Spicy Bread Upma

     Bread Upma is one such recipe I never even tried or thought about when I was in India. Here we buy bread every week and its liking fades away in a day or two :D Then the pack lies abandoned for 2 more days on the counter or over the fridge. Then I check for its expiry and keep reminding myself to use it up well before the date. Only then I started making Bread Upma where I could get to use most of the slices and without a heavy heart discard only the top and bottom most slices :P 
     Apart from various types of sandwiches, toasts, plain bread with butter or jam, this is one other alternative to consume bread adding a tasty twist to it. 
     Have made this multiple times in the last few months and tried it for a potluck too.
With whatever vegetables available at hand, this dish can be made within 30 mins & with no compromise in taste. 

Prep Time: 5 mins || Cook Time: 25 mins || Serves: 3 ||  Category: Breakfast/Kids Recipes

Ingredients:
1. Onion - 2 medium sized
2. Tomato - 2 big
3. Capsicum - 1 small
4. Ginger - 2tsp finely chopped
5. Turmeric Powder - 2tsp
6. Garam Masala - 2tsp
7. Chilly Powder - 3tsp
8. Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp
9. Salt - as required
10. Channa (Chickpea) - 50gm boiled [Optional]
11. Oil - 2tbsp
12. Mustard seeds - 1tsp 
13. Cumin seeds (jeera) - 2tsp
14. Bengal Gram (Kadalai Paruppu) - 2tsp 
15. Coriander leaves - 2tbsp finely chopped
16. Lemon - 1 small [Optional]
17. Bread slices - 8 or 9

Method:
1. Chop all the vegetables, ginger and coriander leaves. In a pan heat oil & add mustard. Once it splutters, add bengal gram, jeera in reduced flame. Once they are golden, add the chopped onions & turmeric powder and saute for 3-4 mins or until half cooked.

2. Add the chopped capsicum, chilly powder & garam masala & saute for about 3-4 mins or until the capsicum is roughly cooked. Add chopped tomatoes & required salt and saute till the tomatoes turn mushy. Now add the boiled chickpeas and tomato sauce for flavour enhancement. Adjust salt, chilly powder as required. Cook for about 2-3 mins and switch off the flame.

3. Now add the bread cubes & mix well. Top with coriander leaves. If needed, squeeze a little amount of lime juice & mix well.

Suggestions:

• The vegetables added here are only suggestive. This can be altered with any combination of vegetables of one's choice and availability. It can also be left as a simple upma with just sauteed onion, curry leaves, ginger and green chilis.
• The brown rim of the bread can be and discarded and only the white part can also be used.
• As I am okay with the taste of the brown edges, I left them as such.
• Adding lemon juice and tomato sauce are optional.
• If adding lemon juice, it is always better to add it after the flame is switched off, as it might give a bitter taste otherwise.
• Can also add golden corn kernels or peas instead of chickpeas for a variation.
• White bread can also be replaced with whole wheat bread if you are a little health conscious. Variations are endless though :)