Seemavankaya Pappu / Andhra Style Lentils with Chayote

 

'Pappu' is a lentil aka dal dish from the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The dish is on a thicker side compared to sambhar, a signature lentil dish from south India and also doesn't need sambhar powder. Green mango, greens, cuke, okra, tomato, and some of the gourds are the commonly used vegetables to prepare this style of dal. Chayote also works well in a pappu recipe though it is not used traditionally. The lentils can be pressure cooked adding the vegetable of your choice, green chili and even the tamarind, making it a quick and easy preparation. The seasoning of mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida makes the dal flavorful. The delicious dal is served with rice, drizzling with ghee.

Ingredients needed for pappu:

1 cup pigeon peas / toor dal

1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1 small chayote - peeled, seeded and chopped into cubes (I had about a cup.)

1 spicy green chili, slit lengthwise
Salt to taste (I added about 1 & 3/4 tsp. salt.)
1/2 tsp. spicy chili powder or as needed
Thick tamarind puree (I used somewhere about 3 - 4 tbsp. See note below.)

Ingredients for seasoning / popu: 

2 tsp oil 

1 tsp. mustard seeds 

1 tsp. cumin seeds (optional)

A pinch of fenugreek seeds (optional)

2 pinches of asafoetida

Few curry leaves

Directions:
* Wash pigeon peas / toor dal with water twice and throw away the cloudy water. Pressure cook the dal adding chayote cubes, green chili, turmeric powder and 2 cups of water for 3 whistles or until done. (I cooked chayote separately. The dal can be cooked in a thick bottomed pan on stove top in lieu of a pressure cooker. Soak dal for a couple of hours in that case to fasten the cooking process. Cook until the dal softens adding water as needed.)

* When the valve pressure is gone, remove the lid. Slightly mash the cooked dal with the back of a ladle and keep aside.

* Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to pop, add asafoetida and curry leaves. Then add the mashed dal, salt, chili powder and tamarind. Mix all the ingredients well with the ladle. Add extra water if the dal appears thicker. Check the taste and adjust any seasonings if needed. Bring the dal to a boil and lower the heat setting. Let the dal simmer for 3 to  4 minutes for all the flavors to mingle and turn off the stove.

How to serve:
Serve this with a small mound of rice and a tsp of ghee. Serve along with a pickle, koora (a vegetable preparation), and yogurt for Andhra style lunch.

Notes:

1. Soak about 1/4 cup of tamarind in water for about an hour or microwave for about 3 minutes adding water. Squeeze thick tamarind puree using your fingers or passing through a sieve. Discard the seeds and fibre. Use the puree as needed and refrigerate the rest. The amount of tamarind puree used depends upon how much tartness is preferred in the dal. It must balance the salt and chili powder used in the recipe. If using ready made tamarind paste, the quantity mentioned above varies.

2. Chili powder can be entirely omitted from the recipe and green chillies can be used accordingly. Or only green chilies can be used in the recipe.

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon under the theme 'Regional Side dishes'. Check the link to find out what other marathoners are cooking.

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Poricha Kuzhambu

I didn't realize until I started to plan recipes this week that I had picked back to back weeks of 'side dish' themes for the blogging marathon event. I had picked gravy curries theme last week and this week, it is going to be three different side dishes prepared using one ingredient. The word 'side dishes' did not register while picking the theme and I had assumed three different dishes using one ingredient. It was curries last week and so, I decided to go with legumes this time and 'pigeon peas / lentils' aka arhar dal or toor dal is going to be my star ingredient for this week's dishes. 

The first one in the series is going to be this gravy from the Tamil Brahmin kitchens called as poricha kuzhambu. The kuzhambu is a delicious gravy made with a combination of vegetables and dal, prepared using a spice and coconut paste. This is a no onion and no garlic recipe and quite a simple one to prepare. Moong dal can also be used to make poricha kuzhambu. Vegetales like brinjals, pumpkin, drumsticks. chayote, broad beans usually go into this kuzhambu recipe but I have used mixed vegetables here.

Ingredients: (Yield 2 to 3 servings)
1/2 cup toor dal / pigeon peas
2 cups mixed vegetables (I used beans, potato, chayote and carrots.)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1 cup water + extra as needed
1 tsp. oil
1 tsp. skinned black gram / urad dal (optional)
1/2 tsp. black peppercorn
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 or 3 dried red chili
A fistful of grated, fresh coconut (Frozen, shredded coconut can be substituted.)
Salt to taste
Minced cilantro to garnish (optional)

Ingredients for tadka / tempering:
1 tsp. oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 pinch of asafoetida powder
A sprig of curry leaves

Directions:
1. Wash toor dal in two exchanges of water and drain. Pressure cook toor dal along with vegetables for 3 whistles, adding a cup of water and turmeric, When the valve pressure is gone, mash the dal well with the back of the ladle and keep aside. 
(Soak the dal in water for a couple of hours before using if the dal takes longer than 3 whistles to cook. Or the vegetables can be cooked separately.)
2. Meanwhile, heat a tsp. of oil in a small pan and add black gram, pepper corn, cumin seeds, and red chilies. When the dal starts to turn reddish, add the coconut and turn off the stove. Saute the coconut for few seconds and let the mixture cool. Grind the mixture to a thick, fine paste adding water as needed.
3. Add the ground paste and salt to the cooked dal from step 1. Add about 1/2 cup or more of water as well keeping in mind that the gravy need to be on the thicker side. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for a couple of minutes more.
4. Heat oil in a small pan for tempering and add the mustard seeds. when they start to sputter, add curry leaves and asafoetida and turn of the stove. Add this to the cooked gravy and stir well.
5. Garnish with cilantro if needed and serve warm with rice.


This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon #101 under 'Cook 3 Side Dishes with One Ingredient' theme.

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Mixed Vegetable Subzi

I am sure everyone has a favorite recipe/way of their own to use up the odds and ends from their vegetable bins. When I have to deal with a vegetable medley, my first choice goes towards subzis. I have several versions of mixed veggie subzis but I stick to particular combinations that work, like this one for instance. To be honest, I prepare this curry not only when I have to cleanup my refrigerator but even when my vegetable bin is full. I love this combination so much - cabbage, carrot, beans and chayote all being in top of my favorite veggie list. Add any other veggies that work with this combination like peas, potatoes or remove some, the subzi would still be wonderful. And also no need to worry about the quantity of the veggies. Just adjust according to the availability.

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup chopped beans
2 carrots - peeled and cubed
1/2 chayote - peeled and cubed
1/4 - 1/2 cup fresh, shredded coconut
Green chillies / dried red chillies as needed
Salt to taste
For tadka:
1 -2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp Bengal gram / chana dal
1 tsp split, skinned black gram / urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
Few curry leaves

Method:
* Heat oil in a non stick pan or a kadai. Add all the tadka ingredients in the order mentioned and when the dal starts turning reddish, add the chillies and saute for few seconds.
* Next add the veggies and salt to the pan. Cover and cook on low flame, stirring intermittently. When the veggies are done, add coconut and stir well. Cook for a couple of minutes more and turn off the stove.
* Serve with rice / rotis.

Check what my fellow marathoners have come up with during BM#18, here.

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Bisibelebhath

B for Bisibelebhath ~ BM#15

If I am given a chance to pick my last meal on earth, I would go either with a plate of bisibelebhath or poori - saagu. :) Those two dishes are my absolute favorites and I love them that much. It was an unwritten rule in our home while I was growing up that bisibelebhath had to be a part of my birthday meal. Now I prepare it at least once or twice in a month but surprisingly, it hasn't been featured yet here even after five years of blogging. And so it's time for the bhath recipe now.

Most of the Indians (particularly bloggers) don't need an introduction to bisibelebhath / bisibelehulianna / BBB since it tops the list when one thinks about Karnataka cuisine. The rice- lentil- vegetable mixture is leisurely cooked and then goes in the fresh spice mixture which gives the BBB it's characteristic, special flavor.
If you are looking for other variations, check these posts.
Brown Rice Bisibelehulianna
Cracked Wheat Bisibele Huli
Poha Bisibelehuli
Quinoa Bisibelehuli

Nomenclature:
The words Bisi-Bele-Bhath literally translates the essence of the dish in a nutshell.
1. Bisi literally means hot in Kannada. The heat referred is in terms of the temperature and not the spice level. (The syllable "Bi" is pronounced as in the word "Bin" while "Si" as in the word "Sin".) 
2. Bhath (not bath) refers to the cooked rice in Hindi and some other Indian languages. Bhath is a term generally used for rice dishes.
3. Now coming to the middle part of the name. I have seen many bloggers who are not familiar with Kannada getting stumped here. I have seen even spellings like bella and billa. :) Though not phonetically correct, somehow the accepted spelling is "Bele". Now the syllable "be" is prounounced as "bay". It is difficult to explain non Indians how to pronounce the syllable le in the word BBB. Le is pronounced as "lay". (Actually English language doesn't have the la sound used here. You kind of roll out your tongue and say it). Here, the la used is the one that comes after the Indian alphabet "ha". Hope it is not too confusing. Now bele refers to the lentils used in the dish.
Bisibelebhath so literally means hot rice - lentil mixture.

Ingredients used:
1. Coming to choice of rice, sona masuri / long grain rice is preferred. Basmati rice is strictly "No". Usually the rice and lentils are used in 2:1 ratio.
2. Beans, potatoes, peas, carrot and chayote are the vegetables commonly used in BBB preparation. Onions and garlic are not used. I have seen bisibelebhath recipes online using okra, eggplants, tindora, drumsticks and even beetroots. They may be good choices for sambhar rice preparation but are definitely weird choices if you are looking for a traditional version of bisibelebhath.
3. Commercial brand spice mix may be used for a short cut version but those including MTRs don't stand a chance before homemade spice mix.

Cooking method:
A pressure cooker may be a time saver but I prefer to cook it in a pot leisurely. It takes around 40 - 45 minutes including the prep time and it is totally worth it. This delicious dish definitely deserves that kind of attention. My mother would take out her large brass pot from the attic to cook BBB but I use a non stick pot so that the rice wouldn't stick to the bottom. Go with a thick bottomed pot or a non stick one and cook leisurely so that you end up with a perfect textured and right flavored bhath.
Some even cook dal and vegetables together and add it to the rice that has been cooked separately.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1/2 cup lentils / toordal
3 cups chopped vegetables (I used about 20 green beans cut into one inch pieces, 2 carrots, 2 small sized potatoes, 1 small chayote, a handful of frozen peas and 3 plum tomatoes. I added frozen peas at the final stages of cooking.)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt as needed
1 - 2 Tbsp tamarind puree
To toast and grind:
2 Tbsp chana dal / split yellow peas, 1 Tbsp urad dal / split, skinned black gram, 1 Tbsp coriander seeds, 15 - 20 dried red chillies, 2 one inch pieces of cinnamon, 6 maratha moggu, 2 cloves and 2 - 3 Tbsp grated, dry coconut
For tadka:
2 -3 Tbsp ghee (Be generous with the quantity if you wish.), 2 tsp of mustard seeds, a handful of cashews and curry leaves

Method:
* Wash toor dal and rice individually in two exchanges of water and keep aside.
* Add toor dal, turmeric and about 6 cups of water to a non stick pot and bring to boil. Cook on high flame for about 10 minutes.
* In the meanwhile, prepare the veggies. Chop chayote and potatoes into big cubes to avoid them turning into a mush.  
* After lentils are cooked for about 10 minutes, add veggies and rice to the pot and continue to cook. Keep stirring in between and cook until rice and lentils are done. Add extra water as needed. (4 more cups of water may be needed.)
* While the lentil - rice mixture is being cooked, toast the ingredients mentioned under "to toast and grind". You may add a tsp of oil to toast but I usually avoid it. First add chana dal and start toasting. When it starts to change color, add the other ingredients and toast until both chanadal and urad dal turns light brown. Cool the ingredients and powder them along with coconut.
*Add this spice powder, salt and tamarind to the rice - lentil mixture and simmer for about five minutes and turn off the stove.
* Heat ghee in small pan and add the tadka ingredients. When cashews turn golden brown and mustard seeds start to pop, turn off the stove and add it to the cooked bhath and mix well.
* Serve warm with boondi / papad.

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Seemonkaya Thokku Pachadi ~ Chayote Peels Chutney

Most of the times, nothing is wasted in an Indian kitchen and this is a typical example of how frugal it can get. Along with the flesh, sometimes even peels and seeds of fruits and vegetables are put to use and this chutney is such one from my grandma's kitchen. Though ridge gourd peels chutney is the popularly known one, chayote peels chutney also tastes equally good and the next time when you are trashing those chatyote peels, think about this chutney. :) I promise you that you are not going to be disappointed.  Just remember to use clean, tender peels. This chutney is made with peels alone but I added chayote as well since I had only a little quantity of peels. 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chayote squash peels
1/2 cup chayote squash cubes
4 green chillies
Salt to taste
A small piece of tamarind
For tadka: 1 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp skinned, split black gram / urad dal, 1 tsp mustard seeds, a pinch of asafoetida and a pinch of fenugreek / methi seeds

Method:
Heat oil and add the tadka ingredients. When urad dal start turning reddish, add the green chillies and saute for a few seconds. Then add the chayote cubes & peels and tamarind. Fry on low flame until the chayote turns tender. Turn off the stove and let cool the ingredients. Add the fried ingredients and salt to a blender. Grind it to a coarse paste without adding water.
Serve it with rice & ghee and refrigerate the leftover chutney.

Check what other marathoners are cooking during BM#15.

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Chayote Kootu

I grew up in a nuclear family with a sibling, five years younger than me. Flash forward 20+ years later, I ended up in a huge, I mean really huge family through my marriage to M. Just counting my husband's siblings' families, we are now somewhere around 70. It is almost like those large families in Indian movies / TV serials sans the drama and plotting, of course. :)) The new entrants to the family come from different backgrounds and regions ranging from Delhi, Gujarat to Karnataka. 
Though I never had an elder sister, I acquired nine "akkas" (elder sister in many South Indian languages) through my marriage, in between my husband's sisters and SILs. Each of them is a great cook and I get to learn some new recipes each time we get to meet. This kootu comes from one of the SILs with a Tamilnadu collection. I have eaten kootu many times before but have never tried cooking at home as M is not fond of coconut. A kootu is a delicious variation from the regular sambhar fare and tastes good with hot, steamed rice.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chana dal / Bengal gram (or substitute half the quantity with toor dal. Kootu can be prepared with moongdal as well.)
1 chayote squash, peeled and cut into cubes (Veggies like bottle gourd, ridge gourd, cucumber or cabbage can be substituted.)
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup fresh, grated coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp rice flour (optional)
Salt to taste
For tadka: 1 Tbsp ghee, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp skinned, split blackgram / uraddal, a pinch of asafoetida and curry leaves

Method:
* I soak chanadal an hour before preparation but that is optional. Cook chandal, chayote cubes and turmeric adding water as needed in a pressure cooker until done. No need to cook until very mushy.
* Grind the coconut and cumins to a fine paste adding little water if needed.
* Add this paste, rice flour, salt and chili powder to the cooked dal and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes and turn off the stove.
* Heat ghee in a small pan and add mustard seeds, urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves. When the dal starts to turn brownish, remove and add to the cooked dal.

This is my third day entry for blogging marathon #12 under "delicious dals" theme. Check out the Blogging Marathon page to find out what other marathoners have been cooking.

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Microwave Cooking ~ Masoor Dal - Chayote Sambhar

A quick and tasty sambhar prepared in microwave for my "microwave cooking" theme in BM#8. Check what my fellow marathoners are cooking today.

Ingredients: (4 -5 servings)

1/2 cup masoordal

1/2 cup peeled and cubed chayote
1/8 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

3/4 to 1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp sambhar powder

Jaggery to taste (optional)

Tamarind paste / puree as needed

For tadka: 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, 1 red chillie and few curry leaves

Minced cilantro for garnish

Method:

* Wash masoor dal in two exchanges of water. Add the washed dal, chayote, turmeric powder and 1 cup of water to a microwave safe bowl. Cook it in the microwave until the dal is done, about 10 minutes. 

* Now add sambhar powder, chili powder, salt, tamarind and jaggery to the cooked dal. Add extra water to bring to sambhar consistency, about 2 cups. Mix well, taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Put it back in the microwave and bring it to a rolling boil. It may take around 8 - 10 minutes.

* Heat oil in a small microwave safe bowl for two minutes. Then add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asofoetida, chili and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, remove the bowl. Add this tadka to the cooked sambhar and mix well. Garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with rice / rotis.

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Chayote Raita / Seemavankaya Perugu Pachadi

This simple yet delicious perugu pachadi can be put together under 10 minutes, for a quick side dish or snacking. We usually serve perugu pachadi along with rice and plain dal combo or with rotis.

Ingredients:
2 cups homemade yogurt (even fat free will do)
1/2 cup peeled and finely chopped chayote
Salt to taste
For grinding: A handful of cilantro leaves, 3 -4 Serrano peppers, 2 Tbsp of fresh coconut
For tadka: 1 - 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, a pinch of asafoetida powder and a few curry leaves

Method:
1. Cook chayote cubes adding a few Tbsp of water in microwave for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, grind cilantro, pepper and coconut into a fine paste adding a few Tbsp of yogurt if needed.
Heat oil in a small pan and add tadka ingredients. When mustard seeds start to pop, turn off the stove. Let it cool.
3. Beat the yogurt lightly for a uniform consistency. Add the chayote cubes (sans the cooking water), ground paste, salt and the tadka ingredients and mix well.

This goes to my Indian Side dishes other than dal / subzi event.

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Chayote Chutney / సీమ వంకాయ పచ్చడి

    
I am sharing here another vegetable chutney that goes well with rice. The mild sweetness of the chayote is well balanced with the lentils and the spices used in this lip smacking chutney. 

Ingredients:
1 small sized chayote
4 tsp. oil 
1 tbsp. chana dal / split chickpeas
1 tbsp. urad dal / black gram
1 tsp. mustard seeds
A pinch of fenugreek seeds
4 -6 dried red chillies (depending upon their heat)
1/16 tsp. turmeric powder
3/4 tsp. sized tamarind ball
2 pinches of asafoetida powder
Salt to taste

Method:
* Peel a chayote, quarter and remove the center seed. Cut into cubes. (I had about a cup of chayote cubes) 
* Heat the oil in a small saute pan and add chana dal, urad dala nd mustard seeds. 
* When the dals turn reddish and the mustard seeds start to pop, add fenugreek seeds and chillies (Fenugreek seeds burn faster and so are added at the end.) 
* Stir them once and add the chayote, tamarind and turmeric. Lower the heat, cover the dish and cook the chayote till it is done (becomes softer.) 
* When the chayote is cooked add asafoetida and turn off the stove. Set the pan aside and let the contents cool.
* Grind the ingredients coarsely, adding salt. 
* Transfer the chutney to a bowl and serve with hot rice and a tsp of ghee.   
* Cover the remaining chutney and keep it refrigerated. It stays fresh for 3 - 4 days.
   

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Chayote Payasam / Seema Vankaya Payasam

 

Source: My own, inspired by sorakaya payasam.
Chayote payasam was an experiment on M's birthday which turned into a delectable experience. When I prepared sorakaya payasam for the first time, the idea of substituting chayote in the recipe struck. I knew it would work since chayote has a delicate sweet flavor and I was not wrong. At last, I could make this last month and it was a hit among our guests. As M's nephew mentioned, it was very unique and a special treat though the preparation was quite simple and quick.

Ingredients required:
1 Small chayote (or 1 cup of grated chayote)
Sugar as needed
2-3 cups of whole milk 10 oz evaporated milk (or add one more cup of milk)
a pinch of cardamom powder
2 Tbsp ghee
1 Tbsp of raisins and cashews

The cooking part:
Peel and quarter the chayote, remove the center core and grate it. Fry the grated chayote using a Tbsp of ghee for about five minutes on low - medium heat. Add the milk and cook the chayote till it is done. Keep stirring in between. Then goes in the evaporated milk, sugar and cardamom powder. Cook till all the sugar is melted and turn off the stove. In another small pan, heat a tbsp of ghee and add cashews and raisins to it. When cashews turn slightly brown and raisins become plump, remove the pan from heat and add the contents of the pan to the cooked chayote payasam. Tastes good warm or cold. 

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Seema Vankaya Koora / Seeme Badanekayi Palya / Chayote Fry

Chayote, the pale green gourd with a mild sweetish flavor is a commonly found vegetable in India. My chayotes usually go in Indian style subzis and dal preparations. Chayotes are one of the good canditates for hassel free, simple and quick dishes.

This happens to be one of my favorite veggies. In the initial days of our marriage, some how my in laws came to conclusion that I favor only veggies with a sweet flavor. One of the reasons being that I was not in great love with the commonly available veggies in Andhra like brinjals, okra or bitter melon and loved mostly carrots, beets and such other stuff. M used to tease me all the time that I prefer rabbit food. My MIL however used to buy ridge gourds and chayotes for me even though she did not know what to do with them.

After more than a dozen years of our association and my cooking, M's point of view towards some of the vegetables have changed. Now, whenever I send M to grocery shopping, he makes it a point to buy some of these green beauties which have become his favorite too.

I usually follow my mom's steam - saute method while preparing this dish. The addition of fresh coconut lends a subtle sweetness to the dish.

What is needed:

One chayote -peeled, quartered, the seed removed and cubed

1/4 cup fresh coconut, grated

Chili Powder - 3/4 tsp

Salt to taste

For tadka - 1 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp chanadal, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

How it is done:

Heat oil in a saute pan and add all the tadka ingredients in the order mentioned. When the mustard seeds start to pop and the chana dal starts to turn reddish, add the chayote cubes and salt. Stir once , cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame till the chayote cubes turn tender. Then add chili powder & coconut and mix well. Let it cook for a couple of minutes more and turn off the stove.

Serve with rice / rotis.

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Semolina - Vermicelli Upma / Rava - Semiya Upma

What is the breakfast dish that can be prepared in a jiffy in the Kitchen?
What do you prepare when you have unexpected guests?
Which is the one dish that have not changed with ages and can beat any of its counter parts in a wedding breakfast?
What comes to your rescue when you are short of time/ eneergy and want to eat something decent?
What is the dish that you can eat for either breakfast, lunch or dinner?

If you are in India and a South Indian like me, the probable answers for all these questions would be Upma. Though traditionally it is made of rava, upma is being now made with various other ingredients like vermicilli, cracked wheat, cornmeal, couscous etc. (After those wedding chefs), the best upma I have eaten is my mom's. She prepares even the simple upma lovingly adding all the veggies and most importantly it's perfect, Goldilocks style. It is neither dry nor mushy.

Ingredients:
Semolina / Rava - 1 cup, (heaped)
Vermicilli / Semiya - 1 cup (heaped)
Finely chopped vegetables - 2 cups
Ginger grated - 1 tsp
Green chillies, finely chopped - 4 -6 (Depending upon the spiciness)
Salt - 3 tsp
Water - 4 cups
Oil - 3 Tbsp
Mustard seeds / Rai - 1 tsp
Bengal gram / Chana dal - 1 tsp
Skinned Black gram / Urad dal - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds / Jeera -1 tsp
Curry leaves - A few
Cashews - As many as you need (Optional)


Note:
I actually used the measuring cup which comes with the rice cooker. So, I used 2 cups each of rava and semiya and 7 cups of water. I measured them again and giving you the american standard measurements. Why I am trying to give the measurements is because this gives you the perfect upma. I don't like the gooey, mushy stuff served in the name of upma.
I used onions, potatoes, carrots, green peas, French beans and chayote for the vegetables.

Method:
Dry fry the rava and semiya individually on slow - medium flame till the rava turns light brown and semiya turns golden brown. If you omit this part, the upma would be lumpy.
Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan / wok. Add mustard seeds, chanadal, urad dal and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter and the dals turn red, add cashews, chillies, ginger and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds and add the chopped vegetables. Cover the pan with a lid and turn down the flame to the lowest.
Keep stirring in between till the vegetables are cooked. I usually check whether the green beans have become tender. If they are tender, all the other vegetables would have been automatically done.
Add the water and salt. Now increase the flame and let the water boil. When it comes to rolling boil, lower or turn off the stove and add rava and semiya. I usually turn off the stove to avoid the hot mixture spluttering on me. Stir properly (without any lumps) and turn on the stove again. Cover the pan again with lid and let it cook for a few minutes till it is done. Keep stirring in between. Switch off the stove. Serve hot with chutney or chutney powder or daliya powder.


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Cracked wheat bisibele huli

When it comes to rice dishes, bisibele bhath tops my favorite list. I think who ever came up with this recipe is a genius. It is such a clever idea to incorporate the carbohydrate, protein, vitamins and minerals (needed) in a one pot meal when there was no concept of a food pyramid. Recently, I started to prepare a more healthier version of it by replacing the rice with cracked wheat. The cracked wheat version tastes as good as the original rice - dal one.

I see two varieties of cracked wheat being sold at Indian grocery shops here. One is coarser (left one in the picture) and other is a little finer version (right one in the picture). I prefer coarser version to prepare dishes when I am using it to replace rice as in this bisibele bhath or godhuma annam. I use the finer version to prepare upma. I have prepared bisibele huli using the finer version and the texture was not one of a desirable kind.

Ingredients:

Cracked wheat - 1/2 cup

Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Chopped vegetables - 2 cups

Water - 3 cups

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Bisibelebhath powder - 2 Tbsp

Salt - 1 & 1/2 - 2 tsp

Grated dry coconut - 1/4 cup (optional)

Ghee - 1 Tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cashews - 1 Tbsp

Curry leaves - A few

For the vegetables, I used carrots, potatoes, green peas, french beans and chayote. I used a little more quantity than I mentioned here. I also used a big sized tomato to replace the tamarind in the traditional dish. Wash all the vegetables. Peel carrots, potatoes and chayote. Chop all the vegetables.

Preparation:

Cook the cracked wheat, dal, vegetables along with turmeric powder and water in a pressure cooker until you hear 2 -3 whistles. If you don't own a pressure cooker, cook seperately in a big, sturdy, thick bottomed pan and you may have to add more water if you follow this method.

When all the valve pressure is gone, remove the lid. (Add more water if it is too thick. My measurements were perfect for my desired consistency). Add salt, bisibelebhath powder (adjust the quantities as needed) and dry coconut and let it simmer on low flame for 5- 10 minutes. Keep stirring in between. Turn off the stove.

Heat ghee in a small pan. Add mustard seeds, cashews and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start to splutter and cashews turn golden brown, remove the pan. Add the ghee mixture to the cooked wheat - dal mixture and stir well.

Serve hot.

Note: This is healthier for diabetics.

Our meal today - Cracked wheat bisi bele huli, Rava payasam & Sabudaana papad

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