Vegetable Upma

Serving size : 4
Total Preparation time : 8 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients :
1 cup medium sized semolina, roasted
1.5- 2 tbspn oil/ ghee

For the tempering :
A pinch of asafetida
1 sprig/ 7-8 curry leaves
1 tspn cumin seeds
1 tspn mustard seeds
1/2 inch grated ginger
3 finely chopped green chilies
1 tspn Split and skinned black gram/chana dal/bengal gram
1 tspn Split and skinned black lentils/ urad dal
1 tbpsn peanuts
1 tbspn cashew nuts

For vegetable mix :
1 tbspn finely green peas
1 tbpsn chopped green beans
1 tbspn finely chopped carrots
2 tbspn finely chopped onions
2 tbspn lime juice
1.5 tspn salt
2 tspn sugar
2 cups hot water

For the garnishing :
1 tspn freshly grated coconut (optional)
1 tbspn finely chopped coriander leaves


Method :
Heat a wide heavy bottom non stick pan with ghee/oil on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and fry till they crackle. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds along with the chana dal and urad dal. Add the cashew nuts and peanuts and fry them along with the lentils/dals. Add the green chilies,curry leaves along with ginger, saute for 1 min. Add the chopped onion and fry till transparent. Now add the chopped vegetables, salt and sugar and mix well. Turn the heat to medium, add hot water to the vegetables, mix well and bring the water to a boil. Cook till the vegetables are tender. Now turn the heat to medium and add the roasted semolina in 3- 4 batches stirring continuously to make sure there are no lumps. Keep on stirring and cook the semolina till it absorbs the water and swells. Lower the heat and cook the mixture till it becomes dry. If the mixture is too dry add some more water. Simmer for another 2 mins stirring making sure the mixture doesn't stick at the bottom. Turn off the heat, add the lime juice and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and freshly grated coconut and serve hot.

Best served as a snack or breakfast with green coconut chutney, lemon wedges or pickle

Tip :
Using hot water to cook the semolina helps in saving cooking time.
You could skip the veggies totally and use only the nuts and lentil.
Veggies leave water upon cooking so add water in parts, you could add more water if required.
Adjust sugar, salt and lime juice as per required taste.

Chinese Vegetable egg fried rice

Serving 4-5

Total preparation time : 40 mins 

Ingredients :

1 cup raw rice, cook only 70% with salt and veg stock/ chicken broth. ( evenly separated grains and not sticky)  (See Homemade veg stock recipe)

4 eggs, well beaten, scramble with oil and set aside. 

Veggies to sauté: 

6 finely chopped green beans 

1/2 cup green peas

1 cup finely chopped carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped celery 

1 cup finely chopped green onion

1/2 cup white onion/ white part of green onion

3 tbspn finely chopped garlic

1 tbspn finely grated ginger

Seasoning :

1 tspn sugar 

2 tspn black pepper 

1 tbspn rice vinegar

1 tbspn chilli sauce 

2.5-3 tbspn dark soya sauce

Salt to taste 

Garnishing : 

3 tbspn finely chopped green onion

2 tbspn grated carrot

A few roasted peanuts deskinned. 

To cook :

Sesame oil  3 tbspn

2 cups water or 1 cup veg/ chicken stock to cook the rice 

Method 

Heat a nonstick large skillet/ pan on high heat with 1 tbspn oil, add ginger, garlic and black pepper. Then stir fry with white onions and set aside in the bowl with the scrambled egg. Now take another 1 tbspn oil in the same pan, add rest of the veggies one by one and stir fry on high heat till partly cooked.( don't overcook). Adjust the heat to low, add the rest of the seasoning and simmer for 2 mins. Add cooked rice, the egg and sautéed ginger, garlic and onion. Mix well without breaking the rice and cook covered for 3 mins. Mix well 2-3 times and garnish with green onion, carrots and peanuts. Serve immediately with your choice of stir fry/ curry. 

Tips:

-Rice should not be over cooked, use straining method if using water.

-Add easily cooking veggies like celery, bell peppers last while you sauté and cook veggies till crispy.

-Setting aside the sautéed onion garlic and ginger doesn't let it overcook along with the veggies.

- If adding chicken/ shrimp or tofu, marinate it with rice wine, rice vinegar, soya sauce black pepper and salt, sauté it and set aside before starting. 

Homemade Vegetable stock

Method and Ingredients :

Heat 2 tbspn butter or olive oil in a large stock pot, add 1 bay leaf, 1 clove,2 pepper corns and sauté freshly grated/chopped 1 inch ginger, 3 garlic cloves and 1/2 med sized onion. 

Then add finely chopped veggies - 

1/2 cup celery, 

1/4th cup carrots, 

1/4th cup green beans, 

1/4cup tomatoes,

1/4 cup green peas,

1/4 cup cabbage, 

1/4 cup cauliflower, 

1/4 cup capsicum.

2 tbspn cilantro 

Now add 2 cups water, salt and cook covered on high heat for 15mins. Check if all veggies have becomes mushy and that the water has changed it's color. Add more water if needed and simmer for another 5 minutes. Strain and use/refrigerate to store once cooled.

Tips:

You can also add cinnamon powder, Italian herbs like oregano, thyme, basil, parsley etc.

You can use the veggy residue after straining for making cutlets or purée it and use it in soups/sauces and gravies. Without straining it becomes a veg clear soup ready to serve.

Dont miss out on onion, celery, tomato, and cabbage as it's the essence of a good tasty stock

Add potatoes pieces if you want a thick stock. 

Pressure cooking will be fast but not nutritious and healthy, slow cooking and simmering is recommended for best taste.