Semiya, simple and sweet

Vermicelli "halwa" that is not too heavy ...

Semiya

Vermicelli/semiya/sevainya— is cooked in milk, sweetened, garnished with nuts, and served as “payasam” or “kheer”. But in many homes in North India, they skip the milk, and make it in water, much like the “halwa”/kesari(minus the colour), and garnish it. Unlike the milk version, this is not semi-liquid,, the water is completely absorbed by the vermicelli.

It is easy to make, and very quick to. Above all, the rich roasted flavor and taste of the vermicelli/semiya/sevainya, dominate because they are not adulterated with milk, but merely enhanced by the crunch and taste of  the nuts and dry fruits in the garnish.

 My late father-in-law, a Punjabi, described the simple rava upma I made for him the first time as "namkeen halwa". Going by that this is sweet "semiya  upma".

Sevainya on Id eve. See the Jama Masjid deep in the background?

I used some of the sevainya I’ve saved up from my Id shopping at Jama Masjid in the Indian capital. But it will be no different if  I’d bought some other vermicelli, including the “Bambino” brand—plain or pre-roasted.

Total time taken: Less than 10 minutes if the vermicelli is pre-roasted, and the water is heated on another burner, simultaneously.

Ingredients,  enough to serve 4 people.

Vermicelli-1 cup

Water-1 cup

Sugar-2 tablespoons

Ghee/Clarified butter—1 tablespoon

A few blanched almonds/raisins/cashew (one or two or all of them)

Cardamom powder-of 2/ A few strands of saffron (optional)

Method

If the vermicelli is not pre-roasted, roast it for five minutes on a hot hardbottom/ non-stick pan. Set aside.

Roast the dry fruits/nuts in ghee

In the same pan, add the ghee, and dry fruits/nuts, till the nuts turn golden, and raisins plump up. Transfer to a bowl.

Meanwhile, bring the water to boil in a sauce pan, add cardamom powder and sugar. Let boil for three to five minutes.

Put the vermicelli in the pan hardbottom/nonstick pan that is now coated with ghee, stir for a couple of minutes. Add the boiled water with sugar and cardamom/saffron, stirring as you do this.

After two to five minutes, depending on the power of your gas burner, the water will have been absorbed, and the sevainya, cooked well.

Transfer this to a serving bowl, garnish with the dry fruits and nuts.

Semiya Upma, made of fine vermicelli of Id

"Sevaiiyan" on Id is traditionally sweet. But semiya upma is  as great !

Semiya Upma

Vermicelli in English is “semiya” in South India, and “sevaiyyan” in the North. And when Rozas end and Id is celebrated, the feast has to have one definite dish: sevaiyyan, . The unbelievably fine sevaiyan, made of refined flour or maida, come in  two shapes: like the  beautifully looped  bundles of wool, or in sharp straight lines. They also come in two or three shades, depending on whether they are plain vermicelli, roasted or friend.

Sevaiyyan on Id, outside Jama Masjid, Delhi

The Jama Masjid area in Delhi is the place to be in, on Id. And it is the place from where to buy semiya, whether you are breaking Roza fasts , or going there just to participate in the festivities.

Sevaiyyan on Id, outside Jama Masjid, Delhi

The Meena Bazar area around the historic mosque has an array of interesting shops. 

The ware includes everything from blingy clothes, primarily salwar-kameez sets, fakes of branded sneakers and other footwear, and the very interesting , embossed and engraved kitchenware in aluminum.

And there were lots of belts,bangles,framed pictures, toys, kerchiefs...you name it and there was someone selling it!

Sevaiyyan on Id, outside Jama Masjid, Delhi

But being Id, the sight that vanquished everything else was.....you guessed it semiya/vermicelli/sevaiiyan! There were not mountains of them, there were ranges of mountains of vermicelli!

I went, bought  two varieties of sevaiyyan.. I did make the kheer, I also made a no-milk sweet dish out of the semiya. But the best dish was the Semiya Upma. It took less than five minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients for this dish, for two people, are:

Sevaiyan – 150 gms

Vegetable oil-1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Water—One and a half glasses

Onion chopped-1 medium

Green chillies chopped-3

Ginger, chopped- a little bit

Curry leaves- a few

Mustard seeds-1 teaspoon

Urad dal-1 teaspoon

Step by step --the making of semiya upma

Method:

Heat a frying pan. Add the oil. When it gets hot, add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the urad dal, and stir. When the dal grains turn golden, add the chopped onions,green chillies, giner and curry leaves. Saute for a minute. Add the water, and when it comes to boil, add the salt. Now add the semiya and stir well, reduce the flame of the gas burner, and  place a lid on the frying pan.

 Two minutes later, switch off the gas . The “semiya upma” is ready !

It tastes perfect with no side dish. But if you want, help yourself to any chutney or pickle, or yoghurt.

If you have the time and the fancy, garnish with fried cashew nuts and chopped coriander. I prefer the no-frills version.

Photographs by Pramod Pushkarna