A decade ago , when we were newly married and were learning to be independent ,every new task , new chore , new routine , new guests used to be a challenge. Managing work and home together was a hooligan task. Waking up early in the morning at 6 am to let the doors open for the maid was soo hard.. that I would let her in and go back to bed, believing she would be truthful and do a fair job.  I was lucky, she was !!! But I was 22 when I got into this beautiful bonding….

So when the weekend arrived , I wouldn’t care to do anything , but to snooze into my comforter and laze around until 10 am , may be 11 too 🙂 . One of those weekends, when I was still tucked in my checked pajamas’s  with my hair all tied up, stretching my arms right , high up in the air and relaxing my body  walked in to the kitchen. And it was a sigh !!!!
H had woken up couple of minutes , may b an hour early  and decided to treat his beloved partner ( me) with a breakfast he can cook up. He first made me a Cup of Filter Coffee.. Its a bliss !! Any day until today , I first need my cup of Coffee , now Tea before I get onto any chores. Those 10 minutes on my own , gives me time to rejuvenate, plan my day .
Clean worktop , chopped potatoes , sliced onions and sizzling sound coming from the wok, I was a little puzzled. Clueless ly , I kept peeking at whats going on . He then tears the slices of bread by his rustic hands and sets them aside. Knowing that I am totally flipped out, he gently holds my hand and says “enjoy your TV time ” and I will be back in a couple of minutes with our breakfast.

There was a lot of excitement and anxiety , whist I waited . May be a couple of minutes later, H brings the sizzling wok along with 2 Plates, a bottle of ketchup , 2 cups of water and spoons to cane weaved dining table. I had a little glance from far and was all charged up to taste H’s first cooked meal ..  Carefully served on plates with a little ketchup , by side, I tasted my first bread Upma. It was distinctively scrumptious.  One of those days ,that cannot escape from my memory …

In my series of posts , I have been posting recipes from my family favourites and something that we cook regularly at home .. As they are just ghar ka khana and not any restaurant style influenced , flavors are kept simple yet delightful .As we say Simplicity at its best !!!

Kids at home love the bakes – the cupcakes, loaf cakes ,cookies and biscuits any day .They love their buttered and nutella sandwiches too .But it cant be a daily meal isn’t it ? A dosa can , An Idli can , Roti’s can ,Paratha’s can, Upma’s can or Pasta bake can… You are getting me aren’t it ?? Bread Upma is one such instant fix when you have a loaf of bread and you are in no mood for an Omlette or Sandwiches are putting you off .

Upma is a healthy Savory dish usually made with Semolina and some vegetables. But since we are using Bread instead of Semolina or Millet flours , its called Bread Upma.

A lot of people make this Upma , specially when your bread gets a day old  or when you have excessive bread lying in your fridge. But I love them cooking with my fresh bread too..  This dish can moulded however you like .. Loaded with tons of veggies and bread for the fill factor .. Or retain its originality and add  just basic veggies to star it up.
I prefer the second method , as I had learnt it just that way with a little twist . Sharing with you yet another family favorite that I had latched onto years ago..

BREAD UPMA Preparation – 10+ 10 Minutes | Cooking time 15 Minutes| Serves 3 -4   INGREDIENTS: 1 loaf of Bread – Approximately 16 slices 2 Large Onions ,sliced finely 2 Potatoes , boiled and cubed ½ Tsp Turmeric ½ Tsp Red Chilli Powder A squeeze of Lemon Juice Finely chopped Coriander leaves about 2-3 Tbsp. for garnishing Salt as Needed For Tempering 4 Tbsp. Oil + 2 -3 Tbsp. of Butter 1 tsp Mustard Seeds 1 tsp Cumin Seeds Curry leaves  6-7 No’s   DIRECTIONS:  Toast your bread in a toaster or in a skillet, in case you do not have a toaster around. I find using a toaster quicker, hence have adapted to it. Apply some spreadable butter, very gently… Not generously. Repeat the process for the rest of the bread. Cut the bread into small pieces. Heat Oil in a Wok or a non-stick kadai. Pop in mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they begin to crackle, add curry leaves and sliced onion, fry until translucent. Once the onion is soft, add in diced potatoes and sauté for 2-3 minutes.  Sprinkle in turmeric powder, chilli powder and the needed salt. Since we have added some butter to the bread slices, carefully add the salt. Add the toasted and buttered bread slices and stir until well combined. Add in Spreadable butter or salted butter to the vegetable & bread combination in the wok. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes, until all the butter melts and toasts the mixture together well. Squeeze in some lemon juice and garnish with Coriander leaves. Serve them hot, just as it is .. Or with some ketchup like I do. NOTES: When I learnt this recipe, we would never toast the bread, instead just tear the bread slices and add them after the addition of potatoes. Also neither Mil nor H would add any Butter to the Upma.  I toast the bread in order to avoid it getting soggier at any stage. Over the years, as I have been making them, I have tailored to suit our palates. If you like it spicier, you could add some chopped green chillies to the upma. For more variations, you could add some chopped tomatoes at the end, may b 2-3 minutes before we complete the upma .. They taste wonderful too, just that they get slightly soggier. For a lovely twist in flavours you could jazz it up with sambar powder or curry powder or even use some ginger garlic.