Upma is a perfect dish for jiffy cooking. Yet, it could be so gratifying to dig it. But…when growing up, I hated upma. To me it was mere a torture to endure it in the morning! I always cursed my Dorm staffs for making a poor choice of ingredients in the dish. For years, I went hungry to the school…because of this dish. Later, when I moved in to my own apartment and started cooking…I learned…that it could be done tastier with many options. And, it did taste right. Its all about the cook who makes a platter yummy or dummy, I guess. So, here is a upma recipe done with cous cous (the parboiled semolina – Ethiopian origin). Its really good, give it a shot.

• 1 cup cous cous
• 3 green chilies, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 garlic pods
• 1″ ginger, grated
• few curry leaves
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1/2 mustard seeds
• 1/2 cumin seeds
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• few tsp oil
• few cilantro leaves to garnish

Method

In a wide wok, heat oil and add the tempering spices and wait till they pop and splutter. Then add chilies, onions, garlic and ginger to it. Saute for few minutes. Add three cups of water and salt. When water startes boiling, stir-in the cous cous. Cover and cook for three or four minutes. If the moisture is all sucked up and the cous cous looks fluffy, its done. Serve up warm. Relish it with tangy pickles…Yum.