Learn to make Vermicelli Upma, a popular Indian breakfast. It is an easy, tasty, and satisfying vegetarian dish. Be sure to watch the video!
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
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What is ‘vermicelli’?
Vermicelli is a thin, long thread-style noodle or pasta. In the Indian sub-continent, it is known as ‘semiyan’, ‘seviyan’, or ‘semiya’. It is commonly used to make sweets, kheer, and snacks like spring rolls or stir fry noodles.
These vermicelli noodles are often made with various flours like all-purpose flour, wheat, ragi, or semolina. The Indian variety of vermicelli noodles is approximately one inch long, or you can say they are bite-size, unlike the Southeast Asian style vermicelli noodles.
About Semiya Upma
Semiya Upma is an Indian breakfast made with vermicelli noodles, vegetables, and spices. It perfectly qualifies all the criteria of a quick and easy Indian breakfast.
I am sharing a South Indian-style, wholesome, and tasty upma recipe.
With each season, the ingredients of my vermicelli upma also keep changing. During the winter, it is loaded with bright and shiny vegetables – green peas, carrots, and beans. We like to keep it simple with onion and potatoes during hot summer days.
My favourite is lemon semiya upma with only peanuts, cashews, a lot of lemon juice, and fresh coriander. Plain and refreshing!
More Reasons to LOVE Semiya Upma
- possible vegan and gluten-free
- easy to pack for lunchbox
- packed with vegetables
- highly customizable
- meal-prep friendly
Meal-Prep Tips For Upma
These two meal prep tips always work for me:
- You can clean, chop, mix, and store all the vegetables for the upma in an airtight container at the beginning of the week or a day before.
- Usually, I boil the vermicelli noodles the previous night or the day before. Toss boiled noodles gently in a teaspoon of cooking oil and store them in the refrigerator.
Last minute, all you need to do is cook the upma. A hearty breakfast is on the table in under 30 minutes.
Watch Semiya Upma Video
Serving Suggestion
You can serve vermicelli upma as a breakfast or a teatime snack.
The green mint chutney or the traditional coconut chutney tastes best with the upma. You can pack it for the office or school lunchbox as well. It is easy to carry around, store, 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, fine chopped
- ¼ Cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ Cup carrot, 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!
AG says
It turned out delicious. Thank you!
Hina Gujral says
Great! So happy to read your feedback.