There are many recipes that are passed on from one generation to another generation. However there are few out of them, which are not liked by this generation… at least at my house. None of my immediate relatives like smell of Shepi( Dill leaves) and hence this one is hardly prepared and would have lost from our contemporary radar but for my wife. Now this one is prepared by my wife for breakfast and she brings this recipe in, from her mother. I do like this dish but not my parents or any other immediate relatives. I have heard from Aayi that some of our relatives who are contemporaries of my grandfather still prepare this. But at my ancestral house, as no one liked, it was never prepared. This may also because Shepi(dill) leaves are not easily or regularly available in coastal area. We do prepare this now at Bangalore, when we don’t have guests. So over a period of time, a breakfast dish has become sort of ‘temporary’ instead of staying contemporary!!! This will have strong smell(and for me it is fragrance!!) and I wonder why Dill leaves have not won many Dil (hearts)s !!!
Serves : 2 Preparation time : 30mins
Few months ago, I had invited some of my friends for dinner at home. Like always, they insisted on having a potluck so that I don’t have to cook so much. One friend said she will bring rava khichdi. The name itself brought back so many memories. I could almost taste it. She didn’t know I was looking forward to it and she brought something else that day. Usually I don’t say anything, but that day I shamelessly told her I was really looking forward to eating rava khichdi and she needs to make it for me. Poor girl, she felt so guilty, she made a huge batch of rava khichdi and mint chutney next day and brought it to my home!. Oh it was so good, just like I wanted. I ate that for 3 days(yes, she had brought a lot!) and the best part was even V and Ishaan loved it. Ever since then, I have prepared this couple of times and every time I fall in love with it a little more. I feel it is a fancy name to a vegetable upma , but it is so much more flavorful especially when served with chutney.
Ingredients: 1 and 1/2 cups rava/sooji 1/2 cup onion 1 and 1/2 cup vegetables – green beans, capsicum (bellpepper), green peas, carrot 1 tea spn chana dal 1 tea spn mustard seeds 1 tea spn urad dal 3 green chillies 1 tbl spn chopped(or grated) ginger 1 tbl spn lemon juice (optional) 4-5 curry leaves A pinch turmeric Oil Salt
Method: Dry roast rava till a nice aroma comes out and keep it aside. Heat oil (use a little more oil than you would normally add for upma) and add chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds. When mustard starts popping, add curry leaves, ginger, green chillies. Fry for a minute and then add onions, turmeric. When they turn translucent, add all the vegetables and mix everything well. Fry for a minute, add about 1/2 cup water and cover the lid, let the vegetables cook. When they are almost half done, add rava, about 2 cups water, salt. If needed add more water. When all the water is absorbed and rava is cooked, sprinkle lemon juice and mix everything well. Serve hot with mint chutney.
Mint Chutney : Grind together A big bunch(about 1 cup) of coriander leaves along with stems 1/4 cup mint leaves 2 green chillies 1 tea spn cumin seeds 1 tbl spn lemon juice 1 garlic clove 3-4 curry leaves (optional) 1 tbl spn fresh/frozen coconut Salt
Serves : 3-4 Preparation time : 30mins
