CRACKED WHEAT VEGETABLE UPMA

This is a favorite and regular breakfast item for us, a healthy and easy one-pot dish. Usually when preparing plain upma, I only season them with green or red chilies and onions. For the vegetable version, I add tomatoes and chili powder to make it more spicy and colorful. This type of upma doesn’t need any side dish alongside.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Cracked wheat (samba ravai), 1 cup.
2. Onion, medium size, 1.
3. Roma tomato, 1.
4. Green chilies, 2.
5. Mixture of chopped vegetables like carrot, green beans, capsicum, cauliflower, green peas, 1 cup.
6. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
7. Chili powder, 1 to ½ teaspoon depending upon preferred spice level.
8. Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon.
9. Channa dhal, 1 tablespoon.
10. Broken cashews, 1 tablespoon.
11. Curry leaves, 3-4.
12. Chopped cilantro for garnishing.
13. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Dry roast the rava under low-to-medium flame for 10 minutes and let it cool. Chop the onion and tomatoe and slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a thick-bottomed pan with a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cashews and channa dhal and fry for a few seconds until they turn brown. Add the chopped onions now and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are tender. Then add the chopped tomatoes along with the green chilies, curry leaves, and salt and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Add the chopped mixed vegetables along with chili powder and keep frying under low flame for 2-3 minutes until the chili powder loses its raw smell. Add 2 cups of water now and let it come to a boil. Once the water starts to boil, reduce the flame and add the cracked wheat slowly. Keep stirring the mixture to avoid any lumps as the cracked wheat is added and once the wheat is added, add another tablespoon of oil, mix everything well, and cook closed under low flame for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro once the upma turns dry and the vegetables have been cooked and serve hot with pickle.