Millet Upma

When I went for my 'quinoa' shopping recently, M bagged some millet from the bulk bins of whole foods market. I had read somewhere earlier that millet is a whole grain like quinoa and has been grown even before rice was. It is rich in magnesium and is a vitamin B source and said to be good for heart patients and diabetics. Enough reasons to try a grain for the first time, I thought and so brought home some.

I was contemplating whether to cook it as rice or prepare a spicy khichdi but finally settled with this upma. It goes along the same lines as quinoa version but to quicken the process, I used a pressure pan today. Ours was served with a spicy sambhar for a wholesome meal.

Ingredients:

1 cup millet

2 small onions - finely chopped

1 tomato - chopped

Salt to taste (about 1.5 tsp)

For tadka:

1 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp chana dal, 1 tsp urad dal, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 3 Serrano peppers, and few curry leaves

Method:

1. Toast millet on medium flame for 3 - 4 minutes and keep aside. 

2. Heat oil directly in a small pressure cooker / pressure pan. Add the dals, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the dals turn reddish, add chillies and curry leaves. Saute for few seconds and add onion. Fry on medium flame until they turn translucent. Next add tomatoes and cook until mush. 

3. Add about 1 & 3/4 cups of water to the mixture and bring it to a rolling boil. Add salt and the millet. 

4. Stir once and cover the cooker lid with the whistle on. Pressure cook until 3 whistles. After the valve pressure is gone, remove the lid, fluff and serve.

Note:

1. I used my pressure pan to cook this upma and this method is simple and quicker.

2. After step 3, the contents can be transferred to and cooked in a rice cooker.

3. The upma can be prepared in a regular sauce pan but it takes longer to cook millet (about 20 minutes).

My effort to focus only on the image in the background. :)

This is going to be my last day post of BM#8 with the theme "Cooking with five or less ingredients". Check what my fellow marathoners have come up with during this marathon. 

If you have missed any of my posts in this series, here is a recap.

1. Broccoli Parathas

2. Chukkakoora Pappu

3. Aamrakhand

4. Green Mango Rice

5. Quick & Easy Peanut Laddu

6. Sambhar Powder

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