Starting out

Using the recipe at Mahanandi as a guide.

Nothing different from what we usually do for upma.  Nothing different to account for the cracked wheat – heavier, larger, less processed grains.  4 cups of water though, for a cup of cracked wheat.  Regular Rava does not need this much.

I will fry the cracked wheat a bit ….  Also will add roasted peanuts ….

Here goes nothing.

The proof of the pudding

Just finished the making, and the eating.   Very promising.  Passed the smoke test – I could eat it without any accompaniments.

Ingredients

• I used the cracked wheat from the Indian store – Swad brand.
• One medium-sized yellow onion.
• One Roma tomato
• All of one green pepper (only it was red)
• 3/4 inch diameter, and length, ginger, chopped into thin strips
• a handful of peanuts, which I roasted.
• Salt, and Olive oil
• I did not have any of the dhals for seasoning, nor even cumin.  Only had mustard seeds.

Method

I followed the Mahanandi recipe pretty closely.  I did not roast the cracked wheat. And I was not my usual timid self with the salt.

Aftermath

One cup of uncooked cracked wheat, produced an astounding amount of upma – enough for a light breakfast for 4 to 6 people.  How economical!  Perfect for people that have to watch the budget – cheap, voluminous, and healthy.

For one person, I would just use half a cup.  Throw vegetables in, and even this will make enough for a 3 light meals, I think.

What will this taste like cold?  How to best heat it?  Don’t know.

The grains, when cooked, were huge.  Very rice like.  I think this is a viable substitute for rice.  I am thinking we could even serve it at dinner, like they do jeera rice.  How to make jeera cracked wheat?

Next time, I will try adding garlic, and maybe spinach or methi.  This will make it more palau like, and perhaps more appropriate for lunch, or dinner.