Now what has all this to do with the post, you say? Well, that's just what I found myself saying this afternoon... of course, there was no Jeeves, just M and I, whiling away our time...
So after the usual 'tucking in the corners', 'setting things straight', I pottered into the kitchen, much like Lord Emsworth (Of Blandings Castle) absentmindedly pottered around his home...
with nothing much on my mind. After a peaceful moment (I knew it was too good to last!) I (fretfully) mentioned to M - that I was COMPLETELY out of stock in the kitchen.
M, slowly, raised his eyebrows ( I should have sensed it then.... ) and said(not asked) "Nothing?!" "NO" I said.. someone once told me I had a stupid habit of putting both my feet in my mouth on occasions .... this is was one of those moments... So M got up and strode in to the kitchen, unlike my pottering in .. and started poking around and soon had things removed from all drawers by the bushel...... leaving me, well, digging my toes in the carpet and looking sheepish....
I had no idea, I had ALL those things in ALL those corners!! And in Ziploc bags!
Well, well... what can I say? Genius is sometimes absent-minded!! Oh, I could see M's lips curl up, but he said not a word, just stuck up those lists on the fridge where I can see them all the time! (The yellow post-it is for items to be consumed on priority, and till such time, not a peep into any grocery store....)
As for me ... I went on to making do with the ziploc bag and it's contents... instead of going off and buying all colourful vegetables... fruit.... some other grocery stuff... oh well, as I said earlier, Life is rum!
Now, this is a slightly coarser variety of farina I have used. The colour is a warm nutty brown and lends a nice flavour to the upma. Of course, I needed a little more water than the usual to cook this.....
1 cup Farina (rava/ sooji.. in this case, coarse cracked wheat farina)
1 med. size onion
2 green chilies chopped
1/2 tsp. each Urad daal & Chana daal
1/4 spn. Cumin seeds
A few curry leaves
~2 spn.oil
2 1/4 cup water (1/4 cup more, if u like your upma a bit moist)
Salt to taste
1 1/2 spn sugar
Juice of 2 lemons *(small size)
1/2 spn. ghee (optional)
Cilantro to garnish
Heat 1 spn. oil in a kadhai, add the farina to it and roast it for a while till it changes colour (be careful now, the colour of this type of farina is already brown, so don't go ahead and make it dark!).
Remove when done and set aside.
In the same kadhai, heat 1 spn. oil, add the urad and chana daal, when it turns a nice golden brown, add the cumin seeds, chopped chilies, curry leaves and onion.
Cook till the onion is tender.
Add the water, lemon juice, salt and sugarand bring to a boil.
Add the roasted farina.
Cover and cook till the water is absorbed and the farina is cooked and soft.
Add a dab of ghee, mix and simmer and cook another 2-3 mins.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
* You can substitute buttermilk for the lemon juice, whisk half a cup of plain yogurt (slightly sour) with water.
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So after the usual 'tucking in the corners', 'setting things straight', I pottered into the kitchen, much like Lord Emsworth (Of Blandings Castle) absentmindedly pottered around his home...
with nothing much on my mind. After a peaceful moment (I knew it was too good to last!) I (fretfully) mentioned to M - that I was COMPLETELY out of stock in the kitchen.
M, slowly, raised his eyebrows ( I should have sensed it then.... ) and said(not asked) "Nothing?!" "NO" I said.. someone once told me I had a stupid habit of putting both my feet in my mouth on occasions .... this is was one of those moments... So M got up and strode in to the kitchen, unlike my pottering in .. and started poking around and soon had things removed from all drawers by the bushel...... leaving me, well, digging my toes in the carpet and looking sheepish....
I had no idea, I had ALL those things in ALL those corners!! And in Ziploc bags!
Well, well... what can I say? Genius is sometimes absent-minded!! Oh, I could see M's lips curl up, but he said not a word, just stuck up those lists on the fridge where I can see them all the time! (The yellow post-it is for items to be consumed on priority, and till such time, not a peep into any grocery store....)
As for me ... I went on to making do with the ziploc bag and it's contents... instead of going off and buying all colourful vegetables... fruit.... some other grocery stuff... oh well, as I said earlier, Life is rum! Now, this is a slightly coarser variety of farina I have used. The colour is a warm nutty brown and lends a nice flavour to the upma. Of course, I needed a little more water than the usual to cook this.....
1 cup Farina (rava/ sooji.. in this case, coarse cracked wheat farina)
1 med. size onion
2 green chilies chopped
1/2 tsp. each Urad daal & Chana daal
1/4 spn. Cumin seeds
A few curry leaves
~2 spn.oil
2 1/4 cup water (1/4 cup more, if u like your upma a bit moist)
Salt to taste
1 1/2 spn sugar
Juice of 2 lemons *(small size)
1/2 spn. ghee (optional)
Cilantro to garnish
Heat 1 spn. oil in a kadhai, add the farina to it and roast it for a while till it changes colour (be careful now, the colour of this type of farina is already brown, so don't go ahead and make it dark!).
Remove when done and set aside.
In the same kadhai, heat 1 spn. oil, add the urad and chana daal, when it turns a nice golden brown, add the cumin seeds, chopped chilies, curry leaves and onion.
Cook till the onion is tender.
Add the water, lemon juice, salt and sugarand bring to a boil.
Add the roasted farina.
Cover and cook till the water is absorbed and the farina is cooked and soft.
Add a dab of ghee, mix and simmer and cook another 2-3 mins.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
* You can substitute buttermilk for the lemon juice, whisk half a cup of plain yogurt (slightly sour) with water.
9 comments:
Looks great Manasi.Buttermilk in that sounds good too!
Stick it notes are good idea.My freezer is so full,I am scared to go in there!:))
wow, that looks great. actually, most of the food on your blog look great.
Hi Manasi
I also put up a lot of lists on my fridge...things to do, list of groceries, etc. But your idea of putting up a list of things to be consumed from the pantry is rather interesting. I think I am going to incorporate this one into my lists of lists.
Nice dish!!!! BTW..... whats Farina????
Hi Manasi, your kitchen-stores story sounds like me... except I am the one always telling myself "use up what's around here first"... it makes for some creative moments in the kitchen, doesn't it? Upma looks delicious and looks almost as coarse as cracked wheat? I will have to try :)
WOW! Mansi, that looks great. I am a little surprised with the used of Butter milk....but it must be yummy..I know it. :)
Thanks for sharing.
Nice post Manasi...you're a great fan of P.G. Wodehouse,It seems.. :)
What a great way to use the cracked wheat, I make Lapsi from it and sometimes, Khichdi...but I haven't tried the Upma before! I have so much lying around..and that too in a Ziploc bag.much like yours!
Trupti
Upma from cracked wheat sounds very interesting Mansi. Will try it sometime. Healthy too isn't it?
Thanx
Hi Asha, I personally prefer buttermilk.. and the sticky notes.. well, my hubby will take full credit for that!! :D
Hi Jacob, Thank u for ur encouraging words!!!
Hi Lakshmi, WOW! the idea of the 'consume on priority' list was my hubby's... he's gonna love the credit he is getting for it!!
Hi Rooma! Thanx, Farina is another name for sooji, btw, thax for pointing it out, I have since updated it on the post too.
Hi Linda! That'as the key...."use up what's around here first"... FIFO method!!
Hi Nidhi... Oh yes, in ordinary upma also I use buttermilk... prefer it over lemon juice!
Hi Trupti, I'm a die hard fan of P.G.Wodehouse... and more's the pity, becoz the library here does not have his works :((((((
Hey I too make Lapsi... that is one of the posts coming up soon!!!!
Hi Seema, Thanx... do try and lemme know!!
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