Sooji Delight

Sooji Upma is a common recipe in India. This is my quick version of this healthy tasty dish.

Roasted Sooji (Semolina) - 1/2 cup
Vegetable of your choice (I use carrot, brocolli, peas, green beans, tomatos. Quantity can vary depending on your taste. I usually take 1 carrot, 5-6 flowers of brocolli, a few beans and peas, 1 medium tomato)
Ghee - 5-6 tbsps
Salt
Pepper
(you can add green chilli for an adult version)

Roast the sooji with ghee on low flame till it turns light brown in color. You have to roast it continously otherwise it will get charred. I basically roast sooji beforehand and keep it in a jar. Then it comes very handy to make quick upma.

I grate the carrot, brocolli and the green peas as it's faster to cook and then I don't have to worry about my little one swallowing big chunks. And the grated veggies blend better.(you can finely chop them if you wish. I sometimes chop them when making an adult version). Stir fry the grated veggies with 1tsp ghee/oil. Add the peas. Remove the skin of the tomatoes and fry them along with the veggies for 1 more minute. Add the roasted sooji, salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 cup of water and let it simmer on low till the water dries. (Leave it a little moist if you plan to eat it later as the sooji will absorb more water)
Garnish with cilantro.

My husband and daughter both have a sweet tooth. With the roasted sooji at hand I can anytime make quick halwa(Semolina pudding) for them. Just 1 cup water to 1/2 cup of roasted sooji and let it simmer on low flame. When the water is almost dried add 1/2 cup of sugar and some slivered nuts to garnish. Serve hot or cold, this is a great Indian sweet dish.
When I make this sweet version for my daughter, I add banana/mango or just some applesauce to it and reduce the sugar to 1/4 of the amount. It becomes a healthy treat!!