Rava ( Semolina)Tamarind Pongal

in Breakfast, South Indian

Recipe taken from Cook and See Vol 2

 

Semolina Tamarind Pongal (Puli Pongal) is very often made in many houses of Tamilnadu. Its gets done in a jiffy, is tasty, filling and simple dish to make. This dish comes as savior on those days ,when you wonder what to cook and your pantry has limited number of ingredients.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • Semolina 2 cups,
  • Tamarind 20 grams
  • Salt 2 teaspoons
  • Mustard 1 teaspoon,
  • Dried Red Chillies 4 (break into two ),
  • Green chillies 4 (chopped fine)
  • Asafoetida half a teaspoon,
  • Curry leaves few ,
  • Oil 1/4 cup

Method

  1. Take a deep bottomed kadai/ pan , heat 4 tablespoon of oil. Add semolina and shallow fry to reddish brown. If the semolina is pre roasted , you just need to   mildly shallow fry or totally skip the process
  2. Remove and keep aside.
  3. Soak the tamarind in 3 cups of water, for 10 to 15 minutes . Squeeze and extract the juice .
  4. In the same pan, heat rest of the oil, add mustard. As it splutters , add red chillies and green chillies .
  5. Add tamarind water , salt ,asafoetida and curry leaves. Mix well.
  6. Add the roasted semolina, little by little into the kadai  and stir well . Cook on low heat , till all the water is absorbed and semolina is cooked soft .
  7. Keep an extra  cup or two of hot  water,  ready at hand. You can add the water , if the  semolina is not cooked and the mixture has turned dry.
  8. Go on stirring the pan , while cooking,  so that the Upma doesn’t get scorched.
  9. Once the rava is well cooked ,remove from heat and serve hot .
  10. This Upma is a one meal in itself and can be cooked as a breakfast or dinner menu .