Roasted Vermicelli Payasam

Vermicelli Payasam

I have chosen the fine roasted variety of vermicelli. This is an easy method with less ghee.

Ingredients:
Roasted Vermicelli broken into small pieces – 1 cup
Sugar – ½ cup
Evaporated milk – ½ cup
Whole milk – 2 cups
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Almonds – 5
Pistachio – 10
Saffron – 1 pinch

Almonds and Pistachio in Vermicelli's nest

Method:

Wash and soak almonds and pistachios in warm water for 30 minutes and grind them coarsely along with saffron.
Roast the vermicelli in ghee for a minute
Boil the milk along with almonds paste. When the milk reaches the boiling point add roasted vermicelli and stir momentarily. When the vermicelli becomes tender, then add sugar and stir for a while. Add the evaporated milk at the end and turn of the heat.

Vermicelli with Carrot / Semiya Upma

                                                                 Semiya Upma

When I came to UK for the first time, I was very much disappointed with the vermicelli I found in the supermarkets. It was thick and very sticky unlike our famous bambino brand. Especially the colour has disappointed me. Now I have mastered the art of cooking even with the thick vermicelli.

I trick my elder son by telling him as small noodles as I don’t want to cook ready made noodles for him despite of the tangy taste due to obvious reasons, unhealthy, fatty and salty.

Ingredients:
Vermicelli – 1 cup
Water – 4 cups
Grated carrot – 1 cup
Green chilli – 4
Onion – 1
Mustard + Cumin – 1 tsp

Grated carrot, onion, curry leaves and chopped green chilli

Method.

1. Bring 3 cups of water to boil along with salt and drop the vermicelli into it. Allow it to cook for 5 minutes and then pour 1 cup of cold water. This is called as cold magic. When we pour cold water the temperature gets reduced which eventually allow the vermicelli to cook inside as well properly. Other wise you will find sometimes that the outer part is soft and internally it is hard. The same procedure can be followed whilst cooking pasta / noodles

2. Do not over cook them as they will become mushy. Just cook until they are tender.

3. Drain all the water and pour cold water on top to stop further cooking and again drain all the water and keep it aside.

4. Take a wok and heat it with 2 tbsp of oil. When it is hot enough add mustard, cumin seeds , curry leaves, Green chillies and onion. Fry for a minute and add grated carrot and salt. Do not over cook carrot as you will loose the crispiness.

5. Finally add the boiled vermicelli and mix every thing gently

Enjoy the vermicelli upma with pappula podi

Semiya Ponganalu / Vermicelli pan cakes

Semiya Ponganam

This is one of the favourite breakfast of my family including the two years old little one. He always call them as ball due to the funny shape. I personally like it due to the crispy nature outside and soft inside.

Ingredients

Dosa Batter – 1 ½ cup
Boiled Vermicelli – ½ cup
Onion – 1 Chopped into small pieces
Green chilli chopped - 1 tbsp
Salt
Roasted pea nuts or roasted channa dal in oil
Curry leaves
Cumin seeds
Curry leaves chopped - 1 tbsp
Corriander chopped - 1 tbsp

Dosa batter, Boiled Vermicelli / Semiya

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients. Heat the special pan (Ponganala penam) with little oil and pour the batter to full length and cover it with lid for two minutes.

When you see the light golden colour outside turn the ponganam / Pan cake with spoon and allow it to fry for another two minutes until it turns to gold shade with out covering.

Enjoy ponganalu with spicy coconut powder

Ponganalu with Coconut powder

Note:

Instead of boiled vermicelli you can also use left over semiya upma or even rava upma. The rava or vermicelli gives extra crispiness.

 You can also prepare ponganalu with out vermicelli and by just adding onion, chilli, cumin, curry leaves.