Simplicity Coimbatore , The Godhumai Rava Uppma story/a
If I were to chronicle a list of foods typical to the Naidu community in Coimbatore, the samba rava uppma would be among the top choices. To this day it remains a dinner time staple in most of our homes.
For me uppma meant only the brown godhumai rava uppma. The white semolina uppma was called kichdi,in my understanding of rava. The white one was loaded with vegetables whereas the Godhumai uppma wasn’t.This was how my brain perceived the two kinds of uppma.
This was a dish we served to anyone who visited or stayed at our home. Back then families turned to Women’s weekly or recipes borrowed from the ‘foreign’ wives of men who came on transfer from abroad to serve at the armed forces. My mother was among the lot of enthusiastic cooks who made regular trips to ‘Spencers’ (Arts College Road) to find special ingredients which were imported from far flung corners of the globe. Even with the meager choices at their disposal we were treated to an array of dishes boasting international flavours. It helped that Dad and his friends enjoyed a good roast or a cheesy baked dish which made the experimenting more fun.
When we did host dinners for ‘the foreigners’ as they were often referred to , the uppma was always a part of the menu. I recall my mother telling them it was broken wheat and getting them to eat it like we did ; with curd, at the end of a meal.
Curd again was an object of great fascination for our guests.Back then we had cows and a stable in our back yard so the practice of setting curd everyday was just part of the routine. The braver lot were urged to try a bit of the spicy mango pickle.
It’s a practice which I (realised later) subconsciously adopted when we had guests over from abroad,at our home. The uppma was always around and it was liked by all. Uppma is not just something which we are used to , it is much more,the ultimate comfort food. There are people who cannot fathom that fact but it is true.
Uppma and paruppu chutney (we call it getti chutney),that’s a whole other story ! Uppma with banana (I want some now as I write this). Finally uppma with curd and pickle. On most days it is served separately. On occasion we get treated to the thayir uppma. Give me a bowl of it and I shall sit down happily in a corner with no need for entertainment or company quietly tucking away into it, down to the last grain of wheat.
The stock of samba rava (broken emmer wheat) was running a bit low last week so I made a quick dash out to pick some up. Heaven forbid we are stuck at home without being able to make the godhumai rava uppma !(shudder) Anyway I ventured into a store which was nearly empty and asked for wheat rava. A few minutes later I was handed a packet of Dalia. Seeing the surprise on my face (through mask and all) the person in charge said , actually no , he , insisted that it was the exact same as the samba rava. Of course that wouldn’t do and there was no option of standing there and discussing broken wheat specifics with social distancing being uppermost on my mind. So I did leave but I still do not understand how on earth will any shop in Coimbatore not know the difference between the fine samba rava and the coarser dalia !?!
Thankfully I did manage to locate it in another store on my way home and I almost wished I could send a Whatsapp picture to the gentleman who was most insistent earlier !
Picture taken at the very same lunch ,years ago
A few years ago ,it was my mother’s sister’s birthday. We planned a surprise lunch for her at home and invited people with whom she shared many happy memories. The menu for this lunch required careful planning because each of these women (except for my aunt) are excellent cooks. And we all loved cooking for my aunt because she took so much delight in well cooked food.
While I was thinking of a curd option for this lunch I came up with the idea of doing ,what I like to call, “uppma shots”. The reason being ,these ladies liked to sample a variety of dishes but the quantity which they ate wasn’t much. Therefore the uppma shots were perfect, bite sized almost (okay 2 bites,3 if you insist!) The tiny crystal shot glasses came out and the layering was underway. First came the uppma ,followed by a layer of curd and then topped with a small helping of spicy red mango pickle. To add extra effect we tucked in shards of roasted pappad.
The ladies were thrilled beyond words. The praise thereafter was so lavish ,it took me days to float back down to earth !!!
The uppma shots were shared soon thereafter on my then terribly amateur blog and it met with instant approval. The only thing about it is that it needs to be put together just before serving. One time I thought I was saving time and did it a few hours ahead,the pickle had turned the curd so sour that no one could eat it ! Lesson learned.
A few months later, it also got featured in the Indulge ,a weekend supplement of the Indian Express publication.
Bet you had no idea that the pale brown grains of uppma can inspire so much prose! The combination of the chopped shallots, curry leaves, chillies, mustard seeds , channa dhal (I like lots of it) and ginger comes together in a delicious swoosh as the water is added to the vadachatti (iron wok). I love how the grains swell and push the heavy ingredients to the centre as they cook. A ripe banana mashed into all of that tastes unbelievably good.
A friend once told me that her father-in-law used to refer to it as Golti uppma. I don’t know about the rest of my clan but I for one will happily stake claim to this broken emmer wheat dish which has been my sole companion at many a dinner .
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