Idli Upma

As a kid I always loved upma. It used to be one of my most preferred breakfast. Idli upma is a yummy twist to the usual upma we make everyday. Indian food is so versatile that the same dish with a little variation by an addition or subtraction of a few ingredients or spices can produce a whole new tasty dish! Sometimes, I think that's about how cooking goes around the world.

We just got back yesterday after a relaxed weekend at home. My mom-in-law sent us some yummy grub that will last for another day for sure and I'm so happy about that. Coming back after a holiday and getting back to the usual routine is always a painful task for me. I'm sure it's like that for a lot of us.

Coming back to the recipe, this dish is a little different from the normal upma and is extremely easy to make. Amma (mom-in-law) had sent us a few idlis along with chutney so we could have it for breakfast. I still had a few more left after yesterday's breakfast and thought I'll make an upma with the left-over idlis. This is a fun, quick and delicious breakfast or a perfect tiffin/snack for your lil ones.

I have shared below the way I cook it and I hope you will enjoy this as much as we do.

Ingredients

Idli - 8 no.s (cut into cubes)

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Bengal Gram (chana dal) - 2 tsp

Black Gram (urad dal) - 2 tsp

Big Onion (finely chopped) - 2

Green chillies (finely chopped) - 2 (adjust as per spice tolerance)

Ginger (finely chopped) - 1/2 inch piece

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Method

Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Fry bengal gram and black gram till colour changes. Then add finely chopped ginger, green chillies, onions and curry leaves and saut'e till onion becomes light brown. Now add the idli pieces and salt and toss till everything is combined well. Add 2 sprinkles of water (so that all the masala gets coated on the idli pieces) and cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.

And there you go, Idli Upma is ready to eat! Serve hot with any chutney of your choice.

Notes: You can use coconut oil instead of refined oil (I used sunflower oil) along with a pinch of gingelly oil to make this dish. It adds to the flavour.