Bread Upma

Bread Upma is one of the first dishes which I learnt to prepare because of my love for it. It is really simple and gets ready in about 10minutes time. You can have it at any time of the day. I usually have it either for breakfast or when I am too bored to prepare an elaborate dinner. It is really a quick fix dish. Needs very few basic ingredients and bread of course!

This dish brings back some very sweet childhood memories. A hot favorite with me and my brother. Whenever my mom prepared this and shared it between me and my brother, both of us would check if we really have got equal halves or by any chance if the other has got a few pieces more...It was one of my favorites for the school snack box too. Now it has become my children’s favorite as well.

So here’s how my mom used to prepare bread upma and I continue to make it the same way…

Ingredients Serves 2

1. Bread – 8 slices
2. Onion – 1 Medium size
3. Tomatoes – 1 big
4. Green chillies –4
5. Turmeric Powder – a pinch
6. Rasam Powder – 1 tsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Coriander leaves – a few

For Seasoning

1. Oil – 2 tsps
2. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
3. Jeera – 1 tsp
4. Urad Dal – ½ tsp
5. Channa dal – ½ tsp
6. Curry leaves a few

Method

Chop the onions and chillies into small pieces. Cut tomatoes into cubes of medium size. Cut the bread sliced into medium sized pieces.

Heat a Kadai with oil, add mustard seeds once they splutter add jeera, urad dal and channa dal. Once the dals change color add the curry leaves. Then add green chillies and chopped onions. Fry till onions turn translucent. Then add tomatoes and cook on high heat. Don’t the tomatoes get too mushy. Now add turmeric powder, salt and rasam powder. Fry for a minute. Then add the bread pieces and fry on high heat till the bread absorbs the flavors of the tomatoes and onions. Turn off heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Delicious bread upma is ready.

Sending this treasured recipe to Gayathri's Event Walking Through the Memory Lane and to Srivalli's Kids Delight Guest hosted by Priya.

Note:

1. Add salt only for the tomatoes and onions as bread will have enough salt.
2. Take care while sautéing tomatoes, if they become too softy and mushy then the Upma will become very soggy.

Pulikuthi Upperi

A tangy blend of stir fried country vegetables best describes Pulikuthi upperi. Yet another palakkad special. This yummy curry serves as a great side dish with the mild molagootal. The upperi also goes well with rasam. It is usually prepared with a variety of country vegetables like Raw bananas, Brinjal, Okra, Pumpkin, and Colocassia leaves (Arbi Leaves). It can be made with a combination of any of these vegetables or can be made with only raw bananas.

I have updated the recipe with an alternate method, which I feel comfortable with. Though traditionally, all the veggies are cooked in the tamarind water until done, I find the end result to be very mushy which is not the way I like it, though my grandmother makes the perfect upperi with this method itself. But just for my convenience I have started using the the second method which is a good alternate method, if you don't like your upperi mushy and soggy. So let’s get on with the recipe:

Ingredients                  (Serves: 3-)

1. Raw Bananas – 2, medium sized
2. Yellow Pumpkin – 200 gms
3. Brinjals – 3 – 4
4. Lady’s finger – 10
5. Tamarind – A gooeseberry sized ball
6. Asfoetida a pinch
7. Turmeric Powder – a pinch
8. Jaggery – a little
9. Salt to taste

To grind

1.  Raw rice – 3 tbsps
2. Fenugreek/methi seeds – ½ tsp
3. Dried Red Chillies – 3 -4

For Seasoning

1. Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
2. Curry Leaves – a few
3. Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp

Method- 1

1. Cut all the vegetables lengthwise into about 1 ½ inch pieces. 
2. Soak tamarind in hot water for about 10 mins. Extract thick tamarind extract.
3. In a vessel, add the vegetables and the tamarind extract. Add a pinch of turmeric powder, asafoetida, salt to taste and a bit of jaggery. Cover the vessel and cook till vegetables are done. Once the vegetables are cooked and if some water remains then cook without cover till the water evaporates.
4. In the meanwhile, dry roast the ingredients mentioned under the to grind section. While roasting first add rice, once it starts changing color then add methi seeds and chillies as these will roast very quickly and if add in the beginning itself will get burnt. Cool and grind to a fine powder.
5. Heat a non stick kadai with about 1 tbsp of coconut oil, add mustard seed. Once the seeds splutter, add curry leaves and then add the vegetables cooked in tamarind extract. Let it roast for some time stirring in between. After the vegetables are roasted well, add the curry powder. Mix it well. Take care not to mash the vegetables while stirring.

Delicious Pulikuthi Upperi is ready!

Method 2

1. Heat a non stick kadai with oil, splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida.
2. Add the raw banana pieces and turmeric powder. lower the heat to medium and cook covered till the raw banana pieces are 3/4 cooked. Keep stirring in between and sprinkle some water if required.
3. Now add the brinjal, lady's finger and pumpkin pieces. add salt to taste and mix well.
4. Cook covered for 4 to 5 minutes or until all the veggies are cooked.
5. In the meanwhile, extract a thick tamarind juice with about 1/2 cup of water add this tamarind extract to the cooked veggies, add the jaggery now if using and cook uncovered on medium heat stirring occasionally until all the moisture has evaporated.
6. Now add the roasted and ground powder mix well and remove from heat. You can cook for 3 to 5 minutes on low heat after adding the powder if you like.

Note: 

1. Add Raw Bananas first let these be half done then add brinjals, lady’s finger and Pumpkin as these take lesser time to cook.
2. Adjust the amount of tamarind depending on the quantity of vegetables used.

Keerai Masiyal

Spinach and all greens are a real powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. Rich in iron, calcium and folic acid. It is recommended that we eat greens on daily basis: - at least a small portion.

Here’s a very simple recipe, which can be prepared within 10 minutes time. Most of the Keerai Masiyal recipes incorporate garlic, onions and tomatoes. The recipe that I am posting today is a typical Brahmin recipe in which the taste of the keerai is dominant.

Ingredients

1.       Spinach or any other greens – 1 big bunch

2.       Dried red chillies – 2

3.       Urad Dal – 1 tsp

4.       Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

5.       Coconut Oil – 1 tsp

6.       Salt to taste

Method

Wash the greens very well. Drain out excess water. Chop them roughly.

Heat a pan, add the greens. (No need to add water if you are using Spinach i.e. palak. For other varieties like Ara keerai, mula keerai etc add a little water) Cook covered till the greens are soft.

Allow to cool. Grind it for a just about 30 seconds. Take care that it does not become a very fine paste.

Transfer into a bowl. Add salt to taste and mix well.

Heat coconut oil, add mustard seeds, urad dal and red chillies. Once the mustard splutters and the dal turns red pour this on the Spinach Paste.

Keerai Masiyal is ready. Can be served as an accompaniment to Sambar or Mor Kootan. Or you can simple mix the Masiyal with rice and have it.