Vermicelli Upma - A Quick and Healthy breakfast

Vermicelli or as it is called in India - Semiya is nothing but fine pasta but the Bambino one that I get from an Indian store is made from semolina or rava.  Very easy to cook and very fast to cook. Even a beginner can get a hang of it. The key, however, is to add the water to the cook the semiya with caution especially if you are beginner. My beginning experiences with semiya ended up looking like a big starchy gooey mess. I always add frozen or fresh veggies to such breakfast items to boost its nutritional value. But, the original recipes add green peas at the most. 

1/3 cup Bambino Vermicelli

1/3 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables - corn, green peas, and green beans

1 dry red chilli

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

Pinch of white urad dal

Dash of asofoetida

4 to 6 curry leaves

8 to 10 dry roasted peanuts

Few cashews (optional)

2/3 cup hot water

Garnish: lime juice, cilantro, shredded coconut

1. Heat about 2/3 cup of water.  Add frozen veggies to the them. I did that so the veggies would defrost/cook and the water would retain the nutrients. 

2. Heat very little oil in a pan.  Add the vermicelli to the pan and roast it on low flame until golden brown.  You have to constantly keep moving it with a spatula so that it does not burn.  Set aside.

3. Add some oil.  When hot, add the mustard seeds and let sputter. Keep the flame on low.  Quickly add urad dal, curry leaves, dry red chilli (break it in two pieces), asofoetida, and peanuts.  Tilt the pan to a side so the contents are immersed in oil.  Flame should be on low so as to not burn the contents. 

4. Add the finely chopped onions and sautee for 3 minutes.  Add the frozen veggies (drain and reserve the hot water) and mix well. Let cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add a pinch of sugar and salt to taste and mix.

5. Add the roasted vermicelli and mix well.  Add about half of the hot water that we reserved after draining the veggies.  Cover and let simmer and cook.  The vermicelli will absorb all the water slowly and cook in that process.  Check for doneness. When the vermicelli is soft to bite, it is ready to eat.  Just like pasta or noodles, the doneness meter will be different for each one of us. I like the vermicelli al dente (a bit of bite) so I did not put the entire water. So it is better to be safe and add half at first and if necessary follow up with the remainder.

Garnish with shredded coconut, cilantro, and some fresh lime juice.