Recipes by Rupa Sethu

Grits Upma

Pesarettu is usually served with Upma – a savory semolina dish. Upma is standard fare in most South Indian homes and much loved by all. It also helps that it comes together very quickly, making it an easy tiffin item. Read my post on Pesarettu to learn more about the uniquely Indian Tiffin! However, since we are also gluten free, I wanted to try a variant to the traditional Upma. The result is Grits Upma. Southern grits made South Indian style is a real winner!

Ingredients

  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • a handful of carrots, chopped
  • a generous bunch of cilantro, chopped
  • Curry leaves (optional but adds flavor!)
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp Urad dal
  • 2 dired red chilis
  • 1 cup of quick cooking grits
  • 3.5 cups water
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp of unsalted butter or ghee if available

Method

  • Roast the grits in a dry pan over medium heat till the grains are toasted. Make sure you keep stirring and don’t burn the grits! Set aside.
  • Separately, heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the oil till hot. Now add in the mustard seeds and cover immediately till the seeds pop and the last sound stops. Uncover and add the urad dal, the red chilis, and the curry leaves. This is the tempering.
  • Now add in the onions and the ginger and sauté till just soft.
  • Add in the carrots, the tomatoes, and the cilantro. Cover and cook for a few minutes till the carrots are soft. It helps to dice the carrots into small pieces so it cooks faster.
  • Now add in the water. I used 3.5 cups of water for a cup of grits. This can vary depending on the kind of grits you use so you may have to experiment a bit. Bring the water to boil.
  • Gently pour in the roasted grits while stirring. Let the grits cook for about 5-10 minutes. The mixture will start out quite watery and will thicken as it cooks (sort of like polenta). Cover and let it sit on low heat for another 10 minutes or so, till the grits is fully cooked and nice and soft.
  • Add the butter or ghee on top, cover and let the upma sit for at least 15 minutes or so to let the flavors all develop and the grits to get fully cooked. The longer you wait, the more solid the consistency!
  • Serve with some sev (crispy chick pea flour sprinkles) if available, or a dash of sugar sprinkled on top, or some pickled sushi ginger (a nice alternative to traditional high sodium Indian pickles!)

I love it when experiments work out! I have to say Grits Upma turned out to be super delicious despite being low sodium and gluten free too!