Uppama (Spiced Cream of Wheat)

This recipe has been staring at me from the pages of 660 Curries for years. I kept telling myself that I'd try it... sometime, but I never quite managed it.

I'd never tried cream of wheat before, but I've heard jokes about its awfulness as a breakfast porridge. Those attitudes made me somewhat reluctant to give it a go. And then, on top of that, I'm supposed to add all of these spices and vegetables?! I wasn't convinced that would be a winning combo.

However, Iyer has once again proved me wrong! This was great! TF actually said it was a favourite for her. And, while I don't think it rose to quite that level for me, I did enjoy it a great deal.

I appreciate that this dish makes a relatively quick and easy substrate that actually incorporates a few veggies. Not a lot to be sure, but at least it's something!

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Uppama

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 c. raw cashews
• 1 Tbsp. skinned split black lentils (mapte beans/urad dal)
• 6 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chilies, stems removed
• 2 c. frozen green peas
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 c. water
• 12 fresh or frozen curry leaves
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 4 fresh green Thai, finger, or serrano chilies, halved lengthwise
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 c. non-instant cream of wheat (sooji)

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until they've stopped popping (30-60 seconds).
3. Add the cashews, lentils, and dried chilies and stir-fry until the chilies blacken (1-2 minutes).
4. Add the peas and turmeric and stir to coat.
5. Add the water and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the curry leaves, salt, fresh chilies, and cilantro.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in cream of wheat.
8. Cover and cook until the grains swell up (~5 minutes).
9. Fluff with a fork and serve.