Bread Upma

Ringgggggg! Even before the school recess bell stopped ringing, my friends and I would rush out of the classroom and gather around, eager to explore the contents of each others lunchboxes. We had a daily ritual of sharing our lunches, and everyone’s eyes lighted up soon as I opened my lunchbox - all my friends loved my mom’s cooking! I love sharing, but whenever mom packed Bread Upma  (Savory Bread snack) were only days I wistfully wished that I was eating alone. Bread Upma was my favorite snack, and how hungrily I used to wait for my recess time to start so that I could feast on this delicious dish. But it was my friends’ favorite too, and on most days I would be lucky to catch a fleeting glimpse of it before all of it disappeared. To this day, my friends still reminisce about the burst of deliciousness and pleasure that a few mouthfuls of Bread Upma brought in their drab school day.

Bread Upma’s simple looks and easy preparation belie its great taste.  It is great as a snack, can be served at breakfast, or even rustled up quickly to satisfy those between-meal hunger pangs. Besides non-fresh bread, Upma can be made of semolina or cream of wheat. Feel free to add vegetables to suit your taste, the variations in this dish are only limited by your imagination & by the contents of your kitchen :)

BREAD UPMA RECIPE

Serves : 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

6 slices of Bread (preferably a day old)
1 tbsp Oil
A pinch of Asafoetida
1 tsp Mustard seeds
12 - 15 Curry leaves
1 1/2 tsp split skinned black gram (Dhuli urad dal)
1 large sized Onion; roughly chopped
1 inch ginger; finely chopped
2 medium-size tomatoes; chopped
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (Red chilli powder) or to taste
Salt to taste
2 tsp Lemon juice
2 Serrano Green chillies or to taste; finely chopped
1/8 cup water
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh Cilantro (Coriander) leaves; finely chopped

How to make Bread Upma

1. Cut off the edges of the bread.
2. Cut the bread into smaller pieces approx 1" small squares.
3. Heat oil in a wok or a deep pan on medium heat. Add asafoetida, cumin seeds & mustard seeds.
4. Once the cumin seeds change color & mustard seeds starts crackling, add curry leaves & black gram. Saute till the Black gram turns slightly brown in color.
5. Add onion & sauté till it is translucent.
6. Add ginger. Saute for 15-20 seconds.
7. Add tomatoes. Sauté till the tomatoes are soft but not mushy.
8. Add salt, cayenne pepper, turmeric powder & water. Mix well.
9. Add bread pieces. Stir to coat the bread cubes well with the mixture.
10. Adjust salt to your taste.
11. Add lemon juice, green chillies and cilantro leaves. Mix well.
12. Bread Upma is ready. Transfer to a bowl.
13. Serve it hot.