Vermicelli Upma | Semiya Upma

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.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instant Pot instructions
• Stovetop instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Serving suggestions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Related
• Pairing
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

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.

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.

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.

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with vermicelli upma:

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