Confession: I've never had cream of wheat as a breakfast cereal. I've had it as a savoury curry substrate. And I've used it as an ingredient. But I've never done the hot breakfast cereal thing. So I figured it was time to give it a try.

It came out a bit like cog. Thicker. And obviously more pale and without the corn flavour. But it was pretty similar otherwise. And, honestly, next time I think I'd be inclined to make it with an even higher milk-to-grain ratio next time. Maybe 1/2 c. cream of wheat to 4 c. milk, rather than 3/4 c. cream of wheat.

This was theoretically meant to be made with apricots, cranberries, and almonds. I was all out of dried apricots though, so I swapped in some chopped dried dates instead. I liked it with the dates, but I'd love to try it with apricots sometime too.

Cream of Wheat with Dried Fruit

Slightly adapted from The Big Book of Breakfast by Maryana Vollstedt

Ingredients

• 4 c. milk
• 1/2 c. cream of wheat/sooj
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 c. chopped dried apricots (or dates)
• 1/4 c. dried cranberries
• 1/4 c. slivered almonds

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cereal reaches desired consistency.

Bangada chi Hooman (Mackerel with Hooman Sauce)

We had Reiver's parents over for dinner on Monday. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to cook until a few hours before they arrived, but I had had vague hopes that it could be something fish-based. And oh boy, were we in luck! They had kahawai fillets on sale. So far I'd only seen kahawai available as whole (ungutted) fish. So having some lovely fillets on hand was very exciting. Especially since a) they were lovely, large, meaty pieces of fish and b) they weren't even that expensive! Very nice!

We came home with five huge fillets and, with Reiver's advice, I decided to use them in this fun-looking mackerel curry. And it was delicious! I would definitely make this one again! (Assuming I could find the fish for it, of course.) It was really tasty and a big hit all 'round.

Photo goes here.

Bangada chi Hooman

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. ginger chile paste¹
• 1/2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt, divided
• 750-1000g of skinless mackerel, kahawai, or cod fillets
• 1/4 c. oil, divided
• 1 onion, chopped
• ~200mL diced tomato
• 1 tsp. tamarind concentrate
• 2 tsp. Maharashtrian garam masala
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley, if you cannot abide the coriander leaves)
• 1/2 c. cream of wheat or dry breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Combine the ginger chile paste with 1 tsp. of the salt and smear it all over the fish. Cover and chill for 30-60 minutes.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp. of oil over medium heat.
3. Add the onion and cook until softened (~10 minutes).
4. Add the tomato, tamarind, and masala and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
5. Stir in the cilantro.
6. Meanwhile, heat some of the remaining oil over medium heat and dredge the fish in the cream of wheat/breadcrumbs.
7. Add the fish to the pan and fry until cooked through and crispy on both sides (4-8 minutes per side depending on thickness). Add additional oil as needed during cooking.
8. Dish up the fish and top it with the sauce. Serve with rice or a rice-lentil porridge like elambuchambu shaadum.

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¹ I didn't have any ginger chile paste and didn't want to either make or buy a whole jar just for this one recipe, so I just minced some fresh jalapeño and stirred it into plain ginger paste. I didn't want it to be too spicy (nor use too much pepper) since I was trying not to poison Keith, so I just used half of a jalapeño and removed the seeds and pith. ^Back

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.