins.
• Heat 4-5 sp Oil in a thick bottom pan, add Mustard Seed, allow them to splutter, add Cashews and Ground nut and fry for a while, add Channa Dal, Urad Dal, Green Chilies, Red Chili and Curry leaves and fry.
• Add the Steam cooked Ragi flour mixture to the tampering and mix well.
• Add grated coconut and finely chopped coriander leaves/cilantro, mix well and serve.
• You can even squeeze in half of Lemon while serving but its optional.

Quaker Otas Breakfast

Preparation time: 15 - 20 mins

Ingredients:

• Quaker Oats - 1 measure
• Water - 1 and 1/2 measure
• Milk - 1 measure
• Honey - 2-3 tsp
• Sugar free - 1/4 tsp
• Mixed dry fruits - 1/2 Cup Or Mixed fresh fruits of your choice except citrus fruits.
• Flax seeds - 1tsp (roughly crushed)

Method:

• In a thick bottom sauce pan, boil water. Add oats and cook for 2 mins.
• Add milk and sugar free and continue to boil with frequent stir for rest of 10 to 15 mins till it begins to thick or leave the edges. The consistency should be of semi solid. Turnoff the flame and allow to cool to room temperature.
• When it is almost cooled to room temperature, sprinkle flax seeds(roughly crushed), add honey and mixed dry fruits or any fresh fruits cut into small pieces except citrus fruits and serve.

You can also use oven to cook oats.

Milk is added to make it nutritious and a complete breakfast, after preparation allowing it to cool for room temperature is also important because if you add fruits  as soon as you turn off the flame, they tend too loose its crispiness and will be very soft as if you have cooked them.

Oats also tastes good with just raisins, or combination of cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachio and raisins and fruits like banana, apple, pineapple, strawberry, seedless green grapes, guava, sapota, papaya and cherries.

Oats + Milk + Honey + Flax seeds + Any choice of your dry fruits or fresh fruits - Oil...Whats more healthy way to start a day....

Sabbakki/Sago/Sabodana Upma

Preparation time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• Sabbakki/Sago/Sabodana - 1 bowl (small size, soaked for 3-4 hrs)
• Oil - 4 sp
• Sasive/Mustard seed - 1 sp
• Karibevu/curry leaves - 1 twig
• Batani/Green peas - 1/2 small bowl
• Uddinabele/Urad dal - 1 sp
• Onion - 1 (medium)
• Tomato - 1 (medium)
• Capsicum - 1 
• Green chilies- 2-3
• Coconut - 1 bowl (grated)
• Coriander leaves - 1/2 bowl (finely chopped)
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seed, wait until they pop up well, add curry leaves fry for a while.
• Add urad dal and fry until they are light brown. Add slit green chilies.
• Add green peas and saute well.
• Add sliced onions and cook till they are transparent. Add chopped tomato and cook till they are soft.
• Add capsicum and fry for a while.
• Add the soaked sabbakki/sago/sabodana and salt to taste and mix well.
• Add finely chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut and serve hot.

Ps: Instead of green peas you can also use seasonal togari kalu or avare kalu.

Gojju Avalakki/ Beaten rice bath

Preparation time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• Avalakki/Beaten rice - 1 bowl
• Urad dal - 1tsp
• Channa dal - 1tsp
• Tamarind pulp - 3 tsp (Thick)
• Jaggery - small lemon size
• Black til - 3 tsp
• Curry leaves - 2 twig
• Red chili powder - 2 tsp
• Oil - 5 tsp
• Salt - 1tsp
• Mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves- 1/2 bowl (finely chopped)
• Hing - a pinch
• Urad dal and channa dal powder - 2sp (roast them to light brown and roughly powdered)

Method:

• Soak avallakki/beaten rice for a about 10 mins and drain excess water, keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seed, hing, urad dal, channa dal and ground nut and fry until light brown.
• Add curry leaves fry until crisp.
• Add thick tamarind pulp and jaggery, allow to boil.
• Add red chili powder and salt to taste, mix well.
• Add the soaked avallakki/beaten rice, roasted and roughly powdered black til powder, urad and channa dal powder and mix well.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with plain fresh curd.
• Grated dry coconut can also be add to garnish.

Avare kalu Uppittu/Upma

Preparation time : 30 mins

Ingredients:

• Rava/Semolina - 1 measure
• Water - 3 measure
• Green chilies - 7
• Curry leaves - few
• Onion - 1 medium
• Avarekalu - 1 bowl
• Grated coconut - 1/2 bowl
• Coriander leaves - finely chopped, 1/2 bowl 
• Ghee - 3sp
• Oil - 1/2 bowl
• Mustard seed - 1sp
• Salt - 2sp

Method:

• Roast rava/semolina till nice light brown.Transfer to a bowl.
• Pressure cook hasi avrekalu till 2 whistles, or if its skin is removed you can fry in oil, it will take less time to cook similar to aloo.I prefer to fry averekalu.
• Make thin slices of onion, slit Green chilies, finely chop Coriander leaves/Cilantro, Grate the Fresh coconut, these are some pre-preparation required.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seed and allow them  to pop well.
• Add the slit Green chilies, Curry leaves fry well.
• Add finely sliced onion and fry until transparent.
• Add the de-skinned Averekalu and cook on low flame till 3-4 mins with constant stir.
• Meanwhile boil water in a saucepan.
• Add the roasted rava/semolina to the frying pan and fry for 2 mins.
• Add Salt to taste and mix well.
• Carefully, slowly add the boiling water with constant stir and cook covered for 2 mins.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut.
• Serve hot along with ghee. 

Avallakki/BeatenRice Upama

Preparation time - 20 mins

Ingredients:

• Avallakki/Beaten rice - 300 gms
• Onion - 2 medium
• Green chilies - 7
• Curry leaves - 10
• Mustard seed - 1/2 sp
• Groundnut - 1/2 small bowl
• Channa dal - 1/2 sp
• Urad dal - 1/2 sp
• Roasted gram/Hurigadale- 2 big sp
• Tomato - 1
• Turmeric powder - pinch
• Oil - 5 sp
• Coriander leaves - to garnish
• Salt to taste
• Grated coconut - 1/2 small bowl

Method:

• Wash avallakki/beaten rice cleanly 2-3 times and allow it in a filtering bowl for 10-15 mins.
• Meanwhile heat oil in a pan, add mustard seed and allow them to pop well.
• Add channa dal, urad dal, groundnut and roasted gram fry until light brown.
• Add curry leaves and green chilies fry well, add thinly sliced onions and fry until transparent.
• Add chopped tomatoes and fry until soft.
• Add pinch of turmeric powder and salt to taste.
• Add the soaked avallakki/beaten rice and mix well.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and grated coconut, serve hot.

Vegetable Upma

Preparation : 30 min
Serves - 2

Ingredients:

• Rava/Semolina - 1 cup
• Onions - 2 medium
• Tomato - 1 finely chopped
• Carrot - 1 small
• Beans - 10
• Potato - 1 small
• Green peas - 1 small bowl (soaked overnight)
• Green chilies - 7
• Curry leaves - 10
• Mustard seed - 1/2 sp
• Cashews - 10
• Coriander leaves - to garnish
• Oil - 7 sp
• Salt to taste
• Coconut - 1 small bowl (grated)
• Ghee - 2 sp

Method:

• Dry fry Rava/Semolina till you get nice aroma of it. keep it aside.
• Boil 4 measure of water in a saucepan.
• Heat oil in a pan, Add mustard seed and allow them to pop well.
• Add cashews fry until light brown.
• Add Curry leaves and green chili fry.
• Add green peas, onion and fry until onions are transparent.
• Add finely chopped carrot, beans and potatoes cover lid and cook until vegetables are soft.
• Add sliced tomatoes and allow then to cook well. ( can also use lime juice).
• Add boiled water and salt to taste.
• Add rava/semolina with continues stir to avoid forming of lump.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut, serve hot with ghee. 

Sweet pongal

Ingredients :

• Rice - 1 cup
• Moong dal - 1 cup
• Jaggery- 1 small bowl
• Cashews - 10
• Dry grapes/Raisins - 15
• Cardamom - 3 (powdered)
• Ghee - 5 sp
• Milk - 1cup
• Coconut - 1 small bowl (grated)
• Water - 6 cups

Method:

• Pressure cook rice and dal with double measure of water till single whistle. let pressure to ease.
• Heat jaggery with little quantity of water till it completely melts and filter it ( To get rid of sand like particles from it)
• Heat 2 sp ghee in a pan, fry cashews, dry grapes/raisins separately. keep it aside.
• Add the cooked rice and dal mixture, milk and also add the filtered jaggery mix well. let them cook for 5 mins(consistency can be adjusted as per your wish and also is the amount of jaggery depending on the once choice)
• Add the fried cashews, dry grapes, ghee, cardamom powder and grated coconut.
• Serve hot with ghee. 

Khara pongal

Preparation Time  - 30 min
Serves - 3

Ingredients :

• Rice - 1 measure 
• Moong dal - 1 measure
• Mustard seed - 1 sp
• Jeera - 1 sp
• Black pepper - 1/2 sp
• Green chili - 5 slit
• Curry leaves - few
• Cashews - 10
• Coconut - sliced
• Ginger - 1 and 1/2 inch sliced
• Coriander leaves finely chopped.
• Water - 6 measure
• Ghee - 2sp
• Oil - 2sp
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Pressure cook rice and moong dal for 1 whistle.Let the pressure to ease (1 measure rice+1 measure dal +double measure water)
• Meanwhile heat 3 cup water in a saucepan and bring it to boil.
• Heat 2 sp oil in a thick bottom pan. Add mustard seed, let it splutter. Add jeera, black pepper and cashews at one go, fry till cashews are light brown.
• Add the thinly sliced Ginger, slitted green chili, curry leaves fry till leaves are crisp.
• Add these seasoning into the pressure cooker containing cooked rice and dal, add salt to taste, also add boiling water to adjust the consistency, mix well. cook for few mins.
• Add the thinly sliced coconut pieces and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with coconut chutney and ghee.

Simple Upma

Preparation time : 20 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• Rava/Semolina - 1 cup
• oil - 5 sp
• Mustard seed - 1/4 sp
• Urad Dal - 1/2 sp
• Channa dal - 1/2 sp
• Curry leaves - 10 leaves
• Tomato - 1
• green chili - 5
• cashews - 10
• onion - 2 medium
• Ghee - 3sp
• Grated coconut - 1 small bowl
• water - 2-3 cup
• fresh coriander leaves  chopped.

Method:

• Dry fry a cup of Rava/Semolina in a thick bottom pan, dry fry until you get a nice aroma (to light brown color). keep it aside.
• Take 2- 3 cup of water in a Saucepan and bring it to boil.
• Meanwhile heat 5 sp of Oil in a pan, add Mustard seeds, allow them to splutter.
• Add Urad Dal, Channa Dal, Cashews and fry until they all turn light brown with medium/low flame.
• Add Curry Leaves and slit Green Chilies, fry for a minute.
• Add finely chopped Onions and fry until they turn transparent. 
• Add sliced Tomato and fry until its soft(PS: you can also avoid tomato and add 2-3 sp lime juice instead)
• Add the boiling water to the pan.
• Add Salt to taste
• Add fried Rava/Semolina with quick stirr as not to allow them to form lump.
• Cook  for a minute on low flame with lid. 
• Add a small bowl of fresh grated Coconut and finely chopped Coriander leaves/Cilantro.
• Add 3sp Ghee and serve hot.

PS: Instead of Urad dal and Channa dal you can even use Green peas or Hasi togari kaalu or Avare kalu