A spicy puffed rice salad

CHURMURI

The battalion of children in our household are greatly attached to my brother who is a virtual Santaclaus to all of them.They loved to accompany him on long drives around Mysore city, and drooled over the churmuri he bought for them from a cart near the 'Kotae Anjaneya' temple.
Some times they invaded the kitchen and helped my brother who indulgently prepared their favourite snacks or cool drinks with a cart man's expertise! Pani puri, Churmuri, mini pizzas, iced lemon tea, lassi, badam milk and many other snacks rolled out of our kitchen amidst a lot of clamour, turning the entire dining hall into a mini fair.
I learnt to make Churmuri from my brother on one such occassion.


CHURMURI
INGREDIENTS
Puffed rice ( crisp and fresh) - 1/2 kg
Onion - 2 big
Tomatoes - 2 big
Dry roasted pea nuts - 200 gms
Fresh green coriander leaves - 1 bunch
Green chillies - 2
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Lime - 1
Coconut oil - 1 tsp

METHOD
1. Mince onion and tomatoes finely and keep separately.
2. Grind coriander leaves, green chillies , salt and sugar into a smooth paste, mix in the juice of lime and keep aside.
3. Just before serving mix the chopped vegetables, ground coriander paste, puffed rice and roasted peanuts in a vessel with a lid.
4. Add the coconut oil for flavour, cover with the lid and shake the vessel vigourously to blend all ingredients.

Enjoy your Churmuri immediately before it becomes soggy. Minced mangoes can be added during mango season. Carrot shreds can also be addded for variation.

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Arisi Upma (Rice Upma)

Hello friends,
Greetings from India! I managed to post this recipe during my vacation. I will try to post more. Arisi Upma is a tiffin item made by cooking Rice and Dal with a few spices. It's a regular in our family cause we South Indians are fond of rice :)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Dry grind to a coarse mixture:

Raw Rice - 3/4 cup

Thur Dal - 2 tbsp

Red Chillies - 2

Jeera- 1/2 tsp

Seasonings:

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera- 1/2 tsp

Urud Dal - 1 tsp

Channa Dal - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - a few

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Whole Pepper - 1/4 tsp

Ginger - 1/4 tsp grated

Other Ingredients:

Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp

Cooking oil - 2 tbsp

Salt

Water - 21/4 cups

Method:

Heat both coconut and cooking oil. 

Season with ingredients mentioned above.

When mustard seeds crackle and dals turn golden brown, add water and bring it to a boil.

Add roughly ground rice and dal mixture and salt.

Simmer and close the lid and cook till rice is done (12-15 minutes).

Serve with chutney or sambar. 

Notes:

Do not grind the rice too much. Grind it just enough to break into small pieces.

When Upma is warm, you may shape it into oval balls and serve as kozhakattai.