AVAL UPMA

I love breakfast! Especially when its served for dinner. Upma was never a favourite while growing up. I like my upma dry (or rather, drier) and not sticky. I also like to add any vegetables in hand to it and make it wholesome. Here is my super simple Aval upma recipe that we have never had for breakfast yet, always just for dinner :D

Aval upma recipe

serves 2

Ingredients

4 cups of Aval/poha

1 onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup peas (fresh or frozen)

1 cup potatoes finely chopped

2 red chillies (adjust to taste)

1" piece ginger, grated

A few curry leaves

1/2 tsp urad dal / uluntham paruppu / uzhunnu parippu

1/4 tsp mustard seeds / kaduku

A few roasted groundnuts to garnish (optional)

Coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish (didn't have any this time)

1/2 tsp sambhar powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp oil

Salt to taste

How to make

Soak aval in water for 15 minutes

Heat oil in a pan and sautee the chopped potatoes. Once they are cooked, keep aside and in the same pan add the mustard seeds, urad dal, red chillies and curry leaves. When the dal turns golden brown and the mustard seeds splutter, add the onions and ginger.

Fry for 4-5 mins until the onions turns golden brown.

Drain water in the soaked aval and add it to the pan. Add peas, cooked potatoes, turmeric powder, sambhar powder and salt.

Mix well and continue to cook for 5-10 mins.

Serve hot with a spicy hot pickle.