Semiya Upma (Vermicelli Upma)

Be it an evening Tiffin or a light dinner, Semiya or Vermicelli Upma is a great choice.If you have guests coming up or very less time to prepare something for dinner, go ahead with this choice for it is damn easy to make and tastes yummy.

Ingredients

1. Vermicelli/Semiya - 2 Cups (Roasted) 
2. Water - 4 cups 
3. Onion - 1 big or 2 small 
4. Tomato - 1 big or 2 small 
5. Green Chili - 2 slit lengthwise 
6. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp 
7. Uradh dhal- 1 tsp 
8. Chana Dhal - 1 tsp 
9. Curry Leaves- 4-5 
10. Asafoetida - a pinch 
11. Carrot - 1 (Chopped) 
12. Beans - 4 (Chopped) 
13. Oil - 2 tbsp 
14. Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. After they crackle, add urad dhal, chana dhal, green chili, curry leaves, hing and saute for a minute.

2. Add onions, saute until translucent. Now add tomatoes and saute well for 2 mins.

3. Add other veggies and saute for a min. 

4. Add water,required salt and bring it to boil.

5. Now add the roasted vermicelli and cook on low flame until all water is absorbed and the vermicelli is cooked.

6. Vermicelli Upma is already to be served hot:)

Notes,Tips & Add-on's

1. Veggies like carrot, beans are optional. You can add Peas, Potato or any veggies of your choice or just make it with tomato and onion. It tastes great either ways.
2. If you don't get a roasted vermicelli, roast it separately on a low flame until it turns light golden brown.

Whole Wheat Bread Upma

When it comes to bread, we always eat it either as sandwich or toast, but there is an interesting recipe that you can make with bread which forms a wholesome breakfast or an evening tiffin. I had some left over wheat bread at home and didn't really know how to use them. That is when my husband came up with this idea of bread upma. Here, I list below my version of bread upma.

Serves:2

Ingredients

1. Whole Wheat Bread- 6 slices (sides removed)
2. Bangalore Tomatoes-2 (finely chopped) 
3. Green capsicum - 1/2 of small capsicum (chopped)
4. Onion-1 large (roughly chopped) 
5. Butter - 1 tbsp
6. Mustard seeds-1 tsp 
7. Cumin seeds-1 tsp 
8. Sugar - 1 tsp
9. Hing-pinch 
10. Coriander leaves-1/4 cup chopped
11. Curry leaves-4
12. Green Chili -1 (chopped finely)
13. Turmeric-1/2 tsp 
14. Red Chili Powder-1 tsp 
15. sambar powder - 1 tsp (optional)
16. water-1/4 cup 
17. Oil - 1 tbsp 
18. Salt to taste 

Toast the bread on tawa with some butter

Turns golden brown and crisp

Cut them to cubes

Saute Vegetables

cook with covered lid

Mix the sliced bread with sauteed veggies

Method

1. In a pan, heat cooking oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing.

2. Once they splutter, add curry leaves and green chilies and saute for a min on a low flame.

3. Add onions and saute until they become translucent.

4. Add the tomatoes, capsicum and saute well. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, sambar powder, sugar and required salt - saute well.

5. Add water and cover the lid and cook tomatoes until they become soft and mushy.

6. Toast the bread sliced with butter until they become crisp. Chop the bread into cubes or you can roughly tear into small pieces.

7. Now add the chopped bread slices to the above mixture and mix gently. Ensure the bread slices are uniformly coated with the mixture and blended well.

7. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and roasted peanuts.

8. Yummy Bread Upma ready:) Serve with combination of tomato ketchup and red chili sauce. Tastes yum...!!!

Notes,Tips & Add-on's 

1. You can add any vegetables of your choice like red bell pepper, grated carrot etc.
2. You can also add a tsp of tomato ketchup and red chili sauce before mixing the bread. This also tastes equally awesome.