Upma or Is it Uppuma

"A rose by another name would smell as sweet" said the Bard of Avon. Therefore, whether you call it Upma or Uppuma or something else, this often loved (or hated by a few like my father-in-law… oops!!) ubiquitous dish is an integral part of the southern Indian breakfast line-up.

It has just two primary ingredients: Salt called "Uppu" (or variations thereof) in the southern parts of India and Flour called "Maavu"…. so there yu go.. Uppu + Maavu = Uppuma or "Upma".

There are quite a few varieties of Upma. While the most common Upma is made with Semolina, there are others made with vermicelli, rice flour etc.

In the US, semolina is often called Cream of Wheat. I read somewhere that this particular semolina is made from a softer variety of wheat and not Durum wheat.  In India, semolina is known as Sooji (or Suji, Soji), Rawa (or Rava) etc.

Tip: At an Indian grocer make sure you ask for the "coarse" Sooji as the fine variety does not work as well and may make the dish "lumpy".

When it comes to making Upma, always remember... "lumpy bad.. smooth good".

My sis-in-law Minni who lives in Ann Arbor makes an Upma to die for (although my brother Prem claims it is his recipe). Perfect and yummm every time!! Another variation I fondly remember (truly a melt in your mouth Upma) is the one I ate a very long time ago at the vegetarian dining room inside the Railway Station in Trivandrum (or Thiruvananthapuram), my home town back in India. Myth has it that they add a ladle of hot oil to the finished Upma to give it a smooth texture, and rich flavor. Perhaps a bit unhealthy, but superbly tasty!!

The secret to success, I believe, is the partial pre-cooking (often by dry-roasting, see below) of the raw Sooji which changes the structure of its starch and gluten molecules. Being a wheat product with a tendency to become somewhat elastic, the dry roasting or "pre-cooking" helps the Sooji behave differently from raw flour and also helps the starch cook faster without becoming lumpy or gelatinous.

Dry Roasting: Place Sooji in a non-stick skillet and cook (stirring frequently) on Low/Medium heat for 6-8 minutes until it just starts to brown. Remove from heat, transfer to another container (to stop the cooking process) and allow the Sooji to cool. Tip: This can be done ahead of time and the roasted Sooji can be stored in an airtight container for a few weeks without being refrigerated.

Minni's basic Vegetable Upma goes something like this…. adapted with some culinary liberties. Check out this recipe (perhaps this weekend) and post your comments.

RECIPE FOR VEGETABLE UPMA:

1 Cup Sooji

2 Tablespoons Oil (any neutral oil like Canola, vegetable or light olive oil)

½ Teaspoon Mustard seeds

1 Teaspoon Urad dal (helps to provide and interesting crunchiness)

1 Teaspoon Channa dal (added for the same reason as the Urad dal)

1 A few Curry leaves (found at most Indian grocers)

1 Medium onion (chopped) - optional

½ Teaspoon fresh Ginger root (grated or minced) Tip: Microplane graters work very well for small quantities of ginger.

2-3 Hot chili peppers (chopped) Tip: deseed to reduce pungency

1 Cup Veggies cut into small dices (Peas, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower etc. - frozen or fresh)

2 Cups Hot Water

Salt to taste

1 Teaspoon Ghee (clarified butter) - optional

1-2 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro (a.k.a coriander leaves) for garnish

Method of preparation

Step1: Bring approximately 2 cups of water to a rolling boil.

Tip: I use an electric kettle to get the water boiling while the other prep is going on.

Step 2: In a large pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Cover with a splatter guard or lid as in a few moments the seeds will start popping like pop-corn. When the mustard stops popping, add curry leaves, Urad dal and Channa dal. Sauté until the lentils start to brow. Then add onion, hot chili peppers and ginger; sauté until slightly browned. Add remaining veggies and salt. Sauté until veggies are tender.

Step 3: Add roasted Sooji. If you do not have any pre-roasted Sooji, just add raw Sooji and cook it for 5-6 minutes until thoroughly heated.

Tip: At this point you have a "ready to use" Upma mix, which you could store for later use. Just allow the mix to cool, store it in a zip lock bag or any other container and refrigerate. When you want to make a batch of Upma, just transfer the Upma mix to a cooking vessel, add hot water and go thru the steps below. You can do the final steps on the stovetop or in a microwave. The "Upma mix" came in handy quite a few times when we went on road trips; once to Montreal for cousin Krishnan's wedding, and another time when we went to a rented a cabin in the nearby hills. Both times we had access to either a microwave or a kitchenette and voila…. hot steaming Upma in just a few minutes!!

Important: Before adding any liquid, turn the heat down to Low/Simmer to prevent the dish from scorching or from splashing, when you start adding the liquid.

Step 4: Now start adding the hot water to the Sooji and vegetable mixture, a little at a time, while constantly stirring to avoid those yucky lumps. Watch out for the steam from the mixture.

Tip: I sometimes use a plastic whisk (when I use nonstick pans) to reduce lumps.

Step 5: The Upma is ready when all the water has been absorbed by the Sooji. Add ghee (clarified butter) and mix well. Transfer to a serving dish and serve piping hot garnished with chopped cilantro leaves. Freshly grated coconut (a few tablespoons), or a handful of crushed peanuts, fried cashew etc. are other possible garnishes. Back home a savory coconut chutney, ripe bananas, sugar etc. are commonly offered as accompaniments to the Upma.