Vermicelli - capsicum upma is going to be my Day 2 entry of BM #21. When I am tired of the regular vegetable or the coconut version of vermicelli upmas, I go with this spicy one. Add your choice of vegetables and vangibhath powder instead of chillies, you will end up with a delicious meal. Regular semolina or a combo of semolina and vermicelli can be substituted for vermicelli.

Ingredients for 2 - 3 servings:

• 2 cups vermicelli
• 1 capsicum finely chopped
• 1/4 cup green peas (I used frozen ones.)
• 3 - 4 Tbsp vangibhath powder
• Salt to taste

For tadka: 3 - 4 tsp oil / ghee, 1 tsp chana dal / Bengal gram, 1 tsp urad dal / skinned black gram, 1 tsp mustard seeds and few curry leaves 

Method:

* Heat oil in a pan and then add the dals and mustard seeds. When dals start turning reddish, add curry leaves and capsicum. Mix them once with a spatula, cover and cook on low flame until capsicum turns tender. 

*  Meanwhile, dry toast the vermicelli in another pan until it turns golden brown and keep aside. If using pre-roasted vermicelli, skip this step.

* Next add (about 2.5 to 3 cups) water to the capsicum pan and bring it to a rolling boil. Lower the heat and add salt, vangibhath powder, peas and toasted vermicelli.

* Mix well, cover and cook until vermicelli is done. Don't forget to stir in between.

Note:

If the concoction of spices in the vangibhath powder is strong for your taste,  the quantity of vangibhath powder can be reduced. If you prefer more heat, add a bit of chili powder. Home made or store bought powder can be used. Check here for my version of the vangibhath powder.

 

Source: 

I was breaking my head for our today's dinner, coz none at home wanted to have salads or either soups,finally i decided to prepare this quick and simple easy breezy upma with shredded cabbage and puffed rice..This upma gets ready within few minutes, also vanish within few minutes too...Crunchy cabbage and puffed rice together tastes super marvellous..Just enjoy this upma with some coconut chutney or either with sugar, the choice is urs..This upma goes to Kurinji's HRH-Puffed Rice..

Ingredients:

• 1cup Cabbage (shredded)
• 3cups Puffed rice
• 1/4tsp Turmeric powder
• 3nos Green chillies (slit opened)
• 1no Onion (big & sliced lengthwise)
• 1tsp Ginger (grated)
• 1/2tsp Mustard seeds
• 1/2tsp Urad dal
• 1/2tsp Channadal
• 2nos Dry red chillies
• Few curry leaves
• Salt
• Oil

Method:
Heat enough oil, let splutters the mustard seeds, urad dal,channadal,dry red chillies..Fry the dry red chillies until brown, add now the sliced onions,grated ginger,curry leaves and slit opened green chillies,sauté until the onions turns transculent,immediately add the shredded cabbage,turmeric powder and salt, cook for few seconds (we need crunchy cabbage so dont cook for a long),meanwhile just wash the puffed rice and strain in a colander..

Add now the washed puffed rice to the veggies, toss everything gently..Serve hot with chutney..

Source: Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes

Rava kichdi is a healthy breakfast item and ofcourse a quicky one from the kitchen. Again i made this long back and it was there in my draft for quite a long time. It's such a comforting and a fulfilling dish to start ur day with loads of veggies..

Ingredients :

• Rava -- 1 cup
• Onions -- slivered -- 1/2 no.
• Tomato -- chopped --1 no.
• Green chillies -- slit open -- 2 nos.
• Garam masala -- 1/4 tsp (optional )
• Turmeric powder -- a pinch
• GG paste -- 1 tsp or Minged ginger -- 1 tsp
• Green peas -- 1/4 cup (cooked)
• Green beans -- chopped -- 1/4 cup
• Carrot -- 1/4 cup
• Coriander leaves -- a handful
• Water -- 3 cups
• Salt -- to taste

For seasoning :

• Oil -- 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds -- 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal -- 1/2 tsp
• Channa dal -- 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves -- 1 sprig

Method :

Dry roast the sooji /rava until it turns colour and u feel the aroma. Switch off and transfer to a plate and cool it. Heat a wide karahi and add the oil. Do the seasoning with mustard seeds and pop it. Then add the urad dal and the channa dal . Fry until it turns pale golden colour. Add the curry leaves also. Now add the onions and saute for a minute.Drop in the minced ginger or GG paste now and saute for a minute. Then add the tomatoes and cook until it's totally disintegrated. Throw in the green chillies and stir as well. Dump in the vegetables one by one and saute the veggie for 3 minutes in medium flame. Now the veggie's must be half cooked and so add the 3 cups of water and the salt. Mix well. Cover the karahi ,raise the flame to medium and let the mixture boils and the veggie's are cooked fully. This will take another 4 minutes. Later slowly add the roasted rava /sooji and keep on stirring well so that no lumps formed. Make sure u keep the flame in medium low and incorporate well. Ur kichdi will be ready in a minute.Finally add the coriander leaves and mix well. Switch off the flame and Njoy !!!!

Note :

U may add garam masala, red chilly powder if u planning to make it for dinner...

Happy eating guys !!!

Source: Kitchen Secrets

Mixed vegetable upma - A quick, easy and substantial breakfast from a South Indian kitchen.

When I was going through breakfast recipes at Veggieplatter recently, I realized that many breakfasts that appear regularly in my mother's kitchen which are my favorites haven't made their way yet here. Vegetable upma happens to be one of them and my mom is well known in our family circles for her special upma where each semolina particle stands out separate.

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 2 cups semolina / rava / sooji
• 2 cups prepared and finely chopped vegetables - I used 2 onions, 1 small carrot, 1 potato, 20 green beans, 2 Tbsp of green peas
• Serrano peppers - 6
• Salt to taste (I used 2 & 3/4 tsp)

For tadka: 4- 5 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp chana dal, 1 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves
4 cups water

Method:
* Dry fry the rava on medium flame till the rava turns light brown.
* Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan / kadai. Add mustard seeds, chana dal and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter and the dals turn red, add chillies and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds and add the chopped vegetables. Cook on low flame, covered until the vegetables turn softer, for about 10 minutes.
* Now add water and salt to the pan. Set the stove to highest setting and let the water come to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling, lower the flame. Add rava slowly in a steady stream, holding the rava container in your left hand while stirring with your right hand to avoid the lumps. Stir properly and cover the pan. Again continue to cook for a few minutes till the semolina is cooked, stirring in between once or twice.
Serve hot with chutney or chutney powder or daliya powder.

Source: Veggie Platter

Uppudu Pindi.

Raw rice is coarsely ground using a blender. The ground rice is then cooked in water along with moong dal till rawa is completely cooked. Uppudu Pindi is served with mango pickle or with yogurt.
Makes: Rice Moong Dal Upma.

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice 1 cup
• Moong Dal 1/4 Cup
• Green Chiles 4
• Salt to taste
• Ghee 1/2 tsp

Talimpu:

• Urad Dal 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds 1/2 tsp
• Broken Red Chiles 5
• Curry Leaves 10
• Oil 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:

Coarsely grind the rice in a spice blender or use rice rawa if available.
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.

Heat a pan on medium heat, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add green chiles.
Fry briefly, pour 2 1/2 cups of water, moong dal and salt.
Bring the water to boil, let the moong dal cook for couple of minutes.
When moong dal is almost cooked, add ghee and rice rawa.
Stir well and cook covered on low flame for around 10 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed
Remove from heat, fluff up the upma and serve with pickle or yogurt or both.
Notes: Make sure rice rawa is cooked properly before removing from heat.

Source: Talimpu