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4.02.2025

Upma Rava - South Indian Cream of Wheat Breakfast

1 cup cream of wheat (not instant)
2 T Ghee
1 t mustard seeds
½ t cumin seeds
1 t chana dal
1 t urad dal
¼ c cashews
1 med onion – finely chopped
1 green chili - chopped
1 t finely chopped ginger 
12 curry leaves
2 ½ cups water
1 t salt
⅓ c chopped cilantro

Heat a pan and toast the cream of wheat, stirring often. Take care not to brown it. Once toasted, transfer to a dish and set aside.

In a pan, heat ghee and add the mustard seeds. When they start crackling, add the cumin seeds along with chana dal and urad dal. Fry until they begin to get lightly golden. Add cashews and fry until golden. Add the finely chopped onions. Sauté until they become translucent, then add the chopped green chili, ginger & curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds. 

Add 2.5 cups water, and salt as required and let it come to a rolling boiling. Lower the flame to its lowest. Slowly sprinkle in the rava while stirring to avoid clumping.

Cover and allow the rava upma to steam for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat.
Then switch off the flame. Lastly add chopped coriander leaves and serve with coconut chutney or Priya red chili pickle.

Enjoy with a can of Trader Joe's 100% Mango Juice!

Experiment and add chopped carrots and/or frozen peas when the onion is added.

3.20.2025

Monkey Bread

There are plenty of Monkey Bread recipes out there, but this is the one we always used:


- 3 tubes country biscuits

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 teaspoon cinnamon

- 1 stick butter

- 1 cup brown sugar


1. Cut biscuits into quarters, drop into a bag with cinnamon & sugar.

2. Layer in a  9x13 pan.  Mix brown sugar and melted butter together.  Pour over biscuits.

3. Bake 375 for 25-30 mins.


1.19.2025

CastelNegroni Olives

 

150g jar of Castelvetrano olives, drained
1 t of gin
1 t of sweet red vermouth (Carpano Antica)
1 t of Campari
½ t olive oil
1 orange 

Combine ingredients &  stir to coat the olives.

Peel two strips from your orange. Bend the strips individually, lengthways, over the bowl to release oil from the orange. Grate the remaining of your unpeeled orange into the bowl and stir.

Marinate for a few hours before serving, or keep in the fridge for up to 5 days for a more intense flavour.