Tiffin is a word commonly used in South India to refer to a light savory meal in between lunch and dinner. It’s typically served with tea or coffee. Tiffin is usually easy to prepare, and does not require too many ingredients. Upma is one of the more common tiffin; made using semolina (rava upma), vermicelli (semia upma), pressed rice (aval upma), coarsely ground rice (arasi upma), cracked wheat (godhamai upma), or even bread (bread upma). The versatility of the upma also allows it to be consumed as a brunch or a light dinner item. Ingredients for upma can be bought from any Indian store, and increasingly from supermarkets like Safeway or Whole Foods Market.
Aval Upma Recipe (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups aval (pressed rice)
- 1 potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 0.5 tsp black mustard seeds
- 0.5 tsp split urad dhal
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 0.25 cup coriander leaves
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 small lemon
- Pinch of asafetida
- Pinch of turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
Cooking directions:
- Place aval in a sieve and rinse with cold water for a minute. The aval must be wet but not too soggy. It will look slightly clumped. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and urad dhal in oil till the mustard starts sputtering and the dhal is golden brown.
- Add in the potatoes and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add in the chopped onions, chilies, asafetida, and turmeric. Reduce heat and fry till the onions are translucent and the potatoes are cooked. Covering the pan helps cook the potatoes faster.
- Mix in the slightly wet aval. Cover the pan and leave on very low heat for another 3-4 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Turn off heat. Squeeze the lemon juice over upma mixture. Season with salt, garnish with coriander, and serve.
Quick tip: For variation, leave out the potatoes, chilies, and onions, and simply season cooked aval with freshly ground pepper, salt and lemon juice.
Bread Upma (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
- 2 slices white bread, cut into small squares
- 2 slices multigrain bread, cut into small squares
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 0.5 tsp black mustard seeds
- 0.5 tsp split urad dhal
- 0.5 tsp split channa dhal
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Sriracha or hot sauce
- 1 tbsp Heinz tomato ketchup
- 0.25 cup coriander leaves
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- Pinch of asafetida
- Salt to taste
Cooking directions:
- Heat mustard seeds, cumin seeds, channa and urad dhal in oil till the mustard starts sputtering.
- Reduce heat and toss in the chopped onions and chilies. Fry till the onions are translucent.
- Add in the tomatoes, asafetida, hot sauce and tomato ketchup, and mix till the tomatoes are nice and soft. Reduce heat to low.
- Add bread to the mixture and gently coat the bread pieces. Fry for a further 3-4 minutes. The bread pieces need to be nicely moist but still firm.
- Turn off heat. Season with salt, garnish with coriander, and serve.
Quick tip: Bread Upma is a great way to use up older bread ends. Include cooked peas or grated carrots in the bread upma to increase nutritional content and flavor.
Janani Mohanakrishnan - Writing is a passion of mine! I hope my articles stimulate your interest, and help you create fun and memorable experiences.
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