
Vermicelli upma, also known as semiya upma is an Indian breakfast made with thin semolina vermicelli noodles. It is vegan and can be made easily in just about 20 minutes.
It can easily be made in the electric pressure cooker like an Instant Pot or on the stovetop and is great for after-school snacks for kids as well as for their lunch boxes. This vermicelli upma recipe is one of the easiest and quickest breakfast recipes that you can make during busy days or over the weekends.
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Ingredients
Vermicelli upma requires very few ingredients apart from vermicelli noodles. I have used the unroasted Bambino vermicelli noodles made with semolina. You will find a variety of vermicelli noodles in Indian grocery stores like think, thin, rice vermicelli, semolina vermicelli, roasted ones, and the unroasted variety as well.
It is best to use the semolina thin vermicelli noodles, about a millimeter in thickness. If they are roasted, you can skip the roasting step.
For tempering, some oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, whole red chili, and optionally some urad dal is needed. Adding a few peanuts and cashew nuts gives a nice crunchy texture. Some chopped green chilies or serrano peppers add spiciness and you can adjust it as per your taste.
You can add a variety of vegetables but I like to add some chopped onions and green peas. Veggies like carrots, corn, green beans, bell peppers, and zucchini can be added as well.

Instant Pot instructions
To make semiya upma in the Instant Pot, first, roast the vermicelli for 2-3 minutes in the saute mode. If you use roasted semiya then you can skip this step. Transfer the roasted noodles to a bowl.
Heat some oil in the Instant Pot and then add all the ingredients for tempering including mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, whole red chili, peanuts, cashews, and optionally some green chilies.
Roast everything well until the peanuts and cashews are slightly golden brown. Add the onions and continue to saute until they become translucent.

Ingredients to make vermicelli upma.

Saute all the ingredients and add the vermicelli noodles.
Finally add the vermicelli, salt, and water and mix well. To make vermicelli upma in Instant Pot, use a 1:1 noodles to water ratio. For one cup of vermicelli, one cup of water is enough, however, it can vary a little by brand and type of semiya you use.
Pressure cook on high-pressure mode for 3 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then release the remaining pressure manually.
Open the lid and fluff the upma with a fork. Add some lemon juice for more flavor and now you can enjoy a delicious hot breakfast.

Add water and deglaze the bottom of the pot.

Vermicelli upma is ready after cooking.
Stovetop instructions
Making vermicelli noodles is equally easy on the stovetop. Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium heat and roast the noodles for 2-3 minutes. If you use roasted semiya then you can skip this step. Transfer the roasted noodles to a bowl.
Heat some oil in the pan and then add all the ingredients for tempering including mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, whole red chili, peanuts, cashews, and optionally some green chilies.
Roast everything well until the peanuts and cashews are slightly golden brown. Add the onions and continue to saute until they become translucent.
Finally add the vermicelli, salt, and water and mix well. To make vermicelli upma on the stovetop, use a 1:1.25 noodles-to-water ratio. For one cup of vermicelli, one and a quarter cups of water is enough, however, it can vary a little by brand and type of semiya you use. You can add more while the upma is cooking.
Cover the pan for about 5 minutes and let it cook. Once all the water is absorbed, the veggies are cooked, and the vermicelli is soft and well cooked, upma is ready. Fluff it with a fork and then serve it hot.
Substitutions
- Vermicelli - roasted or unroasted vermicelli noodles can be used. When using unroasted ones, you can roast them for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
- Urad dal - although using urad dal is optional, you can also use yellow moong dal instead.
- Veggies - instead of peas, you can also add a variety of veggies like carrots, beans, bell pepper, corn, and zucchini.
Variations
- Spicy - add more chopped serrano peppers to make it more spicy.
- Kid-friendly - skip the serrano peppers to make it kid friendly without spices.
- Nut-free - skip the peanuts and cashews to make it nut-free.
Serving suggestions
You can serve vermicelli upma for breakfast or for a snack. It is a great after-school snack for kids and perfect for their school lunch.
While serving, add a few drops of lime juice to enhance its flavor. You can also sprinkle some chopped onions and sev (gram noodles) to add a little more crunch.
You can serve it as is or with some Indian chutneys like green chutney, coconut chutney, or tomato chutney.

Equipment
I have made this semiya upma recipe in the 6 qt. Instant Pot. It can easily be made in the 3 qt. Instant Pot too.
To make it on the stovetop, a wide pan or saucepan with a heavy bottom works well to avoid sticking at the bottom of the pan.
A stainless steel spatula helps to deglaze the bottom of the pot or the pan.
Storage
Any leftover semiya upma can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow it to cool down completely before storing it. When you want to eat it, you can simply reheat it in the microwave.
You can also freeze the vermicelli upma in the freezer for upto 3 months in a freezer-safe container. When you want to eat it, you can defrost it and reheat it in the microwave.
Top tip
If you are using roasted vermicelli then there is no need to roast it, you can use it directly to make the upma.
If you are using thicker vermicelli then it can take a few more minutes to cook.

Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with vermicelli upma:
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📖 Recipe

Vermicelli Upma | Indian Breakfast Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot 6 qt ( or 3 qt. Instant Pot, large pan for stovetop method)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Vermicelli (made with semolina, roasted or unroasted)
- 1 cup Water ( 1 ¼ cup for stovetop method)
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 Whole Red Chili (dry)
- ¼ teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Urad dal (optional)
- 10 Curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon Serrano pepper (chopped, optional)
- 2 tablespoon Peanuts (not roasted, unsalted)
- 12 Cashews (split)
- ⅓ cup Onions (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon Salt (to taste)
Instructions
Instant Pot method
- Turn the Instant Pot on the saute mode.
- Roast vermicelli on saute mode for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.1 cup Vermicelli
- Transfer the vermicelli into a bowl.
- Add oil to the Instant Pot liner.1 tablespoon Oil
- Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, whole red chili, urad dal, peanuts, and cashews and saute them until the peanuts and cashews are golden brown.1 Whole Red Chili, ¼ teaspoon Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon Urad dal, 2 tablespoon Peanuts, 12 Cashews
- Add the serrano pepper, curry leaves, and chopped onions, and continue to saute until the onions are translucent.10 Curry leaves, 1 teaspoon Serrano pepper, ⅓ cup Onions
- Add water and salt, mix well, and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a spatula.1 cup Water, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Add the roasted vermicelli and mix well.1 cup Vermicelli
- Press cancel and turn the saute mode off.
- Close and lock the lid.
- Cook on high-pressure mode for 3 minutes with the pressure release valve in the sealing position.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then release it manually by moving the pressure release valve to the venting position.
- Open the lid and fluff the vermicelli upma with a fork.
Stovetop method
- Heat a wide pan on the stove on medium heat.
- Roast vermicelli on saute mode for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.1 cup Vermicelli
- Transfer the vermicelli into a bowl.
- Add oil to the pan and heat it on medium heat.1 tablespoon Oil
- Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, whole red chili, urad dal, peanuts, and cashews and saute them until the peanuts and cashews are golden brown.1 Whole Red Chili, ¼ teaspoon Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon Urad dal, 2 tablespoon Peanuts, 12 Cashews
- Add the serrano pepper, curry leaves, and chopped onions, and continue to saute until the onions are translucent.10 Curry leaves, 1 teaspoon Serrano pepper, ⅓ cup Onions
- Add 1 ¼ cup water and salt, mix well, and deglaze the bottom of the pan with a spatula.1 cup Water, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Add the roasted vermicelli and mix well.1 cup Vermicelli
- Cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes with the lid covered until the water has been absorbed and the vermicelli is well cooked.
- Turn off the heat and fluff the upma with a fork.
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