Mushroom Semiya Upma

                     'She has gone and done it', my grandma would have said. She could not have imagined her granddaughter adding mushrooms to a traditional food like upma. Imagine serving it to a madisaar maami and mama. 'Please stay and have tiffin with us, I made mushroom semiya upma'. It would be fun to see their expression. I am letting my imagination run wild, just like the mushrooms in my upma.
                 Featuring my fridge last Friday, few wild mushrooms ran amok with their accomplices the lone bell pepper and scallions. I needed to think of a last chance dish to get them out of the fridge aka prison. Early Saturday morning, I planned to grocery shop and I didn't want them to taint my fresh new comers. So, out they came and turned a new leaf- Mushroom semiya upma.

Mushroom semiya upma
 (serves 4 )

Ingredients:
Mushrooms (any and all kinds) cleaned and diced  4
scallions diced     1/2 cup
bell pepper any color diced  1/2 cup
red chilli    1
green chilli     3 or 4
Semiya /Vermicilli broken  3 cups
ginger grated        2 tsps
curry leaves              a few
coriander a handful chopped
mustard seeds 1 tsp
urad dal / ulutham paruppu         1 tsp
chana dal  / kadala paruppu      1/2 tsp
asafoetida / hing    1/4 tsp
cashews broken in half  6
salt to taste
oil  3-4 tsps

Method
1. Roast dry the vermicilli till is slightly red. Set aside.
2. In a saute pan, heat the oil and add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds sputter, add urad dal, chana dal, red chilli and cashews.Let them turn red.
3.Now add the diced mushrooms,scallions and bell pepper. Saute till they cook half way, about 2 mins.
4.Add the green chillies, ginger, hing, salt and curry leaves.
5.Add 8 cups of water and bring to boil.
6.Add the semiya to the boiling water while stirring. Keep stirring till the water is absorbed by the semiya.
7.When there is no more water left, switch off heat and add coriander leaves

 Serve hot. Those who love mushrooms on their pizza will definitely love it on their upma. Susvaad.

365 Days of decluttering- Day 13
 I am doing so good on the decluttering project. Our computer chair has been chucked out as it was in tatters. I have donated a few of my novels to the library. I have handed down my son's outgrown coat to my friend's son. If It had been the old me, I would have procrastinated all this. I have so much stationery that needs sorting, I think I will try and do it today. I would like to get rid of the the pens that don't write. That really ticks me off and just because I am reluctant to toss anything, I hold on to these. Today I will though. I used the galvanized bucket from Target to arrange the homework supplies for my kids before. I have one more of those in blue. I am thinking I will keep my home office stuff. Still there is a lot to be done, I am not there yet.
This day by day stuff helps a lot though.