BREAKFAST
Spicy Tomato Semolina
(Tomato Rava Upma)
Serves: 4
Cooking time (approx.): 11 minutes
Style: Maharashtrian
4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) / butter
1 cup(s) semolina (or quick cream of wheat)
1 teaspoon(s) each of mustard and cumin seeds
1 sprig(s) curry leaves
1 teaspoon(s) ginger chopped
2 green chilli(es) slit / chopped
2 onions) sliced finely
1 large tomato(es) chopped
4 tablespoons coriander leaves
2 tablespoons grated coconut if available
2 cup(s) hot water salt to taste
fried cashew nuts to garnish
Heat half of the ghee (clarified butter) in a pan. Fry semolina, stirring
continuously, to a golden color on medium / low level for about 2 minutes). Keep
aside.
Heat the remaining ghee (clarified butter) in a pan. Toss in the mustard seeds
followed by the cumin seeds and fry till the seeds splutter fully. Add the curry
leaves, ginger, green chillies and onions. Stir fry on medium level for about 3
minutes or till the onions are transparent and soft.
Add the chopped tomatoes and fry on medium level for about 3 minutes or till
they are soft and cooked. Add half of the coriander leaves (reserving the rest
for garnishing) and fry briefly till they wilt.
Mix in the semolina and salt. Add the hot water to this and mix well. Add more
hot water if the mixture is dry. Cover and cook on low heat for about 3 minutes
or till the mixture is almost dry.
Garnish with fried cashew nuts, grated coconut and finely chopped coriander
leaves
TIPS:
Ghee is very important to impart flavor to this dish. A combination of oil and
ghee/butter can also be used.
Green chillies can be increased if desired.
It is better to heat more water than specified above in case it is required.
Serve hot with: Coconut Chutney (Nariyal Chutney)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Savory Vermicelli
(Sevaian Upma)
Serves: 4
Cooking time (approx.): 10 minutes
Style: South Indian
2 tablespoons) ghee (clarified butter) / butter
2 cup(s) broken vermicelli
1 teaspoon(s) mustard seeds
1 teaspoon(s) husked split black gram
2 green chilli(es) slit
1 sprig curry leaves
2 cup(s) warm water
4 tablespoons grated coconut if available
salt to taste
Heat half of the ghee (clarified butter) in a pan. Fry the vermicelli, stirring
continuously to a golden color on medium / low level for about 2 minute(s). Keep
aside.
Heat the remaining ghee (clarified butter) in a pan. Toss in the mustard seeds
followed by the black gram. Stir fry on medium level for about 2 minute(s) or
till the mustard seeds splutter fully and the gram is red in color. Toss in the
green chillies, curry leaves and fry briefly.
Add the warm water along with salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat
and add the vermicelli. Cover and cook whilst stirring often on low-medium level
for about 3 minutes or till all the water has evaporated and the vermicelli is
well cooked. Remove from heat and stir in the grated coconut.
TIP:
Green chillies can be increased if desired.
It is better to warm more water than specified above in case it is required.
Serve hot with: Coconut Chutney (Nariyal Chutney)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Breakfast Lentils
(Moong Dal Usli)
Serves: 4
Cooking time (approx.): 5 minutes
Style: South Indian (Konkani)
2 tablespoons coconut oil or any oil
1 teaspoon(s) mustard seeds
1 dry red chilli(es) broken into bits
1 teaspoon(s) ginger finely chopped or grated
2 green chilli(es) slit
½ teaspoon(s) asafoetida powder
1 sprig(s) curry leaves
2 cup(s) split husked green gram (dhuli moong dal) washed well.
2 cup(s) hot water or as required
½ teaspoon(s) sugar
salt to taste
½ tablespoon(s) grated coconut
Heat the coconut oil in a pan. Toss in the mustard seeds and the dry red chilli
bits. Fry till the mustard seeds splutter fully. Add the ginger, green
chilli(es) and stir fry on medium / low level for about 2 minute(s). Drop in the
asafoetida powder and the curry leaves. Fry briefly.
Stir in the green gram and mix well. Add the hot water such that it is about and
inch above the level of the green gram. Stir in the sugar and salt to taste.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or till the water has been
absorbed and the grams are cooked but the grains are separate. If they are not
cooked, then add some more hot water and cook. Stir in the grated coconut and
remove from the flame. keep covered for 5 minutes for the flavors to blend well.
TIP:
Split husked green gram is yellow in color.
Chillies can be increased or decreased as per taste.
Traditionally the grams are cooked soft and mushy.
Serve hot with: buttered slices of bread
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
String Hoppers-Iddiappam
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
2 cups (400 g) rice flour, dry roasted and sieved
boiling water, as required, for mixing the dough
salt to taste
a little oil
Add the boiling water and salt to the flour and knead to a soft dough. Divide it
into small balls and keep aside. Lightly grease the iddiappam press mould and
put in one portion of the dough. Press out the dough to form small circular
mounds (resembling thin noodles) onto each of the iddiappam stands. Steam for
about 10 minutes till the iddiappam is cooked. (A pressure cooker, without the
weight, can be used for steaming An idli stand is a good substitute for the
iddiappam stands.) Serve with hoddha and pol sambol.