Vermicelli Upma is an easy to prepare Indian breakfast recipe made with vermicelli (semiya). It fits perfectly under the criteria of an ultimate comfort breakfast cum snack. It is also known as semiya upma. Serve it with mint chutney for breakfast or teatime snack.
What is ‘vermicelli’?
Vermicelli is a thin, long thread style noodle or pasta. It is widely used in Asian cooking. In the Indian sub-continent, it is known as ‘semiyan’, ‘seviyan’, or ‘semiya’.
Semiya is made of a variety of flour like all-purpose flour, rice, wheat, or even semolina.
These days there are gluten-free vermicelli noodles made with ragi, jowar, or rice flour easily available in the supermarket.
About Semiya Upma…
The Indian style stir-fry prepared with vermicelli noodles, vegetables, and spices is called semiya upma.
Keeping it simple, wholesome, and fulfilling is my main parameter while planning weekday breakfast.
The vegetable semiya upma perfectly qualifies all these criteria of a fast and quick delicious Indian breakfast.
With each season the ingredients of my vermicelli upma also keep changing. During the winters, it is loaded with bright and shiny vegetables – green peas, carrot, beans, etc. But around hot summer days, we like to keep it minimal. So many possibilities.
My favorite is lemon semiya upma with only peanuts, cashews, a lot of lemon juice, and fresh coriander. Plain and refreshing!
Reasons to LOVE Semiya Upma:
possible vegan and gluten free
easy to pack for lunchbox
meal-prep friendly
full of vegetables
highly customizable
Meal-Prep For Vermicelli Upma
These two meal prep tips always work for me:
1) You can clean, chop, mix, and store all the vegetables for the upma in an airtight container during the beginning of the week or a day before.
2) Usually, I boil the vermicelli noodles during the previous night or a day before. Toss boiled noodles gently in a teaspoon of cooking oil and store in the fridge.
Last-minute, all you need to do is cook the upma. A hearty breakfast is on the table within 20 minutes.
Watch Vermicelli UpmaVideo:
Serving Suggestions
You can serve vermicelli upma as a breakfast or for a teatime snack along with a cup of tea.
The green mint chutney or the traditional coconut chutney tastes best with semiya upma.
You can pack it for office or school lunchbox as well. It is easy to carry around and reheat.
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Vermicelli Upma Recipe
- Heavy Bottom Kadhai
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 Cup vermicelli (semiya)
- 2 teaspoon cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 1 teaspoon urad dal (skinned)
- ¼ Cup peanuts
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 medium-size onion, fine chopped
- ¼ Cup potato, peeled and fine chopped
- ¼ Cup green peas
- ¼ Cup carrot, peeled and fine chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- Juice of one lemon
Instructions
How To Boil Vermicelli (Semiya):
- Add 4 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt in a large saucepan. Turn on the gas stove.
- Once the water starts boiling, add vermicelli. Stir and cook for 10 minutes or until softened.
- Transfer to a metal colander. Drain all the water. Rinse vermicelli nicely with cold or running water. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil and mix. Set aside till required.
How To Make Semiya Upma:
- Heat oil in a kadhai or pan. Add mustard seeds. Allow them to crackle.
- Add urad dal and fry for few seconds or till turn light golden in colour.
- Next, add the peanut and fry for a minute.
- Now add the curry leaves and onion. Fry till onion turn light golden in colour.
- Add mix vegetable, salt, spices and stir to combine. Cover and cook till the vegetables are tender.
- Once vegetables are cooked, add boiled vermicelli and gently mix all the ingredients together.
- Drizzle lemon juice and sprinkle fresh coriander leaves. Mix nicely.
- Serve Vermicelli Upma with green chutney and a hot cup of tea.
Recipe Notes:
- Add vermicelli in the water only when it is a roaring boil. Do not add vermicelli before that stage.
- Vermicelli or semiya does not take too long to get cooked. So while boiling keep checking them for doneness. Usually, vermicelli does not take more than 10 minutes to get perfectly boiled.
- To make a vegan vermicelli upma, use refined oil or coconut oil instead of ghee.
- You can store semiya upma for 2 – 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it in a microwave or a frying pan.
francesco caselli says
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! i love it
Srishti says
Thank you so much for recipe
Hina Gujral says
Always my pleasure 🙂
Ashwini says
amazing one!
Semiya Upma
Hina Gujral says
thanks a lot!