Upittu ( Rava Upma) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup semolina (sooji or rava)
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (olive oil ok)
1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seed
3 -4 large curry leaves
2 green chilies (split)
1/4 inch ginger (finely minced)
1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
1/2 medium tomatoes (diced)
2 teaspoons cilantro (chopped)

Preparation

Heat a wok or kadai, spray with butter flavored cooking spray and add semolina. You can also use 1 tsp ghee instead of cooking spray for a more fragrant (albeit higher fat) version.
Roast, stirring occasionally until fragrant (about 7-8 minutes).
Take out semolina and keep aside.
After wiping off the hot pan to remove leftover semolina grains, add the oil.
When oil is hot, add the tempering ingredients - mustard seeds, cumin seeds. If you wish you may also add spilt urad dal.
When mustard seeds sputter, stir in chopped onions, ginger, curry leaves and green chilies. Note that you can deseed the chilies if you don't want any heat.
In the meantime, bring the 2 cups of water to boil and add salt to it.
Back to your wok, stir regularly and when the onions are transparent add diced tomatoes and let cook for a couple of minutes.
When tomatoes are cooked, add the roasted semolina you kept aside earlier and mix well.
Pour boiling salted water over this mixture, give a quick stir and cover with lid.
Let it cook for 3 minutes on low flame. Then take off lid and add chopped cilantro, cashews and 1 Tbsp grated coconut. Mix well.
Take off heat, and serve hot garnished with the remaining tablespoon of grated coconut and a sprig of fresh cilantro.
NOTE 1: Don't over-roast the semolina or it won't cook well.
NOTE 2: Possible additions - grated carrots, fresh green peas, roasted peanuts. You could also add 2 tablespoons cashews (roasted pieces) and/or 2 tablespoons coconut (grated fresh) along with the cilantro.
NOTE 3: If you try to add salt after you take the upma off heat, it won't incorporate very well. So I suggest tasting the upma just before you add cilantro etc. and add more salt if you wish. Make a note of how much salt your family prefers, and next time add the entire amount to the water.