Uppuma

'Salty Rice' A typical Tamil Sri Lankan breakfast recipe with semolina, vegetables and spices

Although my family calls this dish, 'Uppuma', I have also seen it spelled as 'Upma' and 'Uppu Ma' Apparently, roughly translated, it means 'salty rice'. It is not rice in fact, but coarse semolina and is eaten in Sri Lanka as a breakfast dish. I have seen recipes and versions that resemble a kind porridge that can be formed in a little ramakin to make a little mound of hard uppuma, but I prefer the light, fluffy almost cous cous like dish that my grandmother and family enjoy. You could use any vegetables you have left over, but the ones I have included in my recipe make for a bright and vibrant dish. Omitted the chilli's makes it milder. You could eat it with some nice curries instead of rice if it seems an odd dish for breakfast!

INGREEDIENTS

• 1 cup coarse semolina

• 1 carrot, peeled and grated

• 1 red onion, finely diced

• ½ tsp cumin seeds

• ½ tsp black mustard seeds

• 5 curry leaves

• 2 green chilli's, thinly sliced

• 1 tin sweet corn

• 1 cup frozen peas

• ½ cup water

METHOD

• Set the pan on a medium heat and dry roast the semolina. Just a couple of minutes, don't let it burn!

• Pour onto a plate and save for later

• Add some oil to the pan and fry the mustard and cumin seeds for one minute until they begin to pop and crackle.

• dd the curry leaves, chilli and onion and fry for 4 minutes, until the onions are golden brown

• Add the peas, carrot, sweetcorn and a good pinch of salt and fry for another minute

• Add ½ cup of boiling water and stir

• Add the semolina little by little, stirring after each spoonful

• Once all the semolina has been incorporated, put the lid on and cook for a 1 minute on a low heat

• Turn the heat off and let it stand with the lid on for 5 minutes It should be fluffy like cous cous when it is ready

• Top with shredded fresh coriander, cashew nuts and/or grated coconut if you like

Enjoy! Joseph x