Vermicelli Upma
Ingredients :
- Vermicelli : 2 - 3 small cups ( 1 small cup serves one person )
- Carrots : 2 medium-sized, chopped into small pieces
- Peas : half cup
- Beans : chopped into small pieces , half cup
- Tomatoes : 2 small ones, finely chopped
- Green chilles : 2 ( optional ), finely chopped
- Curry leaves : 5-6
- Onion : 1 medium sized, finely chopped
- Ghee / Butter : one tablespoon
- Oil : 1 tablespoon
- Jeera : half teaspoon
- Rai / mustard : half teaspoon
- Chana dal : half teaspoon
- Urad dal : half teaspoon
- Asafoetida : a pinch
- Salt : to taste
- Water : for 1 cup of vermicelli add one and half cups of water
- Heat ghee / butter in a kadai or a pan and add vermicelli once the ghee is heated. Roast the vermicelli to golden brown colour. Take the roasted vermicelli into a plate and keep it aside.
- In the same kadai or pan, heat the oil and add chana dal, urad dal, jeera, rai / mustard, asafoetida and after the chana and urad dal change colour to brown, add green chillies, curry leaves and onions.
- Now add the vegetables and after they are fried for a minute, add water and salt and the whole mixture boil for 2 - 3 minutes and once the vegetables are done, add vermicelli to the mixture and let it cook till all the water is gone. Keep mixing so that the mixture does not stick to the pan.
You also get roasted vermicellin in the market. When using that, make sure you put the vermicelli into the pan after you put the vegetables and before pouring in the water. Let the vermicelli take some oil. This avoids stickiness in the dish and the vermicelli comes separated.
Also add tomatoes at the end, i.e before putting in the water. Otherwise, the sourness of tomatoes doesn't allow the vegetables to cook.