Buggani (Puffed Rice Upma) Andhrapradesh Breakfast

A simple and common dish, prepared with puffed rice or(pori) (borugulu) , it’s traditionally served as breakfast in our Rayalaseema region.In Nandyala,A.P my hometown in India, we buy freshly made puffed rice from street vendors.Here in Chennai in grocery shops.

Recipe:
Puffed rice:2cups
One big onion - finely chopped lengthwise
4 green chillies - made into paste
1 tsp each of salt and oil
Pinch of turmeric
Popu
1/2 tsp each of cumin, mustard seeds,5 pods garlic, few curry leaves and one red chilli
extras
1 tablespoon of roasted chickpea powder (Kondai kadalai maavu) (putnala pappu podi)
1/4 cup of roasted peanuts
1 lime

Buggani needs hot, spiciness from green chillies. So don’t hesitate to add enough green chillies.

Preparation:

First, take a big vessel, fill half of it with tap water and add puffed rice to the water. Because of lightweight, they will float. Using your hands push them under water for few seconds. Let them soak in water. Exactly after 5 minutes, remove them from water by taking handfuls and firmly squeezing the water from them by pressing the hands together tightly. Remove them all from water in this way and put them in a colander.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat one tsp of oil and do the popu (frying the mustard seeds, cumin,garlic, red chillies and curry leaves in oil). Add onions, sauté them until light brown, then add green chilli paste, sauté it till it turns from bright green to light green colour, don’t brown it. Finally add a pinch of turmeric and salt. Stir them all once and turn off the heat.

Add this hot onion mixture immediately to puffed rice along with roasted peanuts and roasted chickpea powder. Mix them all together and add salt if needed. That’s it. Serve them as soon as you prepare them

Just before eating, squeeze few drops of lime. We usually serve this Buggani along with few pieces of finely chopped onions (washed in water beforehand), some more roasted peanuts, and a lemon wedge.