Semolina Moulds alongside Chicken Delight

The day Uppumau is made at home, my brother and me would have this unusual silence at the kitchen table. As children we were to eat this with sliced up bananas and sugar sprinkles while my dad gets his uppumau accompanied with chicken/ fish or any meat  depending on what was the previous day leftover. The story still continues in my household - my husband and brother would eat this provided the approved non vegetarian condiments are served alongside...

Uppumau

Ingredients:
Semolina/ Bansi Rava/ Roasted Rava - 1 cup
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Tomato - 1 finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch finely sliced and cut into thin strips
Green chilly - 1 finely chopped
Boiling water - 1 1/2 cups
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Carrot finely grated -  2tbs

Depending on the type of rava, roast the rava on a non stick pan without losing the colour. Wipe the pan using absorbent paper and saute the ginger and onion until translucent. Add the chilly and tomato and fry till the tomato becomes soft. Pour the boiling water, and once the water starts bubbling, add the rava and cook for another 3-4 mins till the water is absorbed and the rava is cooked. Fill a ladle with the rava mixture and unmould onto a plate and serve. Top the semolina hillocks with grated carrot.

Chicken Delight

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1kg cleaned and cut into medium pieced
Ginger garlic paste -2tbs
Garam masala - 1/2tsp
Turmeric - 1/2tsp
Vinegar - 1tbs
Onion - 3-4 finely chopped
Tomato paste - 2tbs or 3 tomatoes blanched and pureed 
Dry red chillies - 6-7 without the seeds and ground to a paste
Water - 1 cup
Red colour optional
Salt to taste

Marinate the chicken with garam masala, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, vinegar and salt for an hour. In the meantime, heat oil in a wok and saute onion till evenly browned, Then add the ground chilli paste and tomato paste and saute till the masala is cooked through. Add water and red colour and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Fry the marinated chicken till browned and add the fried pieces to the cooked gravy.  Serve with uppamau moulds.