Arisi Upma Puliyodharai:(Made with broken rice)

Arisi Upma is a speciality in Tamil Brahmin cooking. I still relish those days of my childhood, when Arisi upma would regularly feature in my mom's kitchen. The combination of this upma with kathirikkai gothsu is one truly made in heaven.

For a difference, I added some MTR Pulioyagare mix to the upma as it was cooking. The end result turned out to be a lovely medley of flavors and veggies..... Really it was finger licking good!!!!

Ingredients:

Broken rice- 1 cup . I get readymade broken rice at the Asian market. Alternatively, you could use rice rava as well.
Choice of veggies - 1/2 a cup. Shallots chopped finely lend a distinct taste and flavor to this upma.
Green chillies-1
Salt-as needed
Oil- 1 tbsp. (Sesame oil is best suited for this upma). I use the Idhayam brand.
Jaggery- a small lump.(Optional). Skip it if you prefer a spicy version.

Spices for seasoning:

Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Urad dal-1 tsp
Asafoetida(Heeng)- a pinch
MTR brand Puliyogare mix- 2 tsps

Preparation:

Rinse the broken rice thoroughly. I generally soak mine for a minimum period of 6 hours. Soaking grains before cooking is said to reduce the anti nutrients generally present such as phytates, tannins and lectins. Unfortunately they interfere with the absorption of minerals by the body. Soaking and sprouting are said to make the grains more digestible .

Drain the rice and set aside. In a kadai heat the oil. Throw in the mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add in the urad dal and the green chillies. Once it reddens, add the veggies. If you are using shallots, add them first. Fry for a while and add the other veggies, if using. Once the vegetables are slightly cooked, add 3 cups water. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the salt, jaggery and the drained broken rice/rice rava. Add in 2 tsps of the puliyogare mix at this stage.

Reduce the flame and cook covered.

Once cooked, transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!!!!

Tastes best with Kathirikkai gothsu. Chutney would make a good accompaniment as well.

Notes:

1. The quantity of water to be added depends on the quality of the rice that you are using.
2. For preparing rice rava, dry grind the rice to a slightly coarse texture. Sieving this would remove the unwanted stuff in the rava. Use it in the recipe after sieving.
3. Jaggery is purely optional. We like this puliyogare upma with a sweet-sour flavor.