One ingredient five ways: Semolina

Lifestyle Monday 06/February/2017 15:24 PM
By: Times News Service
One ingredient five ways: Semolina

Semolina cake (Basbousa)
Cream 1/2 cup softened butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time and beat well. Sift 2 cups fine semolina with 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Fold into buttered mixture alternately with 3/4 cup plain yoghurt. Spread batter into a greased cake pan and sprinkle 1 cup sliced almonds on top. Bake in moderate oven for 30 to 35 minutes until cake is done. For syrup dissolve 2 cups sugar in 1 1/2 cups water over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and bring to boil. Boil for 10 minutes, then cool by standing pan in cold water. When cake is cooked, spoon cooled syrup over hot cake. Cool thoroughly and cut into squares to serve.

Semolina biscuits (Nan Khatai)
Sift 1 cup flour with a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 tablespoons semolina together and make a dough. Take a small ball of the dough in hand and flatten it. Keep them on a cookie sheet one inch apart from each other. Apply chopped pistachios in the centre of each. Bake at 175 C degrees for 10-15 minutes until light brown in colour. Yields: 15 biscuits.

Semolina idli
Combine 2 1/2 cups semolina, 4 cups buttermilk, 2 tablespoons oil and salt together in a bowl. Keep aside for 30 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small pan and add 1 teaspoon urad dal (split black lentils), 1 teaspoon chana dal (split bengal gram) and 1 teaspoon mustard. When the seeds crackle, add 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh coconut, 2 green chilies, finely chopped and 4 curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds. Pour the tempering over the semolina batter and mix well. Add 1 tbsp fruit salt and sprinkle a little water over it, when the bubbles form mix it gently. Pour spoonfuls of the batter into greased idli moulds and steam for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve hot with a chutney of your choice.

Semolina dessert
Use a pan to melt 1 cup butter and remove from heat and keep aside. Take another pan and roast 1 cup semolina and ½ cup melted butter until the grains become light brown in colour. Boil 1 cup milk in another pan; add any food colouring if desired or leave plain. Add roasted semolina and the remaining ½ cup melted butter, and stir for about 5 minutes until semolina is cooked. Add 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons raisins and 6 crushed cardamom seeds. Serves 4-6 servings.

Semolina upma
Dry roast 1 cup semolina until it is hot to touch and keep aside. Heat 3 teaspoons of oil, add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, when it splutters, add 3/4 teaspoon urad dal, 1 red chili and a few curry leaves. When dal turns golden brown, add 1 onion, 1 inch ginger and 1 green chili finely chopped. Sauté until onions turn transparent. Then add 2 cups of water, 3/4 teaspoon ghee and salt. When the water starts boiling, reduce the flame to low, add semolina gradually with one hand and keep stirring with your other hand. Once the semolina absorbs all the water, cover and cook on low flame for 6-7 minutes. Do not forget to stir in between.-[email protected]