Mixed Veggie Polenta Upma

Upma is an Indian breakfast dish generally made with semolina/sooji, onions, ghee, curry leaves and a few Indian spices. I have adapted my mom’s classic upma recipe by substituting butter for ghee, fennel shavings for curry leaves, and cornmeal for semolina. I’ve also added tons of veggies so its extra nutritious and flavorful, particularly for kids. My four year-old laps up this dish! If your pantry has both cornmeal and semolina, I would suggest doing half cornmeal/half semolina. The creamy semolina and the hardier cornmeal form a perfect combo that’s a texture/taste bomb!

Assembling the Ingredients:

1 cup polenta (soaked overnight or for a few hours in boiling water)

2 1/2 tbsp. butter

1/2 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. asafoetida

1 tsp. mustard

1 tsp. urad dal

1 1/2 tbsp. ginger

1 green thai chili

1 dried red chili

1/2 cup chopped cabbage

1/2 cup potatoes, diced small

1/4 cup green bell peppers

1/4 cup yellow/orange bell peppers

1 cup onions, diced small

10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in quarters or 1/3rd cup tomatoes, diced small

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped and washed

1 3/4 tsp. salt

2 cups +2 tbsp. water

Firing Up the Stove:

1. Add 1/2 tbsp. oil with 1 tbsp. butter in a pan and heat on med. for 3 mins. until butter is almost melted.
2. Add urad dal, asafoetida, dried red chili and saute for 4-6 mins. till the urad dal turns reddish-brown in color.
3. Add fennel shavings, green chili, and ginger, sauteing for another 2 mins.
4. Add the potatoes with 1/4 tsp. salt and cook for 5-6 mins. till potatoes start to soften. After 2-3 mins, add 2 tbsp. water to prevent potatoes from sticking to the pan.
5. Add rest of the veggies with 1 tbsp. butter and 1/2 tsp. salt. Saute for 10 mins. until all the veggies start to soften.
6. Pour two cups of boiling water over the veggies and add 1 tsp. salt to the water. If your water is not boiling, pour the water over the veggies along with the salt and wait for the water to start bubbling.
7. Cook everything in the salted water for 2-3 mins.
8. Add the cornmeal and stir occasionally. The polenta upma should be done in 12-15 mins.
9. 6 minutes after the cornmeal has been added, put in the tomatoes. Taste for seasoning and adjust for salt at this time.
10. 10 mins. into the cornmeal cook, add 1/2 the cilantro and 1/2 tbsp. butter.
11. A minute before turning off the stove, add the rest of the cilantro.
12. Creamy, butter cooked polenta upma is ready.

Eating with your Eyes:

Notes for Changes on the Fly:

1. If you fail to soak the cornmeal overnight or soak it for fewer hours, it will take longer to cook. In this case, just add the tomatoes, cilantro and 1/2 tbsp. of butter 5 mins before the cornmeal is cooked.
2. If you are health conscious, skip the butter without a second thought. Although butter adds its own flavor, its not necessary. Just add 2 tbsp. oil when beginning the dish, so there’s enough oil to cook both spices and veggies.
3. If in a rush, cook cornmeal in boiling water in a separate pan, simultaneously while you are cooking the veggies and spices. Then add, cooked veggies to cooked polenta. Simultaneous cooking will make a 40 min. process into a 20 min. one. I do not prefer the simultaneous approach, because cooking the cornmeal in the buttered veggies enhances flavor. But of course, I’ve often gone simultaneous when in a rush.
4. You can substitute cornmeal with semolina. No overnight soaking needed and the cook time after you add the semolina is significantly shorter, from 12-15 mins. down to 4-5 mins.
5. As I mention in the intro. to this recipe, half cornmeal/half semolina is the way to go. All the rest of the steps are the same. You can put the cornmeal and semolina into the boiling water at the same time. The cornmeal will take longer to cook while the semolina gets creamier and creamier. But of course, for this approach, you will still be required to soak cornmeal overnight.