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Semiya upma recipe | vermicelli upma recipe | vermicelli recipes

By swasthi , on July 9, 2020, 39 Comments, Jump to Recipe

Semiya upma is a popular South Indian breakfast made with wheat vermicelli, spices, herbs, and peanuts. Also known as vermicelli upma, it is a beginners recipe and just takes about 25 minutes. A basic semiya upma is made without any vegetables. But to make it a balanced meal, I sometimes add mix vegetables like carrot, peas and beans.

semiya upma swasthis recipes

So what is semiya upma? Semiya=vermicelli & upma is a South Indian dish made with semolina and basic tempering ingredients. Semiya upma is just a variation of the basic rava upma. It is made almost the same way with the same set of ingredients.

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Upma can be made with rava, vermicelli, poha, sabudana, oats or even with millets.

Making semiya upma is really quick and involves no prior preparation except for slicing the onion & ginger. You can make this with or without veggies as per your convenience.

To make the vegetable semiya, you can use frozen mix veggies like carrots, beans & peas.

This post shows you how to make perfect semiya upma that doesn’t turn sticky or mushy. You can eat this without any sides. But South Indians love this with peanut podi, Idli podi, pickle or curd.

Preparation for semiya upma

1. Skip this step if using roasted semiya. Dry roast 1 cup vermicelli on a medium flame stirring often until light & slightly golden. Transfer this to a plate.

dry roasting semiya in a pan

2. Pour 1½ tablespoons oil to a hot pan. Add cashews or peanuts. Fry them until golden and crunchy. Remove and set aside for garnishing.

How to make semiya upma

3. To the same pan, add –

  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon chana dal
  • 1 teaspoon urad dal.
tempering spices in oil to make semiya upma

4. Fry until the dal turns lightly golden. Add –

  • 1 pinch hing
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • ½ teaspoon chopped ginger(optional)
  • 1 chopped green chili.
adding curry leaves ginger chilli to oil

5. Add 1 small sliced onion and saute until transparent. Optional – You can also skip the vegetables. Add ¾ cup mixed vegetables – carrots, peas and french beans. Ensure the veggies are fine chopped otherwise they won’t cook fast. I sprinkle little salt so the veggies release moisture and cook easily.

sauteing veggies to make semiya upma

6. Cover and cook on a low flame till they turn tender and almost cooked. If they don’t cook well, then sprinkle little water and cook.

cook the veggies covered till soft
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7. Add salt and pour 1½ cups water. Stir and taste test the water. It has to be slightly salty. If using thin vermicelli 1 ¼ cup water would be sufficient.

pouring water to the pan

8. Bring it to a rolling boil on a high flame.

boiling water with spices to make semiya upma

9. Add the roasted vermicelli. Stir well to prevent lumps.

adding roasted vermicelli to make upma
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10. Cook on a medium high flame till all the water is absorbed. By then the semiya should be cooked well. (Troubleshooting tip: If the semiya does not cook well then boil little hot water and pour it here. Read tips below.)

water absorbed completely

11. Cover and cook on a low flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off and rest for 5 minutes.

cooking semiya upma in a pan

When the temperature comes down a bit, sprinkle lemon juice and add coriander leaves. Mix and garnish with roasted peanuts or cashews. Serve it hot with peanut podi.

Semiya upma

This is the semiya upma I made without veggies. It turns out good even without veggies.

semiya upma recipe

Tips to make

1. There are 2 kinds of semiya in the market – roasted & unroasted. If using preroasted vermicelli, you don’t need to roast them again. Otherwise you have to roast them following my step 1 otherwise the dish will turn mushy and sticky.

2. The quantity of water to use differs for thick and thin variety vermicelli. I use the thicker bambino semiya which takes 1½ cups water for every cup of semiya. If using thin semiya then it would only need 1¼ cups.

3. Semiya upma is always made with wheat vermicelli and not with rice vermicelli. If using rice vermicelli, then boil them following the instructions on the pack. Drain them and then just do the tempering without adding water. Then just mix the precooked vermicelli there. Cover and cook for 1 to 2 mins.

semiya upma
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Semiya upma recipe | vermicelli upma | vermicelli recipes

Semiya upma is a simple South Indian Breakfast made with wheat or semolina vermicelli, spices, nuts and herbs. It is eaten for a breakfast or a meal.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time13 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Servings2
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 1 cup semiya (vermicelli)
  • 1½ cups water for thick semiya (1 cup for thin variety)
  • ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1 small onion thinly sliced or chopped
  • 1 green chili slit or chopped
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • ½ teaspoon ginger chopped finely (optional)

Tempering ingredients for semiya upma

  • 1 ½ tablespoon oil or ghee
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon channa dal (split bengal gram) (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon urad dal (skinned black gram) (optional)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoon peanuts or cashews
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) (optional)

optional ingredients

  • ¾ cup mix vegetables carrot, peas, beans – fine chopped
  • 2 tablespoon coriander leaves chopped
  • 2 tablespoon fresh grated coconut for garnish
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Instructions

Preparation

  • If using roasted vermicelli, then skip this step. Dry roast semiya uniformly on a medium flame until lightly golden. Keep stirring and fry without browning them. They will turn light when done. Transfer to a plate.

How to make semiya upma

  • Heat oil in a pan. Add peanuts or cashews. Fry them until golden and crunchy. Remove to a plate.
  • To the same pan add mustard, cumin, chana dal & urad dal . Fry until the dals turn golden and roasted well.
  • Next add hing, onions, ginger, green chilli and curry leaves. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes until the onions turn transparent.
  • This step is optional. If using carrot, beans and peas add them now and saute for another 3 mins. Cook covered on a low flame till they turn slightly tender.
  • Pour water and add salt. Stir and check by tasting the water. It has to be slightly salty. If needed add more salt. 
  • Bring it to a rapid boil. Transfer roasted semiya to the pan & stir immediately.
  • Cook on a medium flame till all the water is absorbed by the vermicelli. (If you feel the semiya is uncooked then pour little boiling water.)
  • Cover the pan and cook on a lowest heat 2 minutes. Turn off and rest for another 5 minutes.
  • When the temperature cools down a bit sprinkle some lemon juice & coriander leaves.
  • Garnish semiya upma with grated coconut (optional), roasted peanuts or cashews. Serve with peanut podi or pickle.
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Notes

I use Bambino semiya.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Semiya upma recipe | vermicelli upma | vermicelli recipes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 295 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 708mg31%
Potassium 391mg11%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 10g42%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 3621IU72%
Vitamin C 44mg53%
Calcium 66mg7%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

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Semiya upma recipe | vermicelli upma recipe | vermicelli recipesSemiya upma recipe | vermicelli upma recipe | vermicelli recipes
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About swasthi

I’m Swasthi shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthis recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
Read more..

Recipe Rating




Recipe Rating




39 Comments
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Rupal
November 28, 2020 3:26 pm

5 stars
Recipe with tips is so useful. Perfect measurements for different type of vermicelli. My kids and mother in law absolutely love this dish. Must try for everyone. Combination of veggies makes it yummier and healthier! Thank you ?

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Rupal
November 29, 2020 11:22 am

Welcome Rupal
Glad to know! Thank you!

Reply
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Rajshree
May 25, 2020 3:53 am

Hi,
Water you have mentioned for thick sevai is too much.. Mine came out sticky.

Regards,
Rajshree

Reply
Winnie
Reply to  Rajshree
July 1, 2020 2:30 pm

Tried the vegetable semiya upma today. Turned out just perfect. The details of water ratio provided for different types of vermicelli was informative.

Reply
Shanthi Sankaran
April 21, 2020 7:34 am

Very very tasty semiya upma. Thank you Swasti very much. For two and quarter glass of semiya I used two and half glass water. It was proper. Will your other recipes too.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Shanthi Sankaran
April 23, 2020 12:19 pm

Hi Shanthi Sankaran
You are welcome!
Glad to know

Reply
S
April 6, 2020 1:03 pm

You put a good amount of effort and research in your recipes. I liked the little details like different water ratios fir different vermicellis, different cooking techniques and also a separate step by step photo. Most bloggers/authors don’t do that.
Kudos!

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  S
April 7, 2020 6:14 am

Thank you so much!

Reply
Adhidev
March 31, 2020 4:14 am

Amazing recipe for beginners

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Adhidev
April 1, 2020 2:43 pm

Thank you

Reply
Gwen Stephen
March 11, 2020 3:05 am

5 stars
Dear Swasthi, your recipes are all mind blowing!! Simple and easy to follow… a real treat for a cooking novice like me!! Thank you and God Bless

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Gwen Stephen
March 14, 2020 4:35 am

Hi Gwen Stephen,
You are welcome! Thank you so much for the wishes. Glad the recipes are helpful.
🙂

Reply
Kali
February 17, 2020 12:46 am

Awesome…

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Kali
February 18, 2020 9:09 am

Thank you!

Reply
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Raju
August 21, 2019 2:36 pm

5 stars
First time tried to cook for myself. This semiya turned out fantastic.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Raju
August 21, 2019 3:07 pm

Glad you liked it!

Reply
Deepa
January 30, 2019 8:47 am

5 stars
I always refer your recipe to check the water to vermicelli ratio every time I make vermicelli upma. It comes out great every single time. The vermicelli is never sticking to each other, neither is it overcooked nor undercooked. If you would like to see, I will share a pic if you provide your email id. ?

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Deepa
January 30, 2019 9:18 am

Thank you so much Deepa.
Yes water ratio is very important. Glad to know the recipe is useful. Would love to see the pictures. Do mail me.

Reply
Roghith
July 26, 2018 9:15 am

5 stars
Hi mam i don’t like semiya very much bt my sister cook semiya by followed by your recipe now i am loved eat semiya thanks for you and i love you and your recipe byeee

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Roghith
July 26, 2018 9:38 am

Hi Roghith
You are welcome. Thank you so much for the comment. Very glad to know the recipe is useful
🙂

Reply
Moitrayee
April 5, 2018 9:20 am

5 stars
Loved all your recipes, very well explained and curated. Will follow henceforth.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Moitrayee
April 6, 2018 12:45 am

Thanks Moitrayee

Reply
neha
November 6, 2017 10:10 pm

5 stars
Thank you Swasthi. This recipe is so yum. My kid loved it.

Reply
Bhavani.B
July 14, 2017 5:59 pm

5 stars
I loved it

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Bhavani.B
July 20, 2017 2:58 pm

Thanks Bhavani

Reply
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koushi
January 10, 2017 11:50 am

The recipes are best explained with photographs. Thanks for it

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  koushi
January 10, 2017 1:23 pm

Welcome and thanks

Reply
Raj
October 17, 2016 2:36 am

5 stars
Thanks for the receipies!! They are really discriptive and easy to follow.. keep posting!!!

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Raj
October 22, 2016 7:14 am

Welcome Raj
Thanks for the feedback

Reply
Krithika
October 3, 2016 5:04 pm

I tried this just now and it came out sooooooooooooooooo good! Thanks a lot. 🙂 I’ve just got into cooking south Indian food and this is my first south Indian dish. Thanks for the quick and superb recipe.

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Krithika
October 5, 2016 1:18 pm

Welcome Krithika
Glad to know it came out good. Keep trying
🙂

Reply
Ana
August 10, 2016 4:19 pm

VERY…

Reply
Shivani
March 29, 2016 1:07 pm

5 stars
Hi Swati, wonderful recipe. Tried for the first time, it was yum. One question here, what can be done to reduce the salty taste. Otherwise it is so simple to follow. I have tried before but this time it was cooked perfect. Thank you

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Shivani
March 29, 2016 1:19 pm

Hi shivani,
To fix a salty semiya upma, you can add few tbsps of grated fresh coconut or little ghee or lemon juice. Or just cook plain semiya and mix with this. My mum makes a plain seasoned chilli yogurt as a side to fix salty semiya. An uncommon combo, but goes well. Thanks for rating the recipe

Reply
Ana
May 22, 2015 3:00 am

EASY COOKING NICE

Reply
swasthi
Reply to  Ana
June 17, 2015 3:28 pm

thank you

Reply
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neela manogar
May 18, 2015 7:33 am

That’s very tasty breakfast.

Reply
kushi
May 8, 2015 1:26 pm

5 stars
Its my fav 🙂 Looks delicious

Reply

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