Ragi Semiya Upma (Finger Millet Vermicelli Upma)

My 169th recipe,"Ragi Semiya Upma (Finger Millet Vermicelli Upma)", a quick and healthy South Indian breakfast. I am not a big fan of upma, however I love making it frequently in my home for breakfast. It is just for the simple reason that it only takes a short time to prepare and it is healthy too. I have already posted the basic Semiya Upma recipe which I make most of the times. However once in a while I make this healthier version of upma using Ragi Semiya. Ragi / Finger millet is very high in calcium, rich in iron and fiber. It is an ancient cereal aging back to atleast 4000 years and is a far healthier source of nutrients compared to all other cereals like oats, polished rice, etc. So whenever possible I try to include ragi in my diet through ragi adai, kanji. etc apart from having it in the form of ragi semiya (vermicelli). Though the recipe for ragi semiya upma is similar to a regular semiya upma, the difference lies in how we treat the vermicelli. Even though it is a simple recipe, it tastes so wonderful and one of RK's favorite breakfast 🙂

Ragi Semiya Upma

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Prep Time 3 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

• Ragi Semiya Vermicelli - 1 Cup
• Salt - ½ tsp + 1 small pinch
• Water - about 2 Cups
• Green chilli - 1 Large slit
• Onion - ½ medium sliced

To temper

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard - ¼ tsp
• Chana Dal - 1 tsp
• Broken Urad dal - ½ tsp
• Jeera - ½ tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Instructions

 

• First dissolve the ½ tsp of salt in the water and soak the vermicelli for 2-3 mins.
  
   
• Remove the soaked vermicelli from the water and steam it for 5 mins. I used idli cooker for steaming.
  
   
• Then, heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard and let it splutter. Then add all the other items mentioned under "To temper" in the given order. Once the dals turn golden brown, add the onions, a small pinch of salt and saute until they are translucent.
  
   
• Now, add the steamed vermicelli to the pan and saute for a further 3-5 mins until the vermicelli is dry and fully cooked through.
  
   
• Enjoy hot with any chutney.
  

Notes | FAQ

- Soaking the vermicelli in water is important to give the right texture to the vermicelli. But do not soak for more than 2-3 mins.
- In case you do not have a steamer, skip step 2. Instead, in step 4, after the onion is translucent, add ¾ cup of water. Then add the soaked vermicelli and cook covered until done. However in this method the texture of the vermicelli would vary.
- Since you are adding salt at two places, take care not to over season. Adding salt while soaking is for the vermicelli and adding salt while sauteing is for the onions.