Masala Sevai / Vermicelli Upma

At my office, our breakfast caterer serves Sevai Upma… we have to keep looking for onions in it.   This dish tastes best when Veggies are added to it.  It seems they just boil the Sevai and serve it ☹.  I often make this Upma which tastes good as I add loads of Coconut while serving…. If you make it with all the ingredients it is a very tasty and filling breakfast dish.  I often have this question in mind… why do caterers compromise on quality?.   I guess the reason why a food business is successful is because of the quality of food and because of the good care  given to customers!

My mother made this dish often for breakfast or evening snacks for us.   If you have roasted Sevai readily available, then it is all the more easy to cook this dish ☺.  Most of the time, I take the Roasted Sevai from the market.  My experience with this dish is that you put large quantity of water than expected, your Upma will become sticky.  After experimenting with this dish 2 to 3 times, now I can make it perfectly.

Sevai Upma is another quick and healthy South Indian breakfast recipe which is  also simple and easy to make.  You can serve it with fresh home-made yogurt or pickle or just have it without any accompaniment.

I make plain Sevai Upma most of the time, but recently made Masala Sevai Upma with few spices and it had a great flavor and it tasted awesome!

You may jot down the recipe to made this dish :

Ingredients  :

Sevai or Vermicelli - 1 cup

Ghee or oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds & Asafetodia for tempering

Urad Dal - 1 tbsp

Green Chillies - slit long - 4 to 5

Roasted Peanuts - 1/4th Cup

Curry leaves - 1 string

Finely cut Onions - 1/4th Cup

Sweet Corn - 1/4th Cup

Green Peas - 1/4th Cup

Capsicum - 1 

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Salt, sugar and lime juice to taste

Corriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Fresh grated Coconut - 4 tbsp

Water - 2 cups

Note : You can add any vegetable of your choice - i.e, beans, carrot, Cauliflower etc.

Method :

Heat the pan and add 1 tbsp of oil or ghee and roast the Sevai on low heat.  Keep this aside.  Now add 1 tbsp oil in the pan and temper  with Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds & Asafetodia.  Now add Urad dal and saute till it is golden brown.  Now add Green chillies, curry leaves and onion and saute till the onions are light golden colour.  Now add the corn, peas and any other vegetable of your choice (you may steam them before hand).  Add the roasted groundnut, turmeric, Garam masala and saute for a minute.  Add 2 cups water , salt and sugar.  When the water starts boiling add the Sevai and cook this well.  Squeeze lemon juice and mix well.  Garnish the Sevai Upma with Corriander leaves and fresh grated Coconut.