Few self respecting TamBrahms would not know how to make upma. The recipe is so simple, it screams for experimentation.
Over the years, I have created and experienced variations on the theme. Here are a few.
Roasting the Rawa
Over the years, I have created and experienced variations on the theme. Here are a few.
Roasting the Rawa
Instead of roasting it in a pan, use a large square piece of cotton and set the rawa in the center. You may choose to add some aromatics, like a bunch of rosemary into the rawa.
Bring all four corners of the cloth together, twist the loose end and tie it into a knot. Drop this next to a slow burning fire. Its important that the cloth with the rawa never touches the fire. Keep for about 3 – 4 hours, and the use the rawa for making upma.
The water to stir the rawa in.
Many years ago, my brother created this variation on a hot Saturday morning. Those days my sister-in-law would cook at least 2 different meals every day of the week. On weekends she would not cook, and we finished all the leftovers, which she kept in the fridge. Kind of a weekly culinary review. On Sunday night, we took her out to dinner and then the cycle would continue next week. One Saturday morning my brother decided to make upma for breakfast. As he was checking through the fridge for ingredients, he saw a pot full of rasam. Instead of water, he used the rasam to stir the rawa in and made culinary history.
Another time, I had to cook lunch for someone I was excited about at that time. She was also bringing a bunch of friends over and I had to show some semblance of skill. So I roasted the rawa, until it was almost brown. This ensured the upma would not become a coagulated mass, and the grains of rawa would separate themselves after cooking. I used home made beef stock to stir the rawa in. Earlier I had heated vegetable oil with lard, dropped sesame seeds into it, then added the beef stock. When the stock began to boil, I added the rawa, stirred constantly and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Once done, I transferred the upma into a large flat earthware, and set it on a sigdi (a fire hazard, but you have to be stupid sometimes) to keep warm. I had roasted green, yellow and red peppers on the sigdi earlier, on which I drizzled fresh olive oil. This was the side to the Indian couscous. I then paired the meal with a warm bottle of dry Riesling.
7 comments:
Lupus - your descriptions would certainly be better than the products I guess. LOL.
Are you saying I am a better writer than a cook ? Wait, dont remember cooking for you, so how would you know :))
Every orthodox bone in my body is screaming murder! Rosemary in upma? Upma with wine? Upma in beef stock?
A good upma is a culinary classic, man! (Is there a special hell for all fusionists?)
I loved the upma and rasam idea. Now THAT sounds like something.
I liked the other idea as well - roasted bell peppers and olive oil, on the side. There's nothing in my book that says you can't have two cuisines on the same table.
Oi, when did you grow orthodox bones? :)))))))))))))))))).
How about if we call it 'Couscous L'Indienne avec Legumes'. does it make sense to cook that in stock ?
Agreed, upma is one those classic comfort foods. I know a restaurant(who doesn't?) in Vile Parle where upma eaten at the table is not great, but take it to go and it becomes magical. Here's why. They wrap it in banana leaf, on which they put some ghee. By the time I walk back home with the 'parcel', the banana leaf has worked its magic on the hot upma.
Adding chicken stock or other kinds of stock to food preparations (idly/dosa batter, chappati dough) seems a great idea! Do you have any experience in such stuff?
I had couscous in Tunisia - well, I wouldn't rate it too high. Further they dont make it with our rava, I heard it is some other granular stuff from some leaf.
kss, you have to add stock to those foods that do not overpower the flavor of stock. idli/dosa batter/chappati dough will mask the stock flavor, though i have not tried it with the above.
a reduced stock(not a demi-glace, tho) might work great with chappati, since the heating process will release the flavors, though you might have to use fullbodied stock (read red meat stock).
Come to think of it, fish stock might be a great option for idlis, not in the dough, but to steam the idlis in. hmmmmm. Delicate idlis with a hint of fish. the more i think of it, the more i like it. you will need some fish bones (heat them on a tawa before using them), 1 potato, a bunch of fish heads and tails (the most aromatic parts of the fish) and water. skim well when the stock is simmering and strain through muslin after cooling and ensure no particles are left in the stock. btw, you will have to buy fresh fish, not the cardboard sold in supermarkets.
now use this stock to steam the idlis in.
or
make mini idlis
as the idlis are steaming, make the 'bath' for the idlis.
heat vegetable oil(make sure it has no aroma when heated) and fry some white onions in it. add a piece of fresh ginger, and then add the fish stock and simmer. put the mini idlis in a bowl, pour the above 'bath' into the bowl and garnish with a pinch of fresh cut coriander and serve with home-made white butter on the side.
here's how to eat it with a spoon. scoop a mini idli, with some of the stock, touch the butter with the under side of the spoon.
Yummy yummy.. I'm salivating at the thought.
Hey Canis - sheep/goat legs (Paya) burnt on a fire, has a great aroma too - perhaps one could use that to steam - idiyappam (the usual accompaniment for idiyappam in parts of Tamilnadu is paya curry).
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