Kayi Biyyam Uppindi | Coconut-Rice Upma...FFF#13

This is the final week of my ongoing series Cooking with Family-Family Food Friday ,YES you read it correct,this is the last entry for my FFF series and I really thank you all for your support to me and my family members.If you have missed any of the previous posts in this series,check them here.
Today's post is sent to me by 'Savitha' who had already sent two wonderful entries earlier.Coming to the recipe,'Kayi Biyyam Uppindi' which can be translated as 'Coconut-Rice Upma' is a different traditional recipe and again is our community style breakfast.We generally say kayi for coconut and we use it a lot in our regular cooking,though I use it less...at my mom's place they use at least 2-3 coconuts per week.

This upma is not made with sooji,it uses rice and coconut and the process is quite different and makes the recipe unique.Rice is ground along with lots of coconut and spices and steamed like idly and then the upma is made with the crumbled idli mixture.The whole process is bit laborious process but worth the effort.I would like to thank Savitha again for sending this entry with step-by-step pictures.I am really impressed with the effort my family members had put in to take snaps and sending interesting unique entries for me and my followers.

Kayi Biyyam Uppindi/Kayi Uppittu Recipe:
(serves 2-3)

Ingredients:
2 heaped cups regular rice (sona masuri or equivalent)
3-3 1/2cups grated fresh coconut
2 1/2 tsp thick tamarind concentrate
18 red chillies
¼ cup jaggery
½ tsp baking soda
salt to taste

for Seasoning:
3-4 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard Seeds
1 tbsp urad dal
2 tbsp chana dal
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
a pinch of hing
a sprig of curry leaves
3-4 tbsp chopped coriander

Method:

• Soak rice for 3 hours.Grind the soaked rice in a mixer into a coarse mix (add very little water if necessary). It should resemble the texture of the sooji and keep it aside.

• Grind coconut with jaggery, tamarind, red chillies and salt into a smooth paste by adding little water.

• Mix the two mixtures well, add baking soda and stir it well again. The consistency should be like idly batter.
• Apply oil to the inside edges of a vessel and pour this mixture into a vessel (the quantity mentioned here will require 2 vessels)
• Steam the vessels in a pressure cooker without any weight(whistle) for about 30-35 min over medium-high flame. You don’t have to put any lid on the vessel inside. This process is similar to making idly.

• After the steamed batter cools down, crush it using your hand into coarse powder as shown in the picture.
• Heat oil in a separate vessel and crackle mustard seeds.Add urad dal, chana dal, jeera, curry leaves and fry until they turn red.
• Add the powdered mixture and mix well.
• Keep stirring it in medium heat by occasionally sprinkling water (about 1-1.5 cup of water in total). This is required to soften the mixture and make it a little moist.

• Finally, garnish it with coriander leaves and grated coconut.

Serve it hot and enjoy. This dish tastes really good with yogurt.