Bread Upma

What kind of break fast do you have usually? I used to live on Idli, Dosa, Appam, Idiyappam for so long in my life that when I started staying alone with my friends, I started preferring Cornflakes and oats. But now I have come a full circle again and gone back to my Idlis and Dosas for health reasons. My room mates who were from Andhra and Karnataka had taught me some delicious break fast items like the recipe I am going to share today - Bread Upma. Very unique for me who at that point of time imagined bread to be used only with Jam and Butter :)

 So today morning when I woke up, I was looking in my pantry to see what should I have for break fast.. Somehow after eating dosas for break fast and dinner for two continuous weeks, I needed a break from them. On a whim, I prepared bread upma for the first time alone. Yes, you may be wondering such a simple dish and what does she mean by preparing alone. Well, if you have stayed with room mates, you may know what I mean. Mostly on Sundays, preparing break fast or lunch or dinner becomes a combined affair with every one doing one thing or the other to help out. One would cut onions, another will do the tadka and another will be frying the onions :) It was nice to cook with so many people in the Kitchen,  joking and laughing and cooking :) Ofcourse none of us knew any cooking. One will get the recipe from home and we will all help in making the dish and relish the final delicacy together. 

Now I cook alone in my Kitchen and I hate any disturbance while cooking. Cooking has become a stress free activity for me. I love the peaceful surroundings that I get while cooking. I cook and think at the same time :) I do hate my hubby coming to the Kitchen or surrounding areas while I am cooking. Ha! I will tell u why. My hubby helps out in the cleaning part in the end and while I am cooking he makes irritating comments like "See, while you were stirring so much stuff has fallen out. Clean it otherwise the color wont go" Or "Dont do like this. Its not authentic" or " Are you sure this will turn out fine". So I have banned him from the Kitchen while I am cooking. When my hubby cooks, its the reverse. He puts loud music. Takes his own time in cutting and keeping everything ready and then slowly cooking. He cooks well. But takes time to finish the cooking. If given an opportunity, I will ramble on and on about my ex room mates and life with them. But coming back to the recipe, Bread Upma is seriously a very simple, easy and delicious recipe to make. Can be made in a jiffy and makes such a refreshing change from the usual break fast items. 

Bread Upma: ( For a single person)

Total Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1 small onion
1/2 of a small Tomato
1/2 of a green chilly
2 bread slices
1/4 Tbsp Turmeric
1/2 Tbsp Chilly Powder
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp Mustard seeds
2 - 3 Curry Leaves
Salt

Prepping:

Step 1: Cut onion, tomato, green chilly. Shred bread slices. 

Method of Preparing:

Step 1: 

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan. When the oil becomes hot, add the mustard seeds. Once it crackles, add onion and curry leaves. Fry till the onion becomes light brown.

Step 2:

Lower the flame and add turmeric and chilly powder. Stir for 2 minutes.

Step 3:

Now add the tomato. Fry till they are mushy. 

Step 4:

Add the shredded bread slices. Mix till the bread slices are coated with masala. Then Fry for 2 min and switch off. Garnish with coriander leaves. 

Note: 

This is a very simple version of the bread upma. For a variation, you can do the following.

• Add peanuts at the time of tempering.
• Add carrots after adding the masalas. Once the carrot is cooked, add tomatoes and then follow the remaining steps as mentioned in the above recipe.
• You can toast the bread and then cut into slices. 
• I shred the bread using hands. but you can cut it into cubes.