Upma

Well this is a famous south Indian snack/tiffin whatever you can call it. Easy, fast, yummy and lots of compliments have been received by this simple recipe. This can be altered to your desire by adding vegetables, or without or add ginger or without or add cashews. Whatever way you like. It will transform itself accordingly. Yesterday I made it with sooji and the real simple upma. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients
Sooji - 1 and 1/2 cup
Water - (boiled when adding to the mix) - 5 cups - Can add more to get the desired consistency - thick or thin way
Salt - 1 and 1/2 tea soon
Oil - 3 table spoons
mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Asafoetida - 1/2 tea spoon
chana dal - 2 tea spoons
Ginger paste - 1 tea spoon
Green chillies - finely chopped (add it according to your taste, I added 3 non-spicy ones).
Red Chillies - optional
Onions (optional ) - 1/2 chopped finely
Curry leaves - a few
Lemon juice - 3 table spoons (can add more if desired)

Method of Preparation
1) Put the water to boil on another stove while we start the process of upma.
2) On another one take a pan/kadai and add oil to it. Once it is hot add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
3) Now add Chana dal, asafoetida, curry leaves and few cashews (optional).

4) Once the above mixture is fried, add onions to it and let it turn translucent. Then add the sooji to it and fry it until nice aroma comes out or until sooji is slightly turning pink.

5) Now add boiled water from another stove slowly and keep mixing so that the sooji does not form lumps.
6) Add salt either to the boiling water or you can add now and mix it thoroughly.
7) After you turn off the stove you can add the lemon juice to it.

This recipe goes well by all alone or with any kind of chutney you like or with pesarattu also. Enjoy !!!