Arisi Upma - Comfort Breakfast!

There are several ways you come across brilliant new recipes you have not even heard of before. These days, the internet is inherently the best place to stumble across interesting combinations of ingredients accompanied by photographs capable of creating a drool-pool on your keyboard. Televisions come next, with a host of cook-shows starring everyone from incredible seven-star chefs to film-celebrities who have never lit a stove. Then follow the mind-numbing varieties of cookbooks with their glossy covers and hefty price tags, covering every cuisine from everyday Indian to exotic French to Diabetic, Gluten-free, Vegan and what not. And then there are those food items that you hear of when you are least prepared to take notes - at a cousin's wedding with a lavish spread, where the chef is willing enough to share a recipe or two; at a random coffee shop conversation with a friend; at remote, never heard of canteens at government offices or from enthusiastic maamis at Chennai's many sabhas giving their opinion on the ways to make the perfect Keeravadai! This recipe also found its way into my ever-expanding lists of "to-try items" from a friend who was reeling off her amma's and paati's takes on the Arisi Upma, the lesser known southern cousin of the now ubiquitous Rava Upma!

     With her half-baked recipe floating around my head, I had to resort to the above mentioned methods to come up with a good enough source which I could safely mix and match with what I had in mind. Like I always do, after collecting one recipe from a Mallika Badrinath cook book, another from Samaithu Paar, and three more from the internet, I took the best mix of ingredients and proceeded with my own made-up recipe, which is what you are going to be treated to today!

ARISI UPMA (Serves 2-3)
Set-up Time :  10 minutes

Experiment Run-Time : 20 minutes

The Shopping List

          Set 1: Upma Base
          Raw Rice : 1 Cup
          Toor Dal (Red Gram/Split Pigeon Peas) : 1/4 Cup
          Cumin Seeds : 1 Tbsp
          Whole Peppercorns : 3/4 Tbsp
          Grated Coconut : 1/2 Cup (Fresh Preferred)

          Set 2: Seasonings

          Ginger : 1 inch piece, finely minced

          Asafoetida : 1/4 tsp

          Mustard seeds : 1 tsp

          Red Chilies : 4, broken

          Curry Leaves : a strand or two

          Urad Dal (Black Gram) : 1 Tbsp (It is yummy, so I used 2)

          Vegetable Oil : Sufficient to sauté the above

          Coconut Oil : 1 Tbsp

          Ghee : 1 Tbsp

          Salt : Adjust to taste

Methodology

1. Place all the ingredients from Set 1, except the coconut, in a Mixie jar. I used the one which is often dubbed the 'Chutney Jar' back home. It is usually the smallest of the jars and (according to me) is the best way for grinding dry ingredients.

2. Run the Mixie, intermittently on the pulse mode, a couple of times, until you get a coarse powder of dal and rice. If you grind it to a fine powder, then better luck next time. You will not be making any Arisi Upma today.

3. Set a pressure cooker on the stove. Heat the Vegetable oil on a medium flame and add the mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add the ginger, red chilies, curry leaves, Urad dal and asafoetida. Stir them around until the Urad dal takes on a reddish-brown hue. 

4. Immediately add the grated coconut and give a few swift stirring strokes. 

5. Now is the time to squeeze in the coconut oil (Oh yes! I use good old Parachute) and the generous tablespoon of ghee. They are some healthy fats, so let's not worry much here!

6. Finally, add the rice-dal-cumin-pepper powder, 3 cups of water, salt and close the pressure cooker.

7. Cook on a medium flame until you hear three whistles. Switch off the stove. Patience now! Once the pressure is released, you can dole out individual portions which may optionally be topped with more ghee (yumm!)

I served the Arisi Upma with my mother's special Urad Dal-Tamarind Chutney. I have also eaten it with Tomato Chutney, Aavakkai Pickle and Kaarakuzhambu. Each combination, I must say, is worthy of it's own poem, story and memory. 

Arisi Upma is a simple, fuss-free, breakfast masterpiece which I love to make during the winter months. After I wrap myself with a nice warm comforter, all it takes is a book and a plate of hot Arisi Upma to knock off a few hours from a gloomy Sunday. Hope you find it just as comforting as I do!