Pesarattu with Upma

I had called my friends home for dinner last night. One of my friend's in laws were leaving to India and I wanted to call them for dinner before they left. I wanted to do something different and not the same stuff that we have at home all the time namely rasam, sambhar, roti.... I also wanted it to be simple, easy ..yet different! My first thought was Adai with Avial....but this we make at home often...this is a famous Tamil Nadu dish...so I put my thinking cap on and their comes the idea of making Pesarattu with upma.

This was the menu I prepared "Papdi Chaat" for starters, Main Course - "Pesarattu with Upma" and "Rasam and Cabbage (incase kids wanted to go for it)"....we were 14 of us in all including kids..

Pesarattu with Upma was a great hit among the kids too....My friends helped me in making the pesarattu. So it was a breeze for me....I just went around and served it when they were making it!! I can proudly say that I have a great set of friends who are always there to help!!

The kids a great time....playing with the cars, building blocks and running here and there (I should say we did not have that much of a place to run around since we live in an apartment)...but it was fun to watch them play. I was glad everyone enjoyed ...

Ingredients for Upma

1 Cup Rava
1 Medium size onion
1 Green Chilly
1 Inch Ginger
6 Whole Cashews - broken into small pieces
1/2 Cup Peas Frozen
Oil
1 Tsp Ghee
Salt
Water
For Tadka - mustard, urad dhal, curry leaves and channa dhal

Take the oil and ghee and heat it. Add the ingredients mentioned for tadka to the oil. Add Green Chillies, Ginger, Cashews and saute it. Add the onions and fry till it is slightly brown. Add the Rava and fry it for  a while (In the mean while boil the water for making upma).  Turn off the gas and add the water to the rawa. If it gets too sticky you can add little ghee to it. The upma is ready to be served along with Pesarattu...now lets get to the next step of making the yum pesarattu....

Ingredients for Pesarattu

1 Cup Whole Moong dhal (pachai payaru)
1 Hand full Rice (oru kai pidi)
2 Red Chillies
2 Green Chilles
1 Inch Ginger
1 Medium Size Onion
Coconut (you can use this too...but I did not)
Salt to Taste
Oil for making Pesarattu

Soak the Moong dhal, Rice and Red chillies for 8 to 10 hours. Set the water aside (that was used for soaking). Use this water to just sprinkle while grinding the mixture (you do not want to make the mixture watery). Grind it along with green chillies, Ginger, Onion and Coconut. Add salt to the grinded mixture. This mixture will be coarse and thick. Do not make it watery.

Take the Tawa and pour the mixture on the tawa in the middle. Make the Pesarattu (just the way you do the dosas). Pour the mixture in the center and using a laddle spread it the way  you do the dosas. Poke a little whole in the center. Pour little oil around the pesarattu and into the whole in the middle. Turn it on the other side and cook. Flip it again. Keep the upma and fold it the way you want (just the way you do masala dosas).

I learn that the pesarattu is served with upma during my visit to Hyderabad. We were invited to a friend's house and that Aunty had made this for break fast...I can still remember the hot pesarattu and upma she served us with ginger chutney. I loved it. This was 4 years ago....Yesterday I made it for my friends and I was happy every one loved it ....including the kids!! Do remember to serve it with Ginger Chutney!!

Bread Upma

This summer has been very pleasant in Mid West. It is raining atleast couple of days in a week!!

Varuna bhagavan has been very kind to the mankind - "Aayi Mayai Kanna..... in the month of Aadi".

It is one of these days ...when it rains you want eat something hot and spicy. I was pondering what to make ....when my mind drifted off to my school days. It was a rainy day (which is rare in Chennai!!) and we were attending the last class for the day and reluctantly listening to our history teacher...who on earth wants to listen to what she is saying...it is raining and we wanted to play in the puddles/make paper boats ...rather than listening about British rule in India!! Amma had informed that she will have the bread upma ready for us when we get back from school. Eagerly waited for the last bell to go (for enjoying the rains as well as the bread upma).
It is always nice to enjoy memories from childhood.I got off the couch to make bread upma for myself on another rainy day!!
Ingredients:
Bread Slices 8
Curry leaves – few
Red Bell Pepper – ½
Onion small – 1
Green Bell Pepper – ½ Peas Frozen 1 tbsp
Potato Small size – 2
Mustard – ½ tsp
Urad Dhal – ½ tsp

Dice the vegetables and keep before starting the bread upma. Steam the potatoes and peas in the microwave.
Cut the corners of the bread and keep it aside. Cut the bread into pieces.
Take 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add mustard, urad dhal and curry leaves. Saute the onions until they turn brown. Now add the bell peppers and fry for some more time. Add the boiled peas and potatoes (after draining the water). Also add little bit of salt (note: the bread has enough salt..so just add more salt for better taste). Add the cut bread pieces. Sprinkle water if needed. Add the crust at the end and fry for some more time. Serve it with tomato ketchup.

Rain brings happiness to our lives...makes us dance to the tune of the rain drops!!