Who doesn’t love spending less time in the kitchen and more with family and friends or indulging in your favorite hobby sometimes? Although I love cooking and can spend hours baking up a storm or cooking something delicious and time consuming, sometimes, I do love to take a break! Vermicelli pulao or semia pulao comes in handy during such times! Just a few vegetables you have in your fridge, some basic spices you can find in any kitchen and just 15 minutes of your time! Vermicelli or semia as we call it, is nothing but thin rice noodles or sticks available in any Indian store or online. We either make upma (a savory breakfast dish) or sometimes kheer (Indian sweet milk pudding) with it. My favorite is vermicelli pulao, like you would make any rice pulao. (Packets of vermicelli (rice sticks) are always in my pantry!) The key to making these is to sauté or fry the vermicelli, remove them and then proceed to make the pulao (stirring them in later) or just sauté them along with the spices and then add them like you make regular pulao. I prefer the second method; much quicker and easier, but absolutely no compromise on taste!
The only thing you have to remember is not to add too much water. Regular instructions on the vermicelli packet says to add 2 cups of water, but trust me, you will end up with mushy pulao! My ratio of vermicelli to water is 1:1 or if needed half or even one-fourth cup more, checking as you go along making the pulao, that is it! Another key step is, once the pulao is ready, try not to mix it too much. Just cover and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to cool a bit. This allows the vermicelli sticks to absorb any residual moisture and the final result will be each vermicelli will be fluffy and separate like you would get while cooking any regular pulao made with rice grains and not a mushy mess! Hope you make this easy, one-pot vermicelli/semia pulao soon in your kitchen too. Serve it with any raita like you would pulaos or biryanis and a side of salad for a complete, quick and healthy meal!
Happy Cooking! Do check out these other one-pot quick meals I love to cook when short on time: One-Pot Chole Masala One-Pot Sambar Sadam/Rice One-Pot Methi Carrot Pulav
Lets Make it!!
STEP-WISE INSTRUCTION TO MAKE FLUFFY VERMICELLI PULAO:
Heat oil in a large kadai or deep saucepan and once hot, add jeera, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. Cook Time: 15 minutes
1 cup vermicelli ½ onion, finely chopped 2 green chilies/jalapenos, slit lengthwise or chopped 2 large cloves garlic, grated 1 inch piece ginger, grated ¼ cup chopped carrots ¼ cup chopped capsicum/bell pepper ¼ tsp haldi/turmeric powder ½ tsp coriander powder 1 tsp Kitchen King Powder (or garam masala powder) 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds 2 cloves 1 bay leaf ½ inch piece cinnamon 2 to 3 tablespoons oil/ghee Freshly chopped coriander leaves/cilantro for garnish
Instructions Saute on medium heat for a few seconds until slightly aromatic.
Add the chopped onions and continue to fry for a couple of minutes until they are slightly soft. Stir in grated ginger and garlic and saute for a few seconds.
Add the vermicelli and start to fry on medium heat for a few minutes, stirring continuously, until slightly roasted. At this stage, add the chopped vegetables; mix well.
Sprinkle the dry spice powders: turmeric, coriander and Kitchen King or garam masala powder, stir to combine.
Add 1 cup of water (to begin with) along with salt to taste and mix well. Bring to a boil and then simmer on medium low, covered, for a few minutes; about 5 to 7 minutes. Check in between (stirring ever so gently) and if you feel the mixture is too dry and the vermicelli is not yet cooked, add about ¼ to ½ cup more or even less, depending upon the consistency of the pulao.
Try not to add more water as instructed on the packet as then they may turn mushy; talking from experience! Once the pulao is cooked and almost dry, remove from heat and garnish with cilantro leaves. Leave aside, covered for a few minutes for the vermicelli to fully fluff up and separate. If you try to mix it when hot, it may become mushy. Once slightly cool, fluff up with a fork and serve with a side of yogurt/dahi or any favorite raita you prefer. I have served it with an onion raita and a salad. Now, wasn’t that easy?
Enjoy and Happy Cooking! PIN or SHARE for later here:
Join the party at Angie’s Fiesta Friday along with Ai @Aimadeitforyou. I am sharing this with my foodie gourmet Facebook group “Healthy Wellthey Cuisines” where the theme this time is “vermicelli mania”! Do check out these other mouthwatering delights you can make with this simple ingredient:
Vermicelli Kheer by Poonam Namkeen Jave by Swaty Semia Payasam by Seema Curd Semia by Ruchi Vermicelli Cups with Shrikand by Shalu Ragi Vermicelli Upma by Veena Turmeric Vermicelli Soup by Sasmita Tomato Garlic Sevai by Geetanjali
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