Roti Upma aka Fried Bread Curry - don't worry, it's really good!

I have just eaten A Very Interesting Thing which was also quick, cheap and used leftovers but I doubt very much that it was healthy. - fried bread curry!

Upma is a actually a South Indian porridgy dish usually made with semolina but also with lots of other things that will mush down such as rice or bread.  I don't like porridgy things so have never tried it and so didn't feel I could rightfully include the bread version in my bread section of Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers (see below ***). 

Recently however I have noticed a few Upma recipes using dried or fried bread which retains quite a bit of crispness so decided to give it a go. 

Roti Upma 

A somewhat inauthentic recipe because I didn't have all the right ingredients! ~ serves 1

   

2 separate ½ tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
1-2 slices bread - stale is good - diced or torn into pieces

(for me a small slice of sourdough and ½ an old roll I found in the freezer!)

¼ tsp mustard seeds

1 hot red chilli chopped

(I keep a bag in the freezer, they are easily chopped from frozen)

½ onion finely chopped

¼ inch ginger finely chopped

1 pinch turmeric

(I am ashamed to say I had no fresh ginger or turmeric so replaced these with a ¼ tsp curry paste which worked very well)

5 or so cherry tomatoes, quartered

a handful of cashew nuts

fresh coriander, chopped plus a sprig or two to garnish

~   Heat ½ tbsp oil in a frying pan then fry the bread in it till turning crisp and golden. Set aside.

~   Add the second ½ tbsp oil to the pan and then the mustard seeds and wait till they start popping.

~   Stir in the onion (and the ginger if you've got some) and cook till starting to go translucent then add the chilli and the tomatoes.

~   When the tomatoes start to mush down stir in the turmeric and/or curry paste and cook together a minute or so.

~   Taste and season then stir in the bread, cashews and chopped coriander. 

I stopped at this point because I don't like pappy meals but you could cook the mixture down a bit and maybe add a little hot water to achieve a more porridge-like consistency.  As I say, it was great and next time I feel I have been eating too healthily I intend to balance things up by making it again! 

***  In this book I give all the information, ideas, recipes, handy hints, cook’s treats, storage info, ideas of what goes with what that I can think of for over 450 possible leftovers including at least 16 ways to use up leftover bread.

Read more here ...

Take My Advice and Eat Deliciously!

That was good, wasn't it – a lovely springy weekend. My real man and I did some gardening, we think, we don’t know much about gardening. Segue coming up!

And talking of things people don’t know much about I was asked recently, by Marks and Spencer no less (hopefully more about this later) what has been the inspiration behind Sudden Lunch! and The Leftovers Handbook? (This book is now in its second edition called Creative Ways to Use Up Leftovers.)   I knew the answer immediately – utter irritation!  

I am amazed, discombobulated and yes, irritated by all the things people don’t know about food, eating, cooking, best before dates and so on. 

I often joke that cooking is just cutting things up and making them hot but realise there is a fair bit more to it than that (plus maybe I’m a natural).  But honestly, cooking really is not at all difficult.  I am not suggesting that people learn to cook like … I dunno … Heston Blumenthal or Ottolenghi but it would be time very well invested indeed to learn how to feed yourself quickly, easily, economically, deliciously and to your very own tastes.

To this end I wrote my book, with recipes, ideas, handy hints, suggestions, cook's treats, storage advice and more for over 450 different leftovers.

To illustrate my point ...

Because I can cook these are the last three meals I have eaten (not including breakfast) prior to writing this post.  For me they take no forward planning whatsoever; as I say the header of this blog ... 

“Spontaneous eating from store cupboard and leftovers”.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Leek & Chorizo Soup

I had half a butternut squash and half a leek in the fridge plus, of course, chorizo which to me is an essential store cupboard item (see here for 21 Ways Chorizo can Enhance Your Life!).  

I was cooking a roast dinner for my real man so roasted the squash as the oven was already on.  I gently cooked the leek in a little oil till meltingly tender (this is the best way to cook onions too - see here), added the roasted squash and enough veg stock (half an oxo and hot water) to just cover.  I also added 3 chopped slices of chorizo and simmered for about 10 minutes.  I puréed the soup, although just mashing would do, and served myself the result together with 1 small slice of bread which I had torn up, tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and another coarsely chopped slice of chorizo and popped in the hot oven to crisp up. More information on Croutonology here.

Time taken about 45 minutes but most of that was just waiting for the squash to cook alongside the beef. It made two portions so I’m guessing about 50p a portion.

Penne Pasta in a Rich Oxtail Sauce

We bought a small bag of oxtail in the bargain department of Tesco for £1.21.  I braised it with onions, a little tomato paste, beef stock and splash of red wine and we both had a bowl of lovely stew with a chunk of bread.  There was a little left so I reduced it slightly (by simmering), and sauced some pasta with it, Parmesan sprinkle of course.  Easy peasy, maybe 15 minutes time and 40p for the meal. If you can spare 2p or so more a sprinkling of pangrattato would be great on this!

Warm Boursin Scones with Cherry Tomato Salad

I bought two garlic and herb Boursin at a much reduced price so decided to play with some.  I have often made a kind of pan-cooked scone called a Singin’ Hinnie (recipe here) and wondered how it would turn out if I used Boursin instead of butter or margarine.  It turned out really well so whilst they cooled a little I mixed some chopped tomatoes with a little red onion, olive oil, drizzle of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.  Lunch …

These didn't take long or cost much – 50p say!

So please, take my advice ...

By simply learning a few basics; including perhaps some idea of what goes with what, and also keeping your favourite basics in the store cupboard then eating really, really well for not much time or money becomes a daily event. 

Which, incidentally, is wonderful!