Thinai rava Upma

Eating chapathis instead of rice has become a fashion statement nowadays and all are running behind wheat for high fiber food. I dont say that it is wrong but we should open up ourself and try different millets . These millets are highly nutritious and rich in antioxidants. Thinai (Foxtailmillet) is available as dehusked rice and also as rava. I have used rava to prepare this upma. It is delicious and tastes similar to Arisi upma.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Thinai Rava
• 3 cups Water
• 2 tbsp Grated coconut
• 3 tbsp Coriander Leaves (Finely Chopped)

Veggies:

• 1 cup Tomato (Finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup Capsicum (Finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup Beans (Finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup Cabbage (Finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup Carrot (Finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup Green peas

For Seasoning:

• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 tsp Channa dal
• 2 tsp Split Urad dal
• 2 no Red Chillies
• A pinch Asafoetida
• 1/4 tsp Ginger (Finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp Curry Leaves 
• 2 tbsp Oil

Method:

1) Heat a kadai and add Thinai Rava. Dry roast it till you get nice aroma and keep aside.

2) Heat oil in the same kadai and sauté cashews till light brown and keep aside.

3) Add mustard seeds and after it splutters, add Cumin seeds, Asafoetida, Channa dal and Urad dal and sauté till light brown in colour.

4) Cut the red chillies into two pieces and add.

5) Then add chopped ginger and curry leaves and sauté them.

6) Add the veggies and sauté again.

7) Add Grated coconut, salt and 3 cups of water.

8) Close the kadai with a lid and cook in medium flame.

9) After the veggies are cooked add the Thinai Rava and mix well.

10) Close the kadai with lid and let it cook in low flame.

11) Once the upma is ready add chopped coriander leaves and mix well.

Tasty Thinai Rava upma is ready.

Tips:

1) If you prefer to cook in pressure cooker, follow the same steps in a pressure cooker and finally after adding water, close the lid and pressure cook it. It consumes less water in pressure cooker, around 2-21/2 cups.

2) If you want to cook in electric rice cooker, after adding water transfer the contents in electric rice cooker and cook them.

3)Adding 1/2 tsp of crushed pepper while adding coconut gives a variation to upma.

4) To add more spiciness to upma, you can add 1 chopped green chilly while sautéing veggies.

For more millet recipes, click here