Barnyard Millet “Vatki” Upma

Upma is a porridge-like dish from southern India. It’s made of semolina and commonly eaten as breakfast or snack. It was my one of favorite things to eat at grandmas; my aunts/mamis would make it for us cousins in the summer afternoons when we’d come running in the kitchen with our tummies rumbling.

My aunts were amazing - they turned a simple comforting food into a sweet memory for me, and it was solely because of how they presented the upma. They would take about a spoonful of chopped tomatoes, add it to a small ”vatki”* , scoop up some upma onto the tomatoes, and empty it upside down on a plate, forming a tiny mound of upma.

I have been trying to incorporate more millets in my diet. Not only are they crazy nutritious, they are economical to grow for the farmer, hardy - use up way less water for their cultivation and gluten free! This is my latest trial switching the semolina (gluten) in the humble upma with way more nutritious barnyard millet and I think my aunts would be proud.

*vatki - small bowl, about the size of a ramekin. Usually stainless steel for everyday use

Serves 2

YOU WILL NEED

• 1 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp oil or ghee

• 1 dried kashmiri chili

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions

• 1/2 cup small diced potatoes

• 1/2 tsp grated ginger

• 1-2 slit green chilies

• 1 cup barnyard millet

• 2 cup water or thin buttermilk (1/4 cup yogurt whisked in 1+3/4 cups water)

• salt to taste

• 1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes

• 1/2 tsp urad dal

• 5 - 6 curry leaves

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METHOD

• Heat dutch oven or a pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and dried kashmiri chili. Sauté for 30 seconds. Add chopped onions, potatoes, grated ginger and slit green chilies, cover and cook, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 tsp salt after 2 minutes. Continue cooking until potatoes are soft and onions are cooked and soft as well.

• While the onions and potatoes are getting cooked, rinse the millet and drain the water. Add barnyard millet once the veggies are soft. Add water or buttermilk, mix everything well. Add salt as needed (~1/2 - 1 tsp salt). Cover and let the millet cook.

• The millet will be easily mush between fingers and the water/buttermilk would have been all absorbed. Add more water if required.

ASSEMBLY

The final assembly is what makes this upma a “vatki upma” -

• Take a spoon of chopped tomatoes, add it to a small ramekin or bowl/”vatki”. Scoop up some upma from the pan onto the tomatoes, fill it to the brim and press the upma gently. Empty it upside down on a plate, forming a tiny mound of upma.

• Make as many mounds/vatki upma as required. Prepare a tempering by heating remaining 1/2 tbsp oil or ghee, add split urad dal, once it splutters, add the curry leaves. Pour the tempering over the vatki/mounds of upma.

Your healthy and extremely nutritious Barnyard Millet “vatki“ Upma is ready to eat!

NOTES

I prefer buttermilk in this recipe over water, since it gives a slight sour flavor and good probiotics!