Puli Upma

Some tastes remain etched in your memory for ever. For me it is puli upma made by my dad. He used to make it on weekends when he had some time from being a police officer. This is one of my comfort foods. Being in quarantine sent me back to the good old days of my childhood and decided to make it for dinner last night. Puli upma is rice flour cooked in tamarind water.

Ingredients:
1 Cup rice flour, dry roasted, and cooled
1- 2 Tablespoons tamarind paste mixed with 2 1/2 cups water
2 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon urad dal
1 Tablespoon peanuts
5-6 dry red chili
5-6 curry leaves
salt to taste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder

Method:
1. Mix roasted and cooled rice to tamarind water without any lumps. Add salt and asafoetida.

2. Heat oil in a small cast iron pan. Add peanuts and roast. Add mustard seeds, urad dal  to pop. Add red chili and curry leaves.

3. Carefully pour the rice paste to the pan. Stir occasionally until liquid is absorbed and rice flour is cooked.

4. Add oil if upma is sticky. Cook until done.

5. Remove from pan and serve warm. It tastes good with sugar