Semiya Upma / Vermicelli Upma | Indian Breakfast Recipes

This semiya upma recipe is dear to my heart. You may ask what is so special about this simple semiya upma. There is! It was during our college days when I and my friends were in Bangalore for our project work. The place where we did our project had various shift timings and ours was the first in the day 7 AM - 3 PM. So most of our days we will skip breakfast and be starving and waiting for the lunch hour which was 11.30 AM. It was during weekends when we ever got a chance to cook and eat breakfast. With the minimal kitchen gadgets we had, this upma was our go to choice for Saturday breakfasts. Semiya upma and pickle (Mango Ginger was our favorite) is the delectable combination we relished to the core.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Semiya / Vermicelli - 2 cups (rice cooker cup) - I used MTR brand vermicelli
Onion - 1/2 of a big one - sliced thin and halved
Green chillies - 2
Curry leaves - a few
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Carrot - 2 - chopped
Peas - 1 handful (I used frozen)
Oil - 1 tsp + 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Chana dhal - 1 tsp
Water - 3 cups

Method:
Heat 1 tsp of oil in a non-stick pan and roast the semiya until light brown. Remove to a plate and allow to cool. Cook the vegetables in MW for about 1-2 minutes. Heat the remaining oil and splutter the mustard seeds, chana dhal, urad dhal and curry leaves. Add the slit green chillies and onion. Fry until the onions are soft and can be cut with a spoon. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a couple more minutes. Add the pre-cooked veggies, salt and water. Cover and cook until the water is boiling. Reduce the heat to medium and add the roasted semiya while continuously stirring with a big spoon. Cook until all the water has been absorbed. Serve hot with a dollop of pickle. Another crazy combination we loved was with yogurt.
I am linking this up to Vardhini's event Dish It out, happening in my space with the theme - Onions & Chillies and Friends Forever event.