The dish originates in the Telugu speaking belt of the sub – continent (States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) and is served with steamed rice balls (undrallu) or Pongol (a rice and lentil dish spiced with pepper and ginger)
INGREDIENTS
Grated coconut – 1 cup (frozen is fine – just thaw)
Tomato – 1 medium
Greek style yoghurt – 2 cups
Ginger – 2 centimetre piece, finely chopped
Green chilli – 1 deseeded and finely chopped
Sugar – a couple of pinches
Lemon juice – a teaspoon
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil – 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida – a pinch (optional)
Urad dhal – ½ teaspoon (optional)
Dried red chillies – 1 deseeded and cut into 2 pieces
METHOD
Whisk the yoghurt with sugar, lemon juice and salt. Grate the tomato into the yoghurt (discard the skin). Toss the coconut, ginger and green chilli in the yoghurt and mix well.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the urad dhal and when the dhal turns pale brown, add the mustard seeds, dried red chilli and asafoetida. Stir and let the mustard seeds crackle and pop before turning the heat off.
Mix this seasoning with the yoghurt and coconut. Serve with upma.