Barley Upma

This is a healthy way to eat Upma and a tasty way too. But it tasted a little grainy to chew just like Quinoa.  Still if you feel like you are eating healthy food, it would taste so delicious, right? I don’t mean it doesn’t taste good, but only thing I want to make specific is that it takes a little time to chew (good for gums, isn't it?:)).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Pearl Barley (Quick cooking Barley)
• A small Onion, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 or 2 Green Chilies, finely chopped
• A small piece of Ginger, peeled and chopped fine
• Few Curry Leaves
• ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
• ¼ tsp Cumin Seeds
• ¼ tsp Black Gram (Minapappu, Urad Dal)
• ¼ tsp Bengal Gram (Pachi Senagapappu, Chana Dal)
• 1 or 2 dry Red Chili
• 1 tsp Oil
• 4 cups Water
• Salt

Preparation:

Wash barley with plenty of water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they pop, add cumin seeds + black gram + Bengal gram + curry leaves + red chili and sauté well until the dals change color.

Now add onion + tomatoes + green chilies + ginger and mix well. Pour water, add salt and bring it to a boil. 

Check if onions are cooked and add barley and mix well. Cover and allow the barley to cook for some time.

Add more water if needed to allow barley to cook well. 

After all the water gets absorbed and barley gets cooked, turn off the flame and leave upma on stove for a while. Then transfer to a serving plate and enjoy steaming hot healthy upma.