Broken rice …a by-product of rice milling has been effectively incorporated into our Indian cuisine resulting in a variety of delicious tongue-tickling food. These broken bits absorb flavours easily and are quick to cook thus making them a popular traditional “fast food” option. Kanji, upma, kozhukattai, Puttu, are all prepared using these uneven bits of rice using healthy cooking methods. These are easy on the digestive system and are preferred
options during convalescence and popular in paediatric and geriatric diets.
Soft and crumbly interspersed with crisp bits scraped from the bottom of the cooking pan is the famed south Indian arisi upma/broken rice upma…. This simple and easy-to-prepare fare comprises a good ratio of broken rice with red gram dal and spiced using pepper and cumin. Ginger slivers and ample coconut add to its taste. Usually accompanied with coconut chutney,thengai thogayal, or Puli, this king of upma is an ultimate comfort food. Very rare to find on restaurant menus, this homemade minimalist fare is the forerunner of ready-to-eat mixes.
Nostalgic about the monthly trips to the “machine’ or the street end spaces which housed the huge commercial dry grinders/Chakkis, where the right ratio of rice and dal along with pepper and cumin would pour out in the size just required for making of Upma. All you have to tell the person manning the Chakki… while giving the rice mixture was….Arisi Upma and lo…..the rava would be ready. After cooling the ready mix would be stored to last the entire month or even more….. Sadly, vanishing with the advent of dry mixer grinders into our kitchens and supermarkets with these ready mixes.
Arisi Upma Recipe
Ingredients for Arisi Upma:
- Raw Rice 1c
- Red gram Dal ¼ C
- Pepper 1Tbsp
- Cumin 1 Tbsp
- Red Chilly Broken 3
- Asafoetida 1 Tsp
- Curry Leaf Few
- Ginger Grated 1 Tsp
- Coconut Fresh Grated ½ C
- Sesame Oil ¼ C
- Mustard 1 Tsp
- Bengal Gram Dal 1 Tsp
- Black Gram Dal 1 Tsp
- Water 3 c
Preparation Method for Arisi Upma:
- Grind the rice into granules larger than semolina/suji/rava/
- Using the pulse mode grind the dal into fairly large broken along with pepper and cumin. Mix rice and dal together.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add mustard, red chilly, and while it splutters add the asafoetida and curry leaves.
- Pour the water,add the required salt, coconut, and ginger. Bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil simmer the flame. Add the rice -dal mixture and mix well. Keep stirring till it becomes thick. Cover and cook with intermittent stirring.
- Once cooked remove from flame. It can be served hot or cold based on your preference along with coconut chutney/thengai thogayal/puli…
Healthy “Arisi Upma” is Ready 🙂
