Lemon Upma Recipe

This Preparation is without roasting Sooji, for the days when you are in a real hurry ! 

Ingredients :

• 1 small bowl of sooji / rava /semolina 
• 3 small bowls of water ( use the same size bowl in which you measure rava / sooji)
• 6 seeds of methi dana /fenugreek seeds 
• one tea spoon of sarson dana ( mustard seeds)
• one tea spoon of jeera ( cumin seeds)
• 6 to 7 curry leaves
• one table spoon of chana daal
• one tea spoon of urad daal 
• 6 green chillies 
• Ginger grated one table spoon 
• Two table spoons lemon juice
• Peanuts/ cashews ( few hand full) as per your taste 
• Frozen peas, beans and carrots. ( you can add any veggies of your choice)
• Salt to taste
• 4 tea spoons of olive oil/ any refined oil
• 2 tea spoons of Ghee ( clarified butter) (optional: you can make it completely in olive oil as well)

Prep:

Chop very fine just grind green chillies as they look in picture along with ginger.

Method:

Heat a kadhai (a sauce pan will also do with a lid), preferably ( non stick ) on a medium low heat , add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and add peanuts or cashews  and rost them till they are golden brown, and keep them aside. 

In the same vessel on the medium low heat only add ghee and remaining olive oil, and allow it to heat up nicely. add the ingredients in the following order, as its important otherwise ur upma can taste bitter. 

1) Add Fenugreek seeds/ methi dana as it starts to sizzle the add

2) Chana daal as it starts to sizzle and takes very little color then add 

3) urad daal , as it takes little golden color then add 

4) sarson dana ( mustard seeds), let them splutter nicely, keep stirring as you add these ingredients, the add 

5) Jeera and let it crackle. 

6) add curry leaves

6) Now add grated chillies and ginger and saute for 2 min till us see that ginger is no more raw. We are not supposed to change the color of ginger, just cook enough to remove the raw flavour.

Now add three cups of water, peas, carrots and beans and salt to taste. Cover the vessel and let it come to a boil on medium heat only. As the water starts to boil, slowly start to add the sooji/rava with your left hand while you keep stirring the mixture constantly with your right hand ( ofcourse if you are right handed), vise versa if you are left handed :-)

You will notice the water is quickly getting absorbed as you are adding sooji, keep stirring the mixture to avoid any lumps. the mixture will thicken instantly( which is normal). If you feel little more water is needed ( which may be in the case of very coarse sooji), then just sprinkle some water and cover the vessel. Now turn off the heat completely and cover the vessel with a lid and keep it aside for good 5 to 7 min . 

This allows sooji to swell up nicely in its own steam. 

After 7 min open the lid and add lemon juice and toasted peanuts/cashews. 

Serve it hot with coconut or peanut or tomato chutney. 

Have upma with a glass of milk which makes your power-packed breakfast in a bowl.

Benefits of Sooji:

• It is digested slowly. This helps you feel full longer and prevents you from overeating.
• It improves kidney function, thanks to its potassium content.
• Its a good source of two vital vitamins: E and the B group. Both, as we know, are essential for good immunity from disease.

Please let me know your comments !