Usili upma

Usili upma is an unimaginably easy and a super delicious upma that can be made on tiresome days when one doesn't want to slog in the kitchen. Both my paatis used to make it and I inherited this recipe from my mom.

Ingredients

Rice ( white/brown sona masoori or raw rice)          - 1-1/4 cup

Payathamparuppu/ Mung dhal                                 -1-1/4 cup

Onion                                                                   -1 large or 2 medium sized

Salt                                                                       as needed

Oil                                                                       - 1 tblspn

Mustard seeds                                                       - 1/2 tsp

Red chillies                                                           - 3 nos

Asafoetida                                                            - 1 pinch

Method

1. Dice onions as small as one can. 
2.  In a pressure cooker, add a tblspn of oil, heat it, add mustard seeds to splutter , break red chillies to two and add. Add a pinch of asafoetida and add the diced onions.
3. Saute until onions are translucent. Now add rice, payathamparuppu/Mung dhal and enough water one would add for pongal (if one likes a little mashy consistency)  and salt to taste. 
4. Close the lid and cook it as one would for pongal (for mashy consistency ) or like rice if not. 
5.  Open the pressure cooker and  mix well as the onions would have come to the top and keep on mixing if to achieve a slightly mashy consistency and have it with anything from lemon oorugai, mangai thokku, molaga chutney to vethakozhambu etc., etc.,