South Asian Spicy Cereal (Upma) Eat with Moong Bean Pancakes, See Below Also Dr. Rama

This simple cooked cereal goes well traditional with green moong bean pancakes.

It is a staple food for hundreds of millions especially South Asia

Ingredients:


Two cups of cream of wheat:  If allergic, substitute cream of rice or even Spelt granules (a wheat alternative)--Buckwheat grouts can be used as they are non-allergenic and contain no gluten.  If you want heavier cereal substitute one and half cups of Bulgar, cracked wheat may be used.

One and half cups of finely chopped onions
one cup of finely chopped tomatoes, vine ripe taste best
1/8 cup of fresh ginger
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro (coriander)
1/8 cup of fresh curry leaves:  a firm dark very aromatic leaf available in Indian grocery stores, sometimes Chinese stores.---optional if you cannot find it--all are more or less to taste

1 or two chopped green cayenne pepper (optional)

Spices: 

Very simple!  One or two tablespoons of salt!  more or less to taste.
 one or two tablespoons of mustard seeds
one or two teaspoons of cumin seeds
two tablespoons of little yellow standard yellow lentils--not yellow moong lentils.  all are more or less to taste

Method:

In a nicely spacious pot, Boil four cups of water. and keep it gently boiling while you saute your onions and spices:  see below.  Always keep the ratio of cereal to water at one cup or parts cereal to two cups/parts water

In another saucepan add some almond oil and fry the mustard seeds until they slightly pop. Take care not to burn them. Add your cumin seeds till they sizzle and your little yellow lentils until they are slightly brown and tender.  Then add your onions till they are tender and clear, add your ginger, and curry leaves and stir well.  Add your tomatoes and gently stir. Add your chopped green cayenne peppers if desired. Turn off the heat and set aside.  It is best to use ghee (clarified butter--available at Indian stores or Whole Foods) however, almond oil works well too.

Gently and carefully sprinkle and pour in steadily little by little your cereal, taking great care not to create uncooked lumps.   After the cereal is added, add your onion and spice mixture to the water and constantly stir.  Do not stop stirring---the bottom will burn and lumps will form.

Add your salt to taste and continue to stir.  Add your fresh cilantro and reduce the heat.  Spattering and sputtering can occur but this is just the cereal finishing cooking.

Enjoy after cooling a little by squeezing the juice of two or three lime pieces over the top.---

remember to add or subtract onions, salt and other spices to taste--part of the art of Indian cooking is intuitive as there is no one set way.

Enjoy with spicy pickle chutney and moong bean pancakes---very tasty breakfast or any time, really.

Dr. Rama
Dallas Texas