Vermicelli Vada

Vermicelli vada is a crunchy tea time snack. Noodles can also be substituted for Bambino.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vermicelli ( Bambino)
• 2 potatoes
• 2 or 3 green chilies finely chopped
• 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 1/2 cup coriander leave
• 5 curry leaves(finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup mint leaves (as required)
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp chat masala
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• oil for frying

Method:

• Take a deep saucepan and boil about 8-10 cups of water. Add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of oil to water. When water starts boiling, add vermicelli and stir continuously. Boil for 2-3 minutes till it is just done ( soft vermicelli becomes very soggy and sticky). Strain in a colander. Keep colander under free flowing water till vermicelli is cooled, then keep it aside for some time so that extra water is drained off.
• Boil potatoes separately till they are cooked. Peel and mash the potatoes.
• In a bowl take boiled vermicelli, mashed potatoes, chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves, curry leaves, green chilies, ginger and mix them well.
• Add black pepper powder, chat masala and salt.
• Add vermicelli and mix them all well. Add lemon juice.
• Shape the mix into round flat vadas.
• Deep fry them until they are golden brown.
• Pat out excess oil with a paper towel.
• Serve them hot with tomato ketchup or chutney.

Tips:

Fresh coriander is often used in Indian cooking as an ingredient during the preparation of a dish or as a garnish after the dish is ready. It is however, not always easily available. It also perishes quickly. The next time you buy fresh coriander, keep it fresh for longer by chopping off the roots and then wrapping the leaves in a sheet of newspaper. Store in the crisper section of your refrigerator.

Meethi Seviyan (Sweet Vermicelli)

Stir-fried Vermicelli is cooked in flavored sugar syrup.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Vermicelli (Bambino)
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar granulated
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 whole green cardamom
• 1 clove
• 1 tsp crushed green cardamom
• Fried nuts
• Pinch of saffron
• Pinch of yellow food color
• ½ tsp rose water

Method:

• In a saucepan take 2 cups of water. Add 1 cup of sugar, stir and boil for 2 minutes. Now add pinch of yellow color, saffron and cardamom powder. Keep aside.
• Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, add clove and green cardamom; fry for a minute until fragrant. Add vermicelli and fry, stirring continuously, until golden brown in color uniformly.
• Pour the sugar syrup over the fried vermicelli in pan and cook covered on low heat till it is done. Add rose water and switch off the gas. Cool to room temperature.
• Fluff it up with a fork. Garnish with fried nuts and serve.

Note:

• You can add 2 tbsp khoya powder to make it richer.
• I used Bambino vermicelli in this recipe which is available in Indian Grocery Stores. Remember that amount of water required to cook vermicelli depends on the type of vermicelli used.

Do You Know?

Glycemic index is a useful meal-planning tool, especially when individuals monitor their own individual responses to foods.

Low glycemic food is especially helpful in assisting those who want to lose weight.Low glycemic index foods will increase the sugar levels in the body to sustain energy levels for longer periods of time. This means an individual, who wants to lose weight, will feel less inclined to eat because energy is being slowly released into their bloodstream. Health experts encourage using the glycemic index in conjunction with other meal programs to assist in managing diabetes and/or controlling weight.

The examples of low glycemic index foods are: few fruits and vegetables, grainy breads, pasta, legumes, milk, fish, brown rice etc.

Vermicelli Pulao

Vermicelli (a type of pasta) is cooked, like rice pulao, with vegetables. It tastes good with coconut chutney.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Roasted Vermicelli (available in Indian Grocery Shop)
• 1 small onion chopped finely
• 1 small potato cut into small cubes
• ½ cup frozen or fresh green peas
• 2-3 tbsp peanuts or any other type of nuts
• 3 tbsp of cooking oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp chana dal
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• 5 curry leaves ( meetha neem ka patta)
• 4 green chilies finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• Finely chopped green cilantro leaves

Method:

• In a pan heat oil on medium heat. Add mustard seeds, after they splutter, add chana dal.
• Add Kadi Patta, peanuts, chopped onion, potato cubes, green chilies and green peas when chana dal becomes pale red. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
• Now add the roasted vermicelli, salt and black pepper powder. Add two cups of warm water and simmer it covered on low heat. Do not open and stir the vermicelli pulao for first 8-10 minutes. It should be cooked like rice pulao. When vermicelli is just done ( it may take 10-15 minutes) remove the pan from fire and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes without stirring it.
• Take out in a serving bowl, garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.
• Serve with coconut chutney.

Seviyan Kheer (Vermicelli pudding)

This creamy seviyan (vermicelli) pudding is flavored with cardamom, rose water and nuts. It's a great dessert for anytime of the year.
In south and east India, versions of it are made for certain festivals, like my mom used to make it on 'Raksha Bandhan' day.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fine roasted seviyan (vermicelli) broken into 2-3 cm pieces
• 2 pint full cream hot milk
• 1 pint sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ cup unsalted roasted almonds chopped coarsely
• ¼ cup pistachios chopped coarsely
• 1 tsp chironji
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 tbsp rose water
• Sugar according to taste if required

Method:

• Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed non-stick pan over medium heat and add seviyan; fry till golden brown.
• Pour the full cream milk, condensed milk, almonds, pistachio and stirring constantly bring to boil. Cook for about 3-4 minutes; stir constantly to avoid lump formation.
• Cool to room temperature, add rose water and cardamom powder.
• Garnish with nuts and serve chilled or hot as you like.

Do You Know:

Rose water is the leftover liquid or hydrosol remaining when rose petals and water are distilled together for the purpose of making rose oil.

Rose water is popular due to its distinct flavor. This is the reason why rose water is used in cuisines of West Asia, South Asia and Middle Eastern areas. Recipes from the 8th century have also included the rose water as an important ingredient.

Many sweets are often flavored with rose water. In India, this is used as an ingredient in Gulab Jamun, which is a very popular sweet. Areas of Malaysia and Singapore use rose water as an ingredient in a sweet drink, which is known as Bandung.

Seviyan Upma (Bambino Vermicelli)

Vermicelli ( a type of pasta) is cooked with vegetables to form upma.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Vermicelli (Bambino)
• 1 potato baked in microwave
• 1 cup frozen cut beans, carrots and peas
• ½ cup diced tomato
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp split skinned black gram ( urad dal)
• 1 tsp split skinned chickpea (chana dal)
• 5 curry leaves ( meetha neem ka patta)
• 4 green chillies finely chopped
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• Finely chopped green coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

• Take a deep saucepan and boil about 8 cups of water. Add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of oil to water. When water starts boiling, add vermicelli and stir continuously. Boil for 2-3 minutes till it is just done ( soft vermicelli becomes very soggy and sticky). Strain in a colander. Keep colander under free flowing water till vermicelli is cooled, then keep it aside for some time so that extra water is drained off.
• In a separate saucepan add oil till it becomes hot. Now add mustard seeds, after they splutter, add Urad dal, Chana dal, curry leaves and mix well. When it is pale red in colour, remove it.
• Add all the vegetables, except tomatoes. Mix well. Now add the green chillies, turmeric, salt and mix well. Add the tomatoes and fry for 1 min.
• Now add the boiled cooled vermicelli. Mix very well. Keep it for a minute, take it out in a dish, decorate with boiled eggs and garnish with coriander.
• It can be eaten with any Chutney or Sauce.

Do You Know?

Vermicelli is a type of pasta, round in section and somewhat thinner than spaghetti. In Bengal ( Eastern India) vermicelli is known shemai, in Hindi and Urdu it is known as seviya, all probably modified form of Chinese: ‘mian xian' in Mandarin.