Recipe - Vermicelli upma or sevai upma

Here’s how to make vermicelli or sevai upma

Ingredients:

1/2 kg Shevaya – Vermicelli (if it is long, you need to crush them before using)

2 tbsp urad dal

1/2 cup cashews or peanuts (I used peanuts and some frozen peas and corns)

1 small fresh coconut grated (I made use of my desiccated coconut)

5-6 green chillies chopped

1 chopped onion

Ghee, coriander, curry leaves, salt, cumin seeds, lemon juice, oil for phodni (tempering), hing.

Method:

Roast the shevaya in ghee (well I used 1/2 tsp of ghee for the valvat... and loved the aroma...you may use olive oil if you wish)

In a pan, prepare the tempering with oil. Add in the cumin seeds, once the oil is hot. When these splutter, add in the urad dal, curry leaves, chopped green chillies, peanuts, followed by chopped onions. Saute these till the onion turn translucent. If you are using frozen peas and corns, add them now. Stir.

To this, one needs to add enough water (less than the shevaya) to cook but not to make these soggy. To this, add the salt and lemon juice. If you are adding cashews, you can add them now. Add in the shevaya. Cover and steam.

Garnish with coconut and coriander. This upma can be relished for breakfast or snacks.

Preeti Deo, India News Bulletin’s food expert, works in a Special Needs School and is passionate about cooking and experimenting with traditional Maharashtrian recipes.

Recently she has started a project whereby she is cooking up dishes following the recipes from the traditional Marathi cookbook Ruchira by late Kamalabai Ogale.