Mom's Aval (flattened rice) Upma

Introduction:
Upma = "uppu" (salt) + "maavu" (flour). Those are the basic ingredients, and there are therefore many variations of this dish. It is one of the most ubiquitous breakfast dishes in South India, and can be enjoyed at any time of day either as a snack or a meal. This version uses flattened rice, which is sold at Indian stores as either "aval" or "poha". This is really quick dish to make -- ten minutes at best, and is therefore a great option for when you're hungry.

Ingredients:
Aval - 2 cups
Onion, sliced - 1 medium
Dried red chillies - 3-4
Curry leaves - a stalk
Coriander leaves, chopped - 1/2 cup
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 tsp
Udad (split black gram) dal - 1 tsp
Chana (split Bengal gram) dal - 1 tsp
Cashews, halved (optional) - 1 tbsp
Haldi (turmeric powder) - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Lemon juice (optional) - 1 tsp or to taste

Method:
Wash the aval in cold water. Drain most of the water out, and leave for five minutes. Do not over-soak, otherwise it becomes soggy.
Heat oil in a wok. Add the cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the chana and udad dals (and cashews, if using) and fry till they start to turn brown. Add curry leaves and fry till crisp. Add the red chillies and onion. Fry till onions are translucent. Add turmeric and salt, mix well. Add the drained aval, mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves. Before serving, garnish with lemon juice if desired.

Enjoy hot! To add extra crispy texture, sprinkle sev on each serving.

Source: Mom's recipe
Author: Shrinkingsodacan

UPT Kuzhambu - quick, thick, spicy, & sour gravy with minimal ingredients

Introduction:
Kuzhambu is a soup/gravy dish from South India. It derives sourness from either tamarind or kokum, and also incorporates fried dals. On occasion, one has nothing lying around at home but dry ingredients -- dals, chilli powder, etc. My mom improvised this gravy so we wouldn't have to eat just plain rice. Leftover gravy can be incorporated into the next batch, so by the end of the week it was a mixture of flavours. My brother dubbed it "Uuru Peru Teriyaada Kuzhambu" (the kuzhambu that doesn't remember its origins), or UPTK.

Ingredients:
The ingredients can vary depending on availability at home. The basic recipe only requires you to temper some dry spices in oil, then make a gravy with some spice powders and a souring agent -- you can use tamarind if you have it, or tomatoes. The last step is to thicken the gravy.
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Udad dal - 1 tsp
Methi (fenugreek) seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a stalk (optional)
Red chillies - 3 (or just add more chilli powder)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing (asafoetida) - a pinch
Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp (or use chopped tomatoes)
Sambar powder (or just use chilli powder) - 1 tsp
Water - about 1 cup
Salt - to taste

Method:
Heat the oil and fry the mustard seeds and udad dal till they splutter. If adding curry leaves, do so and fry till crisp. Add tamarind paste (or tomatoes), salt, and water, mix well. Add turmeric, hing, and sambar powder (or chilli powder). Cover and bring to boil on medium flame. Uncover and cook until as thick as desired.

Mix into white rice and add some ghee if desired. Enjoy with fried papad or potato chips.

Source: Mom's recipe
Author: Shrikingsodacan

Pulikaachchal (spiced tamarind paste)

Introduction:
"Puli" = tamarind, "kachch" = cooking/drying. Pulikaachchal is a tamarind-based spicy paste that is mixed with rice to make puliyodharai/puliyogarai (tamarind rice). It is a deliciously sour paste that can also be enjoyed as a sandwich spread. Each serving only requires about a tablespoon, and the paste can be stored in the fridge for quite a while.

Ingredients:
For powder:
Toor (split pigeon peas), urad (split black gram), and chana (split Bengali gram) dals - 2 tbsp each
Methi (fenugreek) seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dried red chillies - 10
Oil - 1/2 tsp
For sauce:
Oil - 4-5 tbsp (3 when frying, 1-2 when mixing in the powdered spices)
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Toor, udad, and chana dals - 1 tsp each
Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 stalks
Peanuts, roasted - a handful
Hing (asafoetida) - a pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind pulp from concentrate - 2 tbsp or to taste
Salt - to taste

Method:
One by one, roast the dals in the "for powder" section till they start to turn brown. Set aside. Heat the oil and roast the red chillies till you they start to turn brown. Let the ingredients cool and then grind to a fine powder.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok. Add mustard and methi seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the toor, chana, and udad dals. Add curry leaves and fry till they are crisp. Add peanuts and fry till coated with oil. Add hing and turmeric powder and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the tamarind pulp and 2 cups of water. Bring to boil on a medium flame, stirring occasionally. Lower the flame, add the powdered spices and 1-2 more tbsp oil, stir well to avoid lumps, and simmer to thicken the sauce till it has the consistency of a thick paste.

Mix with rice to make puliyodharai, adding a little ghee or sesame oil if necessary. Enjoy with crunchy sides like potato chips or fried papad! Can also be spread onto bread slices for a tasty sandwich.

Source: Mom's recipe
Author: Shrinkingsodacan