The simplest savoury breakfast in most Indian houses is the Suji Upma or Semolina Porridge. Easy to make, yet everything can go wrong. So here is our take on the right formula. Feedback is welcome.

Ingredients:

• Coarse Semolina – 1/2 cup
• Clarified butter / Ghee to saute Semolina
• Vegetable oil for rest of the step (or continue with Clarified butter)
• Curry Leaves – 1/4th teaspoon
• Mustard Seeds – 1 small sprig
• Raw Cashew (optional) – small handful
• Raw Peanuts (optional) small handful
• Dry Red Chillies – 2
• Chopped vegetables – cauliflower, carrot, peas goes well. Chop small.
• Ginger – 1/2 a teaspoon chopped
• Green Chillies (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Hot Water

Steps:

• Heat a flat pan on medium heat and add the semolina spreading it in the pan, add the clarified butter and gently saute and mix in with semolina for 5 minutes. Make sure you don’t over cook and make the semolina brown. Remove from the pan and keep aside.

• Dry roast cashew and peanuts in the same pan till cashew is browned and peanuts crackle. Keep aside when done.

• In the same pan on medium flame heat very little vegetable oil, when hot add mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chillies and saute till the crackling of mustard seeds and curry leaves stops.

• Add onions and saute till slightly brown. Then add all the vegetables of choice and a little salt and saute for 3 to 4 minutes.

• Add the chopped ginger and give it a mix. Ginger gives a nice twang to each bite. You dont need to saute it, just mix it in.
• Add 1.5 cups of hot water and mix, taste for salt. At this stage you want to fix the savoury level, not too salty and not too bland. Get it right here. Bring to a boil and let it boil for 30 seconds. Reduce flame to low, rest of the steps need to be on really low flame.

• Now take the bowl of Semolina in one one hand and a spatula in another and as slowly as possible let the semolina fall into the water while mixing gently and spreading into the pan. Once all in, mix around gently and cover the pan. Keep mixing and covering in between.
• The semolina needs to cook to the right consistency. If you feel the mix is becoming too dry, add a little hot water and gently mix in do that till you get the right consistency.

• You know it is done by tasting it – it should be soft and not coarse or dry. Switch off the gas and leave the pan covered for a few minutes.
• Before its done you can add the Cashews and Peanuts and mix in or garnish on top at the end without mixing in.

Tips:

• Don’t add the semolina raw into the water and when you add it to the water make sure the flame is low and you add a little at a time constantly stirring.
• Once all in, stir gently, dont over mix it.
• Keep lid on so that semolina cooks well.
• Get the salt level right before adding the semolina
• You can saute the semolina in the beginning with or without clarified butter. It just adds to the flavor.