Baked Vermicelli - Vegetable Cutlets

Here are some guilt free and flavorful vermicelli and vegetable based cutlets or tikkis to munch on along with a cup of tea in the evenings. I have used potato, carrot and beans here though other veggies like peas, cauliflower or greens can be added too. Vermicelli here can be replaced with other kind of noodles but I find the Indian variety short strands of vermicelli more convenient to use here. The tikkis of course can be pan fried or deep fried too instead of baking. (The tikkis in the background plate were pan fried.)

Ingredients: (Yiled 12 cutlets)
1 cup cooked vermicelli*
1 cup peeled, chopped and cooked vegetables (I used potato, carrot and beans.)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. chaat masala
1/2 tsp. chili powder or to taste
3/4 tsp. amchur powder
Salt to taste
1/2 cup (or as needed) bread crumbs
Oil to spray 
* Indian style 1/2 inch vermicelli strands
Method:
* Drain the cooked vermicelli and set aside to cool. Squeeze out any extra water if present.
* Drain the cooked vegetables taking care that no water is present. Coarsely pulse them using a food processor.
* Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil if preferred and spray it with cooking oil and keep it aside.
* Add the cooked vermicelli, prepared veggies, turmeric, spice powders and salt to a mixing bowl and mix well with a spoon or hand. Add bread crumbs as needed and mix to form a cohesive mixture. 
* Pinch out lemon sized portions and shape them into discs. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet and spray the tops with oil again.
* Bake them until the bottom portion turn golden brown and flip them and continue to bake until the other side browns too. (I forgot to record the time of baking but it may take around 30 minutes or so.)

This goes to Blogging marathon #71, under the theme 'One Ingredient - Three Courses'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

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Vermicelli Kheer / Semya Payasam

 
A kheer or payasam denotes a festive dish and this semya payasam is one of the yummiest and the most commonly prepared sweet dishes in most of the Indian households. Especially it is so popular in the southern regions that it is probably one of the first sweet dishes that a novice learns to cook. The rich, creamy kheer is easy to prepare and hard to mess up unless one is not paying attention. Semiya payasam uses the Indian style vermicelli that is sold as 1/2 inch sized bits. In the basic and common version, the vermicelli is roasted in ghee until golden brown and then cooked in full fat milk and sugar and flavored with cardamom. It is finally rounded off with the addition of toasted raisins and cashews. Depending upon the occasion, this basic version kheer can be made more richer and creamier with the addition of condensed milk at the final stages of cooking. Or as they do in Bangalore region, the payasam can be made more flavorful with the addition badam mix powder (like MTR brand for example).

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. + 2 tsp. ghee
1/2 cup vermicelli / semya
2 cups full fat milk (Don't substitute skim milk.)
3 tbsp. sugar or to taste
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1 to 2 tbsp. MTR badam mix (optional)
1 tbsp. raisins
1 tbsp. cashews

Method:
* Heat 2 tsp. ghee in a pan and roast vermicelli on medium flame, stirring continuously until the vermicelli turns uniformly golden brown. Turn off the stove and set the vermicelli aside.
Skip this step if using pre-roasted vermicelli. Vermicelli can be roasted without adding ghee too.
Take care not to burn the vermicelli and in case, accidentally if vermicelli is burned, throw it away and start over with fresh batch of vermicelli.
* Heat milk on low flame in a thick bottomed stainless steel pot or a non stick one. Add the roasted vermicelli to the milk pot and stir well with  a ladle so that the vermicelli does not form a clumpy mass. Leave the ladle in the pot so that the milk will not flow over the pot. Continue to cook, stirring intermittently until the vermicelli is done. The stirring is important not to let the milk scorch. (When vermicelli is cooked properly, it can be broken easily pressing between two fingers.)
* Add sugar, cardamom and Badam mix powder if using and cook until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the stove.
* Heat a tbsp. ghee in a small pan and add cashews and raisins to the pan. Toast them until the cashews turn golden brown and the raisins turn plump. Add this to the cooked payasam and mix well.
* Serve warm or chilled.

This goes to Blogging marathon #71, under the theme 'One Ingredient - Three Courses'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.


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Vermicelli - Cracked Wheat Idli / Semya - Godhuma Rava Idli

Here is an idli idea using vermicelli and cracked wheat that needs no grinding and fermenting. These idli would be ready in less than an hour that includes the prep work and the steaming part. They would be great for any meal of the day and when served along with a sambhar would make a wholesome meal. Cracked wheat in the recipe can be replaced with semolina if preferred. I used the plate idli moulds here and cut the big idlis into triangles.

Ingredients:
1 cup vermicelli
1 cup fine cracked wheat
1.5 cup yogurt or 1 cup yogurt + 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. roasted chickpeas / chana dal
1 tsp. skinned black gram / urad dal 
1 green chillie, finely chopped (optional)
Few curry leaves, roughly chopped (optional)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1/4 cup peeled and grated carrot
2 tbsp. fresh / frozen peas 
2 to 3 tbsp. fresh, shredded coconut 
1 tbsp. toasted cashew pieces (optional) 
1 to 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp. baking soda / Eno's salt
1 tsp. ghee / oil to grease the idli plates
(I had added some toasted onions too.)

Method:
* Roast vermicelli and cracked wheat until golden brown and set aside to cool. This step can be done ahead in advance.
* Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, chana dal and urad dal. When mustard seeds start to crackle and the dals turn gold brown, add green chillies, curry leaves, turmeric, carrot and peas. Saute for a minute and turn off the stove. Let it cool a bit.
* Add the roasted vermicelli, cracked wheat, coconut, cilantro, cashews, yogurt and salt to the pan and mix well to form a thick batter of idli consistency. (The amount of yogurt mentioned in the list should be sufficient for the right consistency of the batter. However if the batter seems to thick, add a little amount of water.)
* Allow the batter to rest for about 15 minutes and add baking soda / eno's salt to the batter just before steaming the idli and mix well.
* Pour the batter into greased idli plates and place them in a prepared idli cooker / steamer or a pressure cooker without the valve on.
* Steam them on medium flame until the idlis are cooked, about 20 minutes. Turn off the stove and leave them for about five minutes before demoulding the idlis.
* Serve them warm with chutney / sambhar.
  
This goes to Blogging marathon #71, under the theme 'One Ingredient - Three Courses'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

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Rava-Semiya Idli / Semolina-Vermicelli Idli

My BM's theme of instant idlis / dosas this week had brought out those forgotten recipes, tucked away somewhere in my memory folder when I was scouting for recipes that haven't been featured yet at my blog. These rava-semiya idlis being one of those dishes that I used to prepare in my initial days of cooking. Later on, I stopped making them for no reason. It has been a long time, over a dozen of years to be precise that I had made them. And thanks to BM, I tried them again this week. These grease free, delicious idlis are a quick alternative to the traditional rice-urad dal version which need grinding and fermentation. 

Ingredients: (Make 12 - 13 idlis)
1 cup semolina (Pre-roasted variety can be used to save time.)
1/2 cup vermicelli (Pre-roasted variety can be used to save time.)
3 cups yogurt
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp urad dal / skinned black gram
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 carrot (optional)
2 tbsp finely minced cilantro
2 tbsp finely minced curry leaves
1 tsp Eno's fruit salt

 Method:
1. If not using already roasted semolina and vermicelli, roast them individually. Roast vermicelli until it starts turning reddish and semolina until it starts to change color. Let cool.
2. Combine semolina, vermicelli and salt to a container. Add yogurt and mix well. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. In the mean time,  prepare the tadka. Heat oil and add chana dal, urad dal and mustard seeds. When dal starts turning reddish, remove from heat and let them cool.
4. Peel and finely grate carrot.
5. After the resting period, add carrot, cilantro, curry leaves, tadka from step 3 to the yogurt mixture in step 2. Add Eno's fruit salt to it and mix well. If the mixture seems too thick, add a little water and mix well.
6. Grease the idli moulds and fill them with batter. Steam them until done.
7. Serve them with chutney / sambhar.

This is going to be my contribution to "Instant Idlis / Dosas". Check what other marathoners are cooking at BM #34.

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Spicy Vermicelli - Capsicum Upma

 

Vermicelli - capsicum upma is going to be my Day 2 entry of BM #21. When I am tired of the regular vegetable or the coconut version of vermicelli upmas, I go with this spicy one. Add your choice of vegetables and vangibhath powder instead of chillies, you will end up with a delicious meal. Regular semolina or a combo of semolina and vermicelli can be substituted for vermicelli.

Ingredients for 2 - 3 servings:

2 cups vermicelli

1 capsicum finely chopped

1/4 cup green peas (I used frozen ones.)

3 - 4 Tbsp vangibhath powder

Salt to taste

For tadka: 3 - 4 tsp oil / ghee, 1 tsp chana dal / Bengal gram, 1 tsp urad dal / skinned black gram, 1 tsp mustard seeds and few curry leaves 

Method:

* Heat oil in a pan and then add the dals and mustard seeds. When dals start turning reddish, add curry leaves and capsicum. Mix them once with a spatula, cover and cook on low flame until capsicum turns tender. 

*  Meanwhile, dry toast the vermicelli in another pan until it turns golden brown and keep aside. If using pre-roasted vermicelli, skip this step.

* Next add (about 2.5 to 3 cups) water to the capsicum pan and bring it to a rolling boil. Lower the heat and add salt, vangibhath powder, peas and toasted vermicelli.

* Mix well, cover and cook until vermicelli is done. Don't forget to stir in between.

Note:

If the concoction of spices in the vangibhath powder is strong for your taste,  the quantity of vangibhath powder can be reduced. If you prefer more heat, add a bit of chili powder. Home made or store bought powder can be used. Check here for my version of the vangibhath powder.

 

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Happy Ugadi & Vermicelli Halwa

My ugadi wishes to everyone and here is a simple and quick halwa for the occasion. This delicious vermicelli halwa also fits my theme of "Sweet prasadam dishes under 30 minutes" of BM#14.

Ingredients:

1 cup vermicelli

2 cups milk

1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cardamom powder

1 Tbsp ghee

1 Tbsp cashews

1 Tbsp raisins

Method:

* Toast the vermicelli on low flame until golden brown.

* Also toast the cashews and raisins in ghee and keep aside.

* Heat the milk and add the toasted vermicelli. Mix well so that no lumps are formed. Cook on low flame until the vermicelli is cooked.

* Add sugar and cardamom powder to the vermicelli. Cook until all the sugar melts and incorporates into the mixture.

* Add the toasted cashews and raisins to the cooked halwa and mix well.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 14.

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Sweet Corn - Vermicelli Kheer for CEDD

I am starting the Cook.Eat.Delicious Desserts and giveaway event that I am hosting this month with a simple, Indian dessert. As the event title suggests, it is about desserts and any sweet thing you cook with a vegetable and/or fruit becomes eligible for this event. If you are planning to cook or bake any fresh produce based dessert this month, just remember to send them here. :) I would gladly accept even any archived entries. Check here for Raven's giveaway details and participation rules.

Kheers are versatile in spite of the fact that all of them are prepared basically the same way. I absolutely love kheers for their simplicity and the ease with which they can be made. In fact, kheer is made at least once a week in my kitchen and so, I could not let go the desserts event without a kheer post. If I am preparing it to just satisfy my sweet cravings, I use low fat milk, artificial sweetener and add some raisins directly to milk with out toasting so that I can have a guilt free dessert. 
I saw this vermicelli - corn kheer recipe recently on television and tried it immediately. It sounded like a twist to the regular vermicelli kheer but the flavor of corn is more prominent in this dish as vermicelli - corn is used in the ratio of 1:4 in the original dish. I just tweaked the recipe to suit my taste.

Ingredients: (for 2 servings)

2 Tbsp ghee
1 Tbsp each - raisins and cashews
2 Tbsp vermicelli / semya
1/4 cup corn (cook and grind to a paste adding a few spoons of water if needed.)
1.5 cup milk 
2 - 3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method:
* Heat milk in a sauce pan.
* Meanwhile, heat ghee in another pan and toast the raisins and cashews. Remove them with a slotted spoon and keep them aside.
* Add vermicelli to the same ghee and toast it until golden brown.
* Next add the corn paste and saute for a couple of minutes.
* Add the hot milk to the corn - vermicelli mixture.
* Cook on low flame until vermicelli is cooked. Keep stirring in between to avoid the vermicelli from clumping.
* Add sugar and cardamom powder and continue to cook until sugar melts.
* Turn off the stove and garnish with toasted dry fruits.
* Serve warm / chilled.

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Homemade Vermicelli Kheer Instant Mix

I always wondered about those guys who buy the commercial brand vermicelli kheer mix. It is not that there is anything wrong with that since vermicelli kheer is undeniably an yummy dessert from the Indian subcontinent. However I feel that one doesn't buy it unless that person falls in the category of a bachelor or a busy body, a novice cook or unfamiliar with Indian cuisine since the kheer is so easy and quick to prepare.
Since I am doing "Ready to use - Prepacked foods" this time in blogging marathon #10, I thought why not prepare this vermicelli kheer mix at home and see for my self how this works.  A pretty easy one as you may have guessed and saves time when you are doing a big batch of kheer.
Check what other marathoners are cooking, here.

What are needed:
Vermicelli - 1 measure
Sugar - 1 measure
Cardamom powder as preferred
Raisins and cashews - a handful
A pinch of saffron strands (very optional)

Method:
* Toast the vermicelli / semya on low flame until golden brown. No need to add any ghee to toast vermicelli. Keep aside and let cool.
* If preferred, dry toast the cashews as well.
* Add the sugar, cardamom, saffron, raisins and cashews to toasted vermicelli and store in an airtight container.

Kheer preparation:
Heat 6 measures of milk and add the vermicelli kheer instant mix. Stir well to avoid vermicelli from clumping. Cook until the vermicelli is done.  Addition of a few Tbsp of condensed milk at the end further enhances the flavor of the kheer but is optional.

Notes:
1. Milk powder can be added to this mix as well to make it more instant kind. 
2. Add sugar if you are planning to use the whole vermicelli mix at one time.
If you are planning to use the vermicelli mix in batches, don't add the sugar to the mix. The sugar settles at the bottom and it is hard to use the appropriate amount of sugar in the recipe. Measure the quantity of vermicelli you are going to use and use equal amount of sugar while preparing the kheer.
3. For 1 measure of vermicelli, 6 measures of milk is needed to prepare the kheer.
4. I have not added any ghee in the mix.

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Vermicelli - Almond Milk Kheer

My post for today is a dessert in a jiffy ~ Vermicelli toasted until golden brown and cooked in almond milk using a microwave. The almond milk gives different flavor to the kheer than the regular version all together and the badam mix added accentuates the almond flavor additionally.

Check what my fellow marathoners are cooking during this BM#8.

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

1/4 cup roasted vermicelli

1/2 cup + 1 cup almond milk

1 - 2 Tbsp MTR badam mix

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Nuts and dry fruits to garnish

Method:

Heat 1/2 cup almond milk in a microwave safe bowl for about 30 seconds. Then add the toasted vermicelli to the milk and cook until done, about 4 minutes. Keep stirring in between to avoid vermicelli. clumping. Then add the badam mix, sugar, cardamom and the remaining cup of milk to the cooked vermicelli. Put the bowl back to the microwave and cook for a minute more. Garnish with nuts / dry fruits before serving.

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Vermicelli Dosas

Today's recipe comes from a Telugu cookbook named "Vegetarian Vantalu" by Smt. Yaddanapudi Sulochana Rani, one of the famous female Telugu novelists. The book is divided into chapters, covering all the topics ranging from soups, salads to pickle making. As the name indicates, it gives prominence to vegetarian style cooking and is really a great gift to novice cooks.

Vermicelli dosas are no grind / ferment dosas that can be served for breakfast or as an evening snack. Soaking the vermicelli for about an hour in buttermilk makes it kind of mushy and one can hardly guess that dosas are made with vermicelli. These lacy thin, crisp dosas taste fabulous along with a chutney / spicy pickle.

Ingredients: (For 10 Dosas)

1/2 cup vermicelli / semya

1 cup buttermilk / majjiga (or whisk the yogurt adding water)

1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup water
1 big onion, finely minced
2 green chillies, finely minced
Minced cilantro

Oil to fry dosas

Method:

* Soak vermicelli in buttermilk for about an hour.
* Add rice flour and enough water to the soaked vermicelli to form a lump free, thin batter (like rava dosa batter). Or a thick batter can  be prepared adding less water. Mix onion, chillies and cilantro to the batter.

* Heat a griddle / non stick shallow pan. When it is hot enough, pour a ladleful of batter on the griddle. Start pouring the batter from outside circle of the griddle. You can not spread with the back of the ladle if using a thinner batter. It will spread on it's own and fill any gaps in the middle with dosa batter. Pour about half a tsp of oil around the edges of dosa and let it cook on medium flame. When the dosa turns browner (the side closer to the griddle), flip it and again pour another 1/2 tsp oil around the edges and let it cook for a minute and remove it.

Repeat the same with the remaining batter.

Today, I made triangle shaped vermicelli dosas.

This is my Day 6 post in BM#7 and check what my fellow marathoners are cooking today.

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Vermicelli - Coconut Upma / Semya - Kobbari Upma ~ Microwave Version

Vermicelli - coconut upma is a regular one in my mother's kitchen as my father won't touch onion and a rarity in my kitchen as M won't touch coconut. J I love this version of upma my mother prepares because it is simple, quick and tastes delicious with the addition of a generous amount of sweet coconut and aromatic cilantro. Just drizzle a spoonful of ghee at the end for a yummy upma that can be served as a breakfast or an evening snack. Today I am posting microwave version of this upma for BM#7. Check what other marathoners are cooking today.

Here is another version of vermicelli upma that I prepare regularly.

Ingredients for 2 - 3 servings:

1 cup vermicelli (I used pre roasted variety.)

1/2 cup fresh / frozen grated coconut

1.5 cup water

1/4 tsp turmeric powder (optional)

1.5 tsp salt (or to taste)

For tadka: 3 - 4 tsp oil / ghee, 1 tsp chana dal, 1 tsp urad dal / skinned black gram, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 3 green chillies chopped fine (or to taste) and few curry leaves

Minced cilantro for garnish

Method:

* Add oil to a microwave safe bowl, and heat it in the microwave. Next add the dals, mustard and cumin seeds. When dals start turning reddish, add the chillies and curry leaves. Fry them for about 30 seconds or so.

* Next add the water, turmeric powder, salt and the coconut. Bring the water to a rolling boil. It would take around 3 - 4 minutes for this step.

* Next add the vermicelli and mix well. Cover and cook until vermicelli is done, about 8 - 10 minutes. Don't forget to stir in between.

* Garnish with minced cilantro and fresh coconut if desired.

Note:

If not using roasted vermicelli, toast the vermicelli until golden brown.

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Payasam Prasadams ~ Saggubiyyam - Semya Payasam

Probably, one of the most common and yummiest desserts that appears in most of the south Indian homes on every celebration has to be payasam / kheer. Also because of the simple preparation, it is one of the most favored 'prasadam'* item. Though this rich and creamy dish attains different avatars depending upon what it is made of, the milk base and the sugar / jaggery sweetener remains the constant factors of the dish. Cardamom happens to be the flavoring agent and raisins / nuts toasted in ghee serve as garnish besides adding the crunch.
After rice, probably sabudana kheer was the most traditionally prepared payasam. My mother sometimes happens to add vermicelli as well to the sabudana payasam and prepares this combo payasam that is equally delicious.

Ingredients for 4 servings:
Saggubiyyam ( Sago pearls / Sabudana) - 1/4 cup
Semya (Vermicelli) - 1/4 cup
Full fat milk - 1 .5 cups
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Clarified butter / Ghee - 2 - 3 tsp
Raisins & Cashew nuts - 1 Tbsp

How I prepare this payasam:
* Fry vermicelli on low flame till it turns golden brown and keep it aside.
* (I usually) soak sabudana in water for 1 or 2 hours before cooking. Throw away the water used to soak sabudana and wash twice with fresh water. This step is entirely optional but it aids in cooking the sabudana faster.
* Cook sabudana in sufficient water (about 2 cups) till sabudana is cooked and appears transparent. Keep stirring in between so that sabudana doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. To avoid sticking and burning of sabudana, I usually use a nonstick saucepan. After the saabudana is cooked, throw away the water used to cook the sabudana.
* Add milk to the sabudana and start cooking again. When the milk becomes hot, add the fried vermicelli. If you add vermicelli to the cold milk, it would clump up. Cook till the vermicelli is done and then add the sugar and the cardamom powder. When the sugar melts, turn off the stove.
* Add ghee to a small saute pan and add the cashews and raisins. When raisins turn plump and cashews turn golden brown , turn off the stove and add them to the cooked payasam and stir once.
This payasam tastes good either cold or warm.



This goes to Priya's Cooking with Seeds - hosted this month by Niloufer with the theme 'Sago Seeds'.

* Prasadam - Food offered to God, as part of a Hindu, religious celebration

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Vermicelli Upma / Semiya Upma / Shavige Uppittu

Ever tried getting a recipe from an elderly Indian woman like a grandma, aunt or even your own mama? You are in luck if you do get and understand the right measurements of a recipe. Most of them go with either a pinch / a dash / a handful or with a measure that you might have never heard in your life. You cannot blame them because that's how on a daily basis, an average Indian woman cooks with no need of any measuring tools. In case, if they need a measuring cup, they would grab any one lying nearby. Seriously. :)
When I was about to move here and sat with my mom for a sort of '2 day cooking course for dummies', I had a first hand experience of this. She would tell me the ingredients that went into a recipe but wouldn't tell exactly how much. She was having a hard time explaining me the measurements as she pretty much eyeballed everything while cooking.
I have learnt that experience teaches everything. Now my husband would be watching in horror as I go adding salt directly from a saltbox's spout while cooking. That's how I know how much to add and not with a spoon or by pouring salt in my hand. :)
A kitchen can be an overwhelming place for a novice cook. Keeping that in mind, I have tried to explain today's recipe in an easy manner. I hope that even those who are stepping into the kitchen for the first time have no problems following this.
I have chosen one of the simplest breakfast items from South India, the vermicelli upma. Eat it for breakfast or as a mini meal, your taste buds and tummy are going to thank you.

List of ingredients for 2 servings:
1 cup* vermicelli
1 big sized or 2 small onions
1 tomato (optional)
1 big sized, medium hot green chili (more or less depending upon the heat preferred. I have used Serrano.)
1.5 tsp salt
4 tsp oil
1 tsp each - chanadal, mustard seeds and cumin seeds
Few curry leaves (like 10)
1/8 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
Water - 1 & 1/2 cups (same cup used to measure the vermicelli, about 350 ml)

Preparation & cooking time - Less than 30 minutes

Preparation:
Fry the vermicelli in a sauté pan on medium flame. Keep stirring the vermicelli with a big flat spoon / spatula till it turns golden brown through out. It would take around 3 minutes. A tsp of oil or ghee may be added while frying though it is entirely optional and can be skipped. Also don't bother about this step if you are using pre-roasted vermicelli.
Chop the ends of the onion. Cut into halves, remove the outer skins and then chop them. Also wash & chop the tomato.
Wash the green chili. Remove the stalk and slit lengthwise twice so that you have 4 pieces. Holding them together, chop them fine. Don't discard the seeds and remember not to touch your eyes or face after cutting the chilies.

Cooking part:
Heat oil in a kadai or deep-based pan for about 30 seconds or a little longer and then add chana dal, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When chanadal starts to turn reddish and mustard seeds start to sizzle, add the chili, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Sauté them for about 15 seconds and then add the chopped onion. Mix everything with the spatula once and on low flame, cook the onions till they turn soft. It would take about 2 - 3 minutes. Then add the tomato to the cooked onions and keep stirring for about 3 minutes. After that add the water to the onion - tomato mixture and let it come to a rolling boil.  Increase the flame to high to quicken the boiling process.
When water comes to a rolling boil, add salt and the vermicelli and stir well once. Again turn down the flame, cover the lid and let the vermicelli cook till done.

Variations:
1. Add finely chopped vegetables like potato, carrot, green beans and peas along with onions. Serve with some yogurt for a full meal.
2. 1/2 tsp of shredded ginger can be added along with onion.
3. Finely minced cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) can be added as a garnish.
4. Ghee can be substituted for oil.
5. Peanuts or cashews can be added in tadka.
6. Squeeze some lemon/lime juice while serving.

* American measure

This is going to Cooking Basics event.

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Rava - Semiya Payasam

Semolina - Vermicelli Payasam:
I prefer quick and easy payasams for neivedyam and yesterday I prepared rava - semiya payasam. This is another delicious, simple payasam from my kitchen for those with a sweet tooth. The filling semolina and vermicelli combine with the coconut which lends a rich, sweet flavor and adds a little crunch to the dish. 

Ingredients for 8-10 servings:  
A fistful or 2 Tbsp of each - semiya(vermicelli), rava(semolina) and shredded, fresh/frozen coconut  
Milk - 4 cups  
Sugar - 1/4 cup or to taste  
1/2 tsp cardamom powder  
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)  
1 Tbsp cashew nuts & raisins  
The 'how' part:  
Heat the milk, preferably in a non stick sauce pan. Mean while, dry fry the vermicelli and the semolina separately till the vermicelli browns uniformly and rava starts to brown. Add the vermicelli, rava and coconut to the milk and let them cook till done. (You know that it is done when the vermicelli is cooked.) Add some more milk if the payasam is thick. Add the sugar and cardamom powder and cook for a couple more minutes till sugar is dissolved. Heat ghee in a small pan and add cashews and raisins to it. Stir them with a spoon till cashews turn golden brown and raisins plump. Turn off the stove and add them to the cooked payasam. Serve them hot or chilled. 

Related Post: Carrot - Vermicelli Payasam 

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A New Home & Carrot - Vermicelli Payasam

A new home !! Yes, that is why I have been away from this space for the past few months. Beginning this year, we had been busy home hunting. Finally, we got the home of our choice this June. Gruhapravesham, the moving process and settling in at the new home took a while. Also M's SIL was visiting us from India and I was enjoying her company so much that I haven't peeked into my own blog recently. Our SIL is a wonderful cook and she was telling me that she had tried a payasam with carrots earlier. At the same time, I happened to see a cook show on some Telugu Channel which showed a similar recipe. I tried it the same day and it came out so wonderful that I have prepared a couple of times more in the past few weeks. What I liked about this payasam is it is a really simple preparation and it tastes divine. An irresistible combo of the rich milk, the creamy sweet carrots, the fragrant, nutritious almonds and the soft, melt in your mouth kind of vermicelli makes it a blissful treat to any palate. Required ingredients: Grated carrot - 1/2 cup (2 small carrots) Vermicelli - 1/2 cup Whole Milk - 2 cups Sugar - 1/4 cup Badam mix powder - 2 Tbsp Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp Cashew nuts - 1 Tbsp Ghee / Clarified butter - 2 tsp + 2 tsp Note that badam mix powder used above is not the powdered almonds / badam. It is the mix (like MTR / Orkay brands) available at Indian grocery stores to make badam milk. Try adding a Tbsp of this mix to any payasams and it transforms a simple payasam into a delectable expereience. Also using a nonstick utensil to make payasams is recommended as the contents don't stick to the bottom of the utensil. The Cooking part: Dry roast the vermicelli in a pan on a medium flame and remove when it attains slightly golden brown hue. If using pre-roasted vermicelli, skip this step. Also, You can use a tsp or two of ghee while roasting. Saute the carrot for a couple of minutes using 2 tsp of ghee in the same pan. Then add milk and heat it on a low-medium flame. Then add vermicelli and cook till it is done, stirring in between. Add sugar, badam mix powder and cardamom powder to the vermicelli - carrot mixture and let it cook till all the sugar melts. Turn off the heat. In the mean time, take a small pan and heat two tsp of ghee and roast the cashews till they turn golden brown. Add the fried cashews to the carrot - vermicelli payasam and mix well. This payasam can be served warm / chilled. This goes to JIHVA - Carrot hosted by The Cooker. Post a Comment Related Post: Carrot Payasam

Semolina - Vermicelli Upma / Rava - Semiya Upma

What is the breakfast dish that can be prepared in a jiffy in the Kitchen?
What do you prepare when you have unexpected guests?
Which is the one dish that have not changed with ages and can beat any of its counter parts in a wedding breakfast?
What comes to your rescue when you are short of time/ eneergy and want to eat something decent?
What is the dish that you can eat for either breakfast, lunch or dinner?

If you are in India and a South Indian like me, the probable answers for all these questions would be Upma. Though traditionally it is made of rava, upma is being now made with various other ingredients like vermicilli, cracked wheat, cornmeal, couscous etc. (After those wedding chefs), the best upma I have eaten is my mom's. She prepares even the simple upma lovingly adding all the veggies and most importantly it's perfect, Goldilocks style. It is neither dry nor mushy.

Ingredients:
Semolina / Rava - 1 cup, (heaped)
Vermicilli / Semiya - 1 cup (heaped)
Finely chopped vegetables - 2 cups
Ginger grated - 1 tsp
Green chillies, finely chopped - 4 -6 (Depending upon the spiciness)
Salt - 3 tsp
Water - 4 cups
Oil - 3 Tbsp
Mustard seeds / Rai - 1 tsp
Bengal gram / Chana dal - 1 tsp
Skinned Black gram / Urad dal - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds / Jeera -1 tsp
Curry leaves - A few
Cashews - As many as you need (Optional)


Note:
I actually used the measuring cup which comes with the rice cooker. So, I used 2 cups each of rava and semiya and 7 cups of water. I measured them again and giving you the american standard measurements. Why I am trying to give the measurements is because this gives you the perfect upma. I don't like the gooey, mushy stuff served in the name of upma.
I used onions, potatoes, carrots, green peas, French beans and chayote for the vegetables.

Method:
Dry fry the rava and semiya individually on slow - medium flame till the rava turns light brown and semiya turns golden brown. If you omit this part, the upma would be lumpy.
Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan / wok. Add mustard seeds, chanadal, urad dal and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter and the dals turn red, add cashews, chillies, ginger and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds and add the chopped vegetables. Cover the pan with a lid and turn down the flame to the lowest.
Keep stirring in between till the vegetables are cooked. I usually check whether the green beans have become tender. If they are tender, all the other vegetables would have been automatically done.
Add the water and salt. Now increase the flame and let the water boil. When it comes to rolling boil, lower or turn off the stove and add rava and semiya. I usually turn off the stove to avoid the hot mixture spluttering on me. Stir properly (without any lumps) and turn on the stove again. Cover the pan again with lid and let it cook for a few minutes till it is done. Keep stirring in between. Switch off the stove. Serve hot with chutney or chutney powder or daliya powder.


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