Semolina Pilaf with Peas
Here is one of the great offerings from Kerala, a state on the southwest coast of India, where it is known as uppama. The semolina that is required here is a coarse-grained variety that is sold as sooji or rava in the Indian stores or as 10-minute Cream of Wheat in the supermarkets. (It is not the very fine version used to make pasta.) This pilaf-like dish may be eaten as a snack with tea, for breakfast with milky coffee and an accompanying coconut chutney (see Sri Lankan Cooked Coconut Chutney), or as part of a meal as the exquisite starch.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 3¿4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Boil the peas with a little salt long enough to just cook them and then drain.
Step 2
Put 2 cups water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat to very low and leave.
Step 3
Pour the oil into a nonstick frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the asafetida and urad dal. Wait 2 seconds and put in the mustard seeds. As soon as the dal turns red and the mustard seeds pop, a matter of seconds, put in the curry leaves, ginger, and chilies. Stir for a few seconds and add the semolina and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and cook for 3–4 minutes or until the semolina is very lightly browned. Turn heat to low. Now begin to add the boiling water a few tablespoons at a time over the next 7 minutes (just pour it from the pan), stirring and breaking up the lumps as you do so. Add the peas and cilantro. Keep cooking and stirring on very low heat another 3–4 minutes or until all the grains puff up. Add the lemon juice and sugar and stir to mix.
