I think this is one of my best recipes. From everything that I make, this is probably something that VJ absolutely loves. We never have leftovers when I make this which absolutely makes me happy. I have different versions of this recipe, but this is probably the simplest. I don’t know if VJ loved this as much before marrying me, but since then every weekend he requests me that. It’s like upma, but I use a lot of tomatoes and cook the rava in the tomatoes that makes it much more yummier. Bombay rava or Semolina is said to be not that healthy, but I make it once in a while (and it’s not like we eat that healthy anyway). So I made it with this afternoon as we finally got Arlo down for his nap. I think today is the first time in weeks that I had a proper lunch without someone pulling down my late, or someone needing a diaper change, or someone deciding to run off into the kitchen and pull out all the dishes.

I’ve learned how to make this from my mom. VJ’s cousin H love this restaurant in Hyderabad called Chutneys and swears by their upma, so last time I was suddenly craving it, so I rushed there while I was there and disliked it so much, but my craving wasn’t satisfied. So my mom made some for VJ (I ate something else and didn’t want it) and I sneaked in a few spoons and suddenly realized my mom’s upma was much better than a restaurant version. Probably because of the secret ingredient. You guessed it right… No, you didn’t, it is not love. It’s Ghee or Clarified Butter. My mom puts in a lot of love too, but more than love its the ghee that makes it more delicious. I will keep updating it with the different versions of this whenever I get the chances, but here’s the simplest recipe for Tomato Rava Bath.

 

Ingredients

Onion – 1 small (chopped thinly)

Tomatoes – 6 (chopped into bite-sized pieces)

Green chilies – 5 or 6 slit lengthwise

Bombay Rava (Semolina) – 1.5 cup

Water– 5 cups

Salt -As required

Turmeric – 1/4 teaspoon

Ghee – 2 tablespoons

Lemon – 1 whole

For tempering

Oil – 3 tablespoons

Senagapappu (Channa Dal) – 2 tablespoons

Minapappu (Urad Dal) – 2 tablespoons

Pallilu (Peanuts) – 1/4 cup

Jeedipappu (Cashew) – 1 tablespoon (or more if you like them)

Aavalu (Mustard Seeds) – 2 teaspoons

Jeelakarra (Cumin Seeds) – 1 teaspoon

 

How to Make

Step 1: In a pan once heated add the oil. 30 seconds later, add the senagapappu and minapappu. Once they start to change color, add the peanuts and the cashews and continue to fry them. Once they start changing color, add in the mustard seeds, when the seeds start spluttering add in the cumin seeds. Add the green chilies and onions and fry till they are translucent.

Step 2: To the onions and green chilies add the turmeric and salt. Once salt is added, add the tomatoes. Keep mixing the tomatoes every 4 minutes until the tomatoes become all mushy. When the tomatoes have become mushy add in the water (all 5 cups).

Step 3: This is the most important step of all and this requires a lot of concentration. Once the water starts boiling, reduce the stove to a high-low. Take 1/2 cup of the rava, and carefully while adding it in keep stirring the water and the added rava. Rava forms lumps if it’s not stirred continously. So keep mixing it until all the rava is done. Once the 1/2 cup is done, do the save with the rest of the 1 cup too. Keep stirring while the rava is being added.

Step 4: Once the rava is added, add in the ghee. Keep the lid and let it cook for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring in between.

Step 5: Serve it with a wedge of lemon.

Tips:

1. You can dry roast the rava before adding it in, which will make adding the rava easier.
2. This recipe serves 3 people for lunch and 4-5 for breakfast.
3. You can skip the onions and add in another 2 tomatoes.
4. You can do the tempering completely in ghee instead of using oil.
5. You can add more lemon and use 3 lemons and squeeze the juice into the bath and serve it with it or serve it on the side.

Po