Spiced Semolina Upma-Style with Mustard Seeds
Everyone seems to be talking about the astrological Year of the Horse and Aprils Aries constellations moving through various planets. Fire is clearly the theme of the month. So here is my little contribution to this fiery season: spices — the ones we can lean into right now.
Those of you who have joined my annual Spring Cleanse know that I therapeutically use long pepper (pippali) to cleanse the srotas and burn ama. And also in everyday life, this is the perfect time to reach more often for warming, stimulating spices till we hit summer.
Think: mustard seeds, ginger, green chili, and black pepper.
All of them strengthen the digestive fire and support us during the earthy, heavy and sluggish Kapha season of spring.
If you naturally run hot, have strong digestion, or tend toward dryness, simply leave out the green chili in this recipe and enjoy the gentle heat of ginger — the true all-round healer.
The pièce de résistance of this dish is semolina (durum wheat semolina). It is not gluten-free, but it contains many easily digestible minerals and vitamins, and in my opinion it’s an underestimated treasure in the kitchen.
Most people know semolina mainly in sweet dishes or in Italian pasta traditions — but rarely as a savory, upma-style meal. Personally, I love semolina for breakfast, especially once oats (which can feel a bit too heavy and mucous-forming after winter) have done their job for the season.
This savory semolina dish is also a wonderful all-round meal: perfect for lunch with a hard-boiled egg, alongside a fresh garden salad, or as a light dinner if you simply add a little extra broth to make it more soup-like.
Preparation
Heat the oil or ghee in a pan over medium heat.
Add the mustard seeds and toast until they begin to pop.
Add the curry leaves and toast for another 1–2 minutes.
Now add the onion (or leek), ginger, and green chili and sauté gently until softened.
Stir in the semolina and toast for a few minutes until lightly nutty and fragrant. Add the salt and the chopped broccolinis.
Pour in about 480 ml of the hot water/broth and stir well.
If the mixture still looks too thick or dry, add the remaining 240 ml gradually.
Reduce the heat and let simmer gently for about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ingredients
Yield: 2 servings
Time: 30 minutes
160 g semolina (durum wheat semolina)
720 ml hot water or vegetable broth
1 tsp olive oil or ghee
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
8 curry leaves (fresh or dried)
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
(or about 7 cm chopped leek instead – gentler for Pitta)1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 green chili, finely chopped (optional – omit for Pitta & Vata)
½ tsp salt
5 Broccolinis, roughly chopped
1 small spring onion, finely sliced
juice of ½ small lemon
chopped fresh coriander or parsley, to garnish
