Recipe: Pudina Semiya (Mint Vermicelli)

Hello Readers,

When we think about semiya (vermicelli), the first thing that strikes our mind is the mouth watering payasam (also known as kheer or porridge) made with it. But we can make a variety of dishes with this ingredient, in combination with other commonly used ingredients in our kitchen, like sabudana payasam, semiya kesari, semiya upma (plain or vegetable version), semiya pulao,  semiya bath, curd semiya and the list goes on. 

Today, I am sharing a very simple and easy to prepare dish using semiya and pudina (or mint). This involves very little chopping - just an onion. Rest of the ingredients can be either tossed into a blender or the fry pan. The total cooking takes only 10 minutes. So you don't have to skip breakfast during busy mornings. You can savor this for break fast or dinner or even as an evening snack. Even those who dislike semiya will enjoy this flavorful recipe. I can vouch for that!! Above all these, this recipe has good mix of carbs, fats and protein, making it a wholesome meal. You can eat this recipe, even when on diet, of course portion controlled 😀 What else one can ask for?

You may sneak in few palak (spinach leaves) into this recipe to make it even more healthier. Your kid or even adults at home who don't like this wonderful food (rich in iron), cannot figure out it is included in the dish they are eating😜 

Kids are very fond of noodles (like maggi) and insist elders to prepare it often. Mothers can try offering vermicelli in place of noodles. At least, that's what I tell my kid while feeding vermicelli. Vermicelli is definitely better than noodles for their health. Load it with veggies or prepare this recipe along with spinach to make it tasty and healthy.

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Ingredients:

• Semiya (vermicelli) - 1.5 cups
• Pudina (mint leaves) - 1 handful
• Dhaniya (coriander leaves) - 1 handful
• Garlic cloves - 2
• Green chillies - 2
• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Urad dal (split black gram) - 1 tsp
• Chana dal (split chickpeas) - 1 tsp
• Peanuts - 1/4 cup
• Onion (chopped) - 1
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Oil - 2 teaspoons
• Ghee - 1 teaspoon (optional)
• Water - 2 1/4 cups
• Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

• First grind pudina, dhaniya, garlic and chillies with 1/4 cup water in a blender to make a puree
• To a hot pan, add a teaspoon of ghee and roast semiya until it turns light gold in color. You may dry roast it too. But ghee brings in additional flavor and has significant health benefits. 
• To the same pan, add 2 teaspoons of oil, roast peanuts and set them aside
• Then add mustard, urad dal and chana dal to the oil and fry
• Once they are well fried, add onions and curry leaves and fry until onions are translucent
• Then, add pudina puree and cook for a minute
• Pour 2 cups water to the pan and allow it to boil
• Once water comes to a slight boil, add roasted vermicelli and salt per taste
• Close the pan with a lid and cook until semiya is well cooked. Water will be completely absorbed by the time semiya is cooked. 
• Add peanuts and gently mix
• Finally, sprinkle crumbled/ grated paneer on pudina semiya before serving. This not only gives a pleasing look to the dish, but makes it protein rich too.
• Serve pudina semiya with curd and a portion of fruit, to have a refreshing and healthy start for the day

Tips:

• If you are vegan, add boiled chickpeas (kabuli chana) instead of paneer
• If you like, you may add cashews instead of peanuts
• Once semiya is cooked, switch off the flame and add few drops of lemon juice, if you like it to be slightly tangy
• You can totally avoid paneer/ chickpeas if you wish to. I added paneer to make this dish protein rich, so it can be savored when you are on a weight loss diet too

Check out below for the video link.