Semolina (Suji) Upma

Suji or Semolina Upma is a very common breakfast dish in Maharashtra and in south India. It is mostly served with coconut chutney. It is a healthy option and is very light with very little spice.

Ingredients

•  1 cup Semolina (Suji)
•  1 medium size onion finely cut
•  1 Carrot finely cut
•  Half a cup peas (Mutter or peas)
•  Kari leaves
•  Spices (Salt, red chili powder, Mustard seeds)
•  1-2 table spoon of Oil or Butter
  

Procedure

• Heat oil or butter in a pan. Put mustard seeds on oil when hot. Add onion and kari leaves. Let it cook till onion is little translucent.
  

• Add carrot and cook till it is little soft. Now add peas.
  

• Add 3 cups of water now (3 times the quantity of semolina). Add salt to taste and half a tea spoon of red chili powder. Give it a stir.
  

• Now add semolina. Stir it to make sure no lump is formed. Keep the gas in low flame and cover the vessel.
  

• Cook till the water evaporates. (Stop the burner even before it is fully cooked, the remaining will be cooked in the steam)

Serving Tip

• Grease a bowl with little butter and fill it with Upma.
  

• Now invert the bowl on a plate. Tap a bit on the bowl and it will come nicely on the plate. Put some butter on top and serve it with coconut chutney.
  

Kanji ka Pani

Holi always brings back the memories of my childhood. After playing holi we used to have a big gathering at our place with family and friends and we used to enjoy chat items while we are still wet with color and water. Most popular chat item of this festival was dahi vade and kanji ka pani. But my personal favorite was kanji ka pani. 

This is a very famous chat items from north especially from UP. I still remember, the taste of kanji ka pani served near Har ki padi in Haridwar near Ganga ji. It is normally kept in earthen pot which keeps the water naturally cool.

There are multiple variations of kanji ka pani based on the main ingredient you add in it. Like kanji vada with moong daal ke vade or kanji with red carrot or kanji with beet root. Here I am writing a receipy with beet root but this can be replaced or added with any other item you want like carrot or vade.

Ingredients 

• 2 big spoon salt
• 1/2 big spoon red chili
• 1/2 big spoon haldi powder
• 2-3 big spoon rai or mustard seeds
• 1/2 spoon hing
• 7-8 glasses water
• 1 beetroot (optional) 
• 2-3 red carrots (optional) 

Procedure

• Grind rai in grinder
• Add water in big container preferably a glass container. Add salt, red chili powder, haldi powder, hing, grinded mustard seeds.
• Cut beet root/carrot in small pieces and add in water. Beet root also gives a bright red color to the water. 
• Now keep the container at some hot place, preferably where it gets sun light and let it fermant for 3-4 days. Adjust spieces as per your taste (if required)
• Serve it cool and depending on weather ice cubes can also be added while serving.
  

Lemon Rice

This item you can cook in no time and is liked by all age group. If your rice is ready the actual time required to make lemon rice is hardly 15 mins. 

Ingredients

• 1 Glass of rice 
• Half cup peanuts
• Block of grated ginger
• Kari leaves
• 2-3 medium size green chilli (slit in half and cut in big pieces)
• Around half a cup lemon juice
• Spices (Mustard seeds or rai, salt, turmeric powder)
• 1-2 table spoon oil
  

Serves 4

Procedure

• Cook rice with double amount of water in gas or in microwave till they are around 75% done.
  

• Strain out the rice from water and rinse it with cold water. Keep it aside.
  

• In a bowl of lemon juice, add turmeric powder and salt. Mix it well so that the salt dissolves.

• Fry peanuts in hot oil and keep it aside.
  

• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and Kari leaves. Once mustard seeds start to crack, add ginger. 
  

• Now on low flame add lemon juice and let it cook for around 1-2 minutes. Add fried peanuts.
  

• Now add cooked rice portion by portion and mix it with the lemon juice gently. Let the rice cook for another 3-4 minutes in a low flame.

You can also follow the video for complete details.