Captivating Cranberry Recipes and Cranberry Upma

Unlike most berries ,cranberries are very lightly sweet but really tart,that makes it a better addition in savory dishes cause making a dessert would mean adding a lot more sugar to balance the tartness.Not that I haven't tried it in a Sweet recipe,some of my favorites are :

Cranberry Apple pie ,
Cranberry Creme brulee ,
Chocolate Cake with Cranberries and Pomegranates,
Cranberry preserves,
Berry Green Smoothie,
Pomegranate Cranberry Plunge, and
Cranberry bread(same is good for making muffins)

But I love them better in savory dishes :

Cranberry Chicken Satay,
Cranberry Falafel ,
Cranberry Lentils ,
Cranberry Chicken,
Cranberry Salsa,
Cranberry Sauce
Almond Cranberry Crusted Wild Salmon
and Cranberry Lamb(recipe not posted yet)


Cranberry Upma
A flavorful South Indian breakfast dish,Upma is not a favorite in my family, that was until I prepared Upma with touch of tangy cranberries.Sure enough Upma got the uplift it needed with the despicably delicious cranberries,my family simply loved the combination of spicy and tangy, which means I could make it more often for our special weekend breakfasts as long as the cranberries are in the market.

Upma needs some special ingredients like mustard seeds,curry leaves,turmeric and fine semolina(Suji Rava) that are exclusively available in Asian or India stores.
For cranberry upma do not mix the berries while the Upma is cooking unless you like the upma pinkish red in color.I saute berries separately and top on Upma before serving,that also retains most juiciness of berries.And if cranberries are not available in your part of the world,then a fresh squeeze of lemon juice over the Upma at the end of cooking process could be the next best substitute.


Recipe
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup Fine Semolina (Suji Rava)
1/2 a medium onion,finely chopped
1 plum red tomato,finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon Canola oil or vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon black Mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon Ginger root,grated
2-3 small green chillies,chopped(or skip chillies and use 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fresh or frozen Cranberries
1 cup Vegetables (Carrots finely chopped and peas)

Method
Heat pan on medium heat and roast rava by stirring occasionally until aromatic and lightly browned,keep an eye as it can burn easily.
In a deep sauce pan or Kadai/Wok ,heat the oil on medium high heat and add mustard seeds,onions,curry leaves,cumin and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add ginger, green chillies and turmeric ,cook another minute before adding tomatoes.Now cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until tomatoes are tender,then add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.Add vegetables and salt,then add the roasted semolina while constantly stirring(important! or the Upma could get lumpy).Reduce heat to medium low,cover and let cook for 3-4 minutes.
Meanwhile heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and add the cranberries,saute for 2-3 minutes just until tender but not bleeding or mushy.Keep aside.
To serve ,transfer upma in a serving dish and top with sauteed cranberries.For individual portions in a bowl shape as in the picture,lay the berries on the bottom of a bowl,top with upma and lightly press,flip slowly in a serving plate.

Cranberry Upma is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #263,hosted this week by Huan ofEat.Read.Live

Comments

Looks so so delicious and beautiful dishes using cranberry... Yummy ;)
Cranberries are very versatile. That dish looks intriguing and delicious.

Cheers,

Rosa
Jeannie said…
That looks lovely! Hv always love how cranberries can add such beautiful color to a dish!
Yours Truly said…
i m not an upma fan either, had it once with a friend. but the burst of colors from cranberry look amazing here!
divya said…
Looks great and delicious..
Yasmeen, you have so many cranberry recipes and they all look amazing. I still have some cranberries in the fridge and would love to try some of them.
Unknown said…
wow, those are some super duper cranberry recipes. Who could have though of cranberry upma but you :)
Priya Suresh said…
Wat a beautiful array of yummy cranberry recipes, delectable upma Yas.
Mona said…
One of the most unusual yet intriguing pair I have ever seen, cranberries and upma together. Outstanding!
delicious healthy and colourful.
Jaisy James said…
wow yummy superbb clicks
JishasKitchen said…
AWESOME RECIPE,,,LOVED IT
This looks like a very interesting breakfast. I couldn't imagine eating something as pungent as cumin for breakfast, but if it is paired with cranberries, it sounds very interesting. I may try this for lunch.

I also lov eyour cranberry round-up. Cranberries are one of my favourite ingredients as well. :)
I have a cup of tart cranberries which need some attention. Thanks so much for this idea.
Tennis Guy said…
cranberry is my Favorite one

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