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Raghava KK
Raghava KK is an artist and entrepreneur and was named by CNN as one of the 10 most
remarkable people in 2010. He is a four-time TED speaker, a National Geographic Emerging
Explorer, and Chair of the INK Fellows Program. Raghava is currently working on his creativity
startup, which brings an artist's perspective to the tech world. His app Flittr helps people see
the world in a new way (www.flittr.io).
Upma
A savory South-Indian breakfast dish
Ingredients
1 cup of semolina
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons cooking oil
a Pinch of asafoetida
2 green chilies sliced down the middle
(you can substitute Thai chilies as well)
½ teaspoons black mustard seeds
5 curry leaves
10 raw cashews, broken roughly (optional)
½ cup green peas (frozen or fresh)
½ red onion finely chopped
1 teaspoons salt
2 cups of water
Salt, to taste
prepAration
Chop the onion finely and set aside. Slice the green chilies down the middle.
If you don’t like spice, you can use one chili or you can remove and discard the
seeds. If you are using frozen peas, take them out of the freezer to thaw for about
10 minutes. Roughly break the cashews and keep aside
DIRECTIONS
Roast the semolina in a nonstick pan or iron wok on low-medium heat until it turns
a light golden brown. You will need to stir it frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn.
This should take about 5-7 minutes. When it is done, transfer it to a bowl. In the
same empty pan/wok, melt the butter on low heat until it turns a very light golden
brown. Then add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, asafoetida and
cashew pieces. Turn the heat up to medium and let it cook until the mustard seeds
start to pop (about a minute). Add the 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and the onion
pieces and sauté until the onion is completely cooked (but not yet browned). Add
the green peas and let them sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the
water and 1 teaspoon of salt and wait till the water comes to a boil. When the water is
boiling, turn down the heat to low. Add the roasted semolina 1 tablespoon at a time.
Each time you add a spoonful, make sure you stir it until it is completely smooth and
incorporated. There should be no lumps. This is the most important step. If
you add the semolina too much at a time or without stirring, the texture of the upma
will not be correct. Once all the semolina is added, continue to stir the upma. If it still
looks wet or pasty, continue to cook it on low until it dries out. It should be moist,
but fluffy looking. Transfer the cooked upma to a large bowl. Add more salt to taste.
PHOTO CREDIT (top): Nimish Jain
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