Later, as I grew up and moved to US, I made sure, I had her teach me all her little tips n tricks of making her signature dish! 🙂
Method:
Heat ghee+oil, add rai, khadi lal mirch, kari patta, chana dal and cook for a minute.
Add roasted cashews and finely chopped ginger, onions and sauté till soft.
Add coarse Suji/Semolina and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add salt, and 3 1/2 to 4 times water (depending upon how thick or flowing you like your Upma) along with a squeeze of lemon juice. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly till it thickens and starts coming together!
Now take off heat, cover and rest for 15 minutes. Serve warm!
Enjoy along with coconut chutney.
PS: you can also add chopped vegetables like peas, carrots, cauliflower, beans etc to the onions.
Source: Bhawani Rao Aunty