• Upma •

Serves 4:

• 3/4 quinoa

• 3 cups Vegetable Stock

• 1/3 cup peeled, 1/3-inch diced Yukon Gold potatoes

• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar

• 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

• 2 1/2 tablespoons 1/4-inch diced carrot

• 2 1/2 tablespoons 1/4-inch diced green bell pepper

• 2 tablespoons ghee

• 1 1/4 tablespoons ground tumeric

• 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 3/4 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

• Pinch of asafetida (hing)

• 1/4 cup dark raisins

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 cup cashews, toasted and coarsely chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

1. Pour the quinoa into a spice grinder or clean coffee mill (or a high-speed blender) and grind it to fine bits, similar to the texture of cream of wheat.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the stock, potatoes, coconut sugar, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and simmer until the potatoes are just fork-tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute. Pu tin the carrots, peppers, and ghee, shaking the pan to coat the vegetables. Saute until the carrots begin to get tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cayenne, and asafetida to cook until the spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the ground quinoa, raisins and lemon juice. Raise the heat to high and pour in the stock and potato mixture, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring rapidly until the upma is just thick enough to stick to the spoon, like porridge, 3 to 4 minutes. The potatoes and ground quinoa will bind everything together, but avoid letting the upma become too dry.

5. Remove from the heat and stir in the cashews. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with cilantro.

Option

For a sugar-free version, omit the sugar.