Cabbage and Pea rava uppuma or Savory semolina with cabbage and peas. And some variations.

I love uppuma; it has so many variations and flavours, something to suit every mood and season. This recipe is with cabbage and peas. However, the end of this recipe also has the recipe for lots of variations. We always serve uppuma with hot and/or sweet mango pickles and yoghurt. It makes a complete meal. I have reduced the amount of semolina I use to make it healthier.

Chandra Padmanabhan is my favourite South Indian cookbook author. Her knowledge of the cuisine is phenomenal, and every recipe is fantastic. Her balance of spices and flavours makes me want to cook every one of her recipes, and I am working my way through her many cookbooks.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients: Tempering

3 tablespoons ghee or oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon urad (Black gram) dal

1 teaspoon chana (split chickpea) dal

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder

1-2 dried red chiles

8-10 curry leaves

Uppuma:

3/4-1 cup semolina. You can now get the roasted version in most Indian stores. If you cannot find it, dry roast the semolina in two batches in a frying pan over medium heat till lightly coloured, about 3-4 minutes per batch.

2 onions, finely diced

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1-3 green chiles, Thai or other, sliced in half. Add as per your need for spice.

1/2 cabbage (about 3 cups), finely diced. I prefer Savoy cabbage if available. A wonderful variation is red cabbage, too.

1 carrot, finely diced

1 cup peas, frozen ok

1/2 cup pearl onions, frozen or fresh

3 cups water

Handful fresh cilantro, minced

Limes, to taste

Salt to taste

In a deep pot, add the oil/ghee and heat. Add the tempering ingredients, keeping the asafoetida for the last. Once the mustard seeds start popping, add the onions and slit chillies. Cook on medium heat until the onions have turned soft, and do not brown for about 5-7 minutes.. Add the ginger and turmeric and cook for another minute. Add the cabbage, carrots, peas, and pearl onions and cook over medium flame, stirring the pot to mix all the ingredients until cooked for about 5 minutes. I like to leave the cabbage slightly raw and with some bite.

Add the semolina and mix everything, getting the semolina to coat the vegetables evenly. Add the salt and water, 1 cup at a time, and stir to mix the water in. As the water gets absorbed by the semolina, add more until the semolina is cooked through, about 3 cups water. You can choose to keep the uppuma as wet or dry as you desire. Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze in lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings, salt, and lime.

Serve with fresh cilantro sprinkled on top.

Cooking variations:

You can use many alternatives to water for cooking.

Vegetable or chicken stock. This adds a wonderful, rich flavour to the semolina.

Yogurt or buttermilk. This adds a tartness to the amazing dish.

Coconut milk. This is the most decadent, it makes the dish creamyand very rice.

Vegetable variations:

You can essentially use any vegetable or combination of vegetables.

Cauliflower cut into small bites.

Green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Potatoes, boiled and cut into small bites

Okra, left whole or halved and fried

Broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces

Spinach, baby spinach whole, or spinach shredded

Root vegetables, yams, sweet potatoes, suran, elephant yams. All boiled and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Shallots and spring onions can be substituted for onions for a milder flavour.

Tomatoes can be added to the vegetables to add a wonderful tartness to the uppuma. If adding the tomatoes, cook them down to make a sauce.

Cucumbers can be added as a topping for additional crunch and freshness

Fresh radish can be added as a topping