Mixed Vegetable Spicy Hara Masala Bansi Rava Upma.

“Mixed Vegetable Spicy Hara Masala Bansi Rava Upma” … when you love spiced pulav but do not want to have rice, switch over to either any millet or bansi rava/ barik lapsi, it tastes equally good … I often prepare different types of dishes using gavuncho rulav following the same recipe as that of biryani/ pulav by including plenty of veggies and each time it turns out awesome … yummilicious ….

** With changing times the choice in preparation of dishes/ methods/ ingredients all somehow change a little bit. These days millets are promoted, while rice and some of the grains have taken a back seat. Frankly, I have absolute no knowledge how far this holds true as I have often noticed that people sometimes follow someone blindly and before you realize it has turned to a trend. Remember there was a time when coconut oil was shunned and today it is considered the best oil, so was good old ghee/ toop.

** I always feel that while there is no harm in following anything healthy one should not completely deviate from homemade age old recipes, they have been tested over time for generations and have proved to be the cause for a healthy lifestyle. In a word, it’s the lifestyle that needs to be changed more than the old methods of cooking or the recipes. In my home we always love spicy hara masla pulav and I often prepare it with millet or rava, especially on days we need to avoid rice- garlic- onion and non.veg.

** This rava upma includes a spicy coriander- mint leaves masala, plenty of veggies and all you need is a little bit of fresh plain curds/ dahi or any simple raita to serve it with. I have used barik lapsi also known as bansi rava in Mumbai which is similar to gavuncho rulavu ie Mangalore Rava used in Upma/ Rulava panna. In all a very healthy- tasty and quick to prepare dish that tastes awesome served hot with chilled curds. I prefer to serve it during lunchtime though you can have it for breakfast/ dinner.

** Here is my recipe for “Mixed Vegetable Spicy Hara Masala Bansi Rava Upma” … my style, it tastes superb, do try it ….

** Ingredients:

Gavuncho Rulavu/ Barik Lapsi/ Bansi Rava : 2.5 cups

Cashew Nuts: Kajjubi/ Kaju : handful

Salt/ Namak/ Meeta : to taste

Ghee/ Toop : 3 tblsp

Oil/ Tel/ Tela : 2 tblsp

** Mixed Vegetables :

Fresh Green Pigeon Peas/ Tori : ½ cup

Beetroot : 1 medium sized

Cauliflower : 1 cup cut to small florets

French Beans : ½ cup cut to 1 inch pieces

Cabbage : ½ cup finely chopped

Tomato : 1-2 medium sized cut to small pieces

* Note : You can add any veggies of your choice.

** Spices :

Star anise : 1-2

Cinnamon/ Tikesaali/ Dalchini : 2 inch x 2 pieces

Cloves/ Lavang/ Laung : 5-6

Green Cardamom/ Ellaichi/ Yellu : 3-4

Pepper Corn/ Kali Miri : 10-12

Haldi/ Turmeric Powder : a large pinch

Hing/ Asafoetida Powder : ½ tsp

** For the Masala to be Ground :

Coriander Leaves/ Dhania/ Kottambari Pallo : 2 cups

Pudina/ Mint Leaves : ¾ cup

Green Chillies/ Tarni Mirsanga/ Hari Mirchi : 5-6

Ginger/ Adrak/ Alle’ : 1 inch piece

Curry Leaves/ Kadipatta/ Karbevu : 6-8

** Pick, clean and finely chop the fresh coriander and pudina leaves (use leaves only). Add into a mixer and grind to a fine paste adding green chillies, ginger, curry leaves with little bit of water. Remove and keep this aside ready.

** Note : I have not added garlic/ losun while grinding the masala which I usually do. But as we do not add garlic for upvas/ fasting day meals, I did not do so. You may add 3-4 peeled and chopped ones if desired, it tastes good.

** Shell and collect fresh pigeon peas. Peel off the outer skin of beetroot and cut to ½ inch sized cubes. Rinse and into a pressure cooker pan with ½ cup water and cook to one whistle. Remove and keep it aside ready.

** Note : I added fresh pigeon peas as they are in season now. Again, green peas too are in season, you can add them or the frozen ones too if desired. You can add any other veggies like sweet corn, mushroom, capsicum etc. too.

** In a vessel add 5 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil. Wash and add the cut cauliflower florets and beans and cook on medium heat until 80% done. Add cooked pigeon peas- beetroot along with the water and let simmer.

** In a kadai heat ghee+ oil, add cashew nuts and fry until light brown, remove and keep it aside. In the same kadai add star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom cut into two, pepper corns and fry for a few seconds on medium heat.

** Lower the heat to minimum and add haldi powder, hing powder and then add in the bansi rava/ barik lapsi. Fry all together for a few minutes say about 3-4 minutes until even done. Do not raise the heat or else the rava may get burnt.

** Note : I have not included onions/ piyavu/ kanda. However, if desired you may add finely chopped onions, in which case add them before adding rava and fry them until transparent and then add in the rava and follow rest of the recipe.

** Add finely chopped cabbage and tomato pieces to the simmering water and bring to a full boil for about 2-3 minutes. Add the ground masala and salt to taste, mix well, then carefully pour it over the fried ingredients in the kadai.

** Make a dent in the center of the rava mixture before pouring in the boiling water with veggies, this will prevent it from spluttering too much, also keep the heat very low. However, please be very careful while doing so to avoid any mishap.

** Immediately mix all the ingredients together, lower the heat, cover and cook until done or there is not trace of water left. Lastly add in the fried cashew nuts kept aside and mix well, cover and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

** “Mixed Vegetable Spicy Hara Masala Bansi Rava Upma” is done and ready to be served. Tastes best served with curds/dahi or any simple veggie raita (salad with curds) though if preferred you can serve it with any curry/ dal or chutney too, its individual/ personal preference. In my home we prefer to keep it simple and relish with with plain homemade curds and I must say, it was a fantastic combination. 

** We always have a one meal a day of NO onion- garlic- rice- non. Veg on Ekadashi, Sankashti and many of the festive days as we observe only a little bit of fasting on the occasion. Though I would like to keep a strict fast, my medical condition as of now deprives me of doing so. That is the very reason I prefer such meals as it is not only healthy but it also keeps us going for 24 hours.  Do try it and enjoy with your family, you can relish this on any day/ anytime that your family prefers.

** There are plenty of "Upma" posts shared in the Blog prepared in different combinations of pulses, veggies etc. Sharing a common link to below for easier access to all of them, please browse through in leisure, prepare and enjoy them with your family and friends. In case of any query, you can always leave a comment .... 

https://gayathrifoodbytes.blogspot.com/search?q=upma