High Protein Vermicelli Upma Recipe – Semiya Upma

This is a traditional Vermicelli Upma recipe (or Semiya Upma recipe) made healthy with a high-protein twist. I like to fortify traditional recipes with twists to make them more balanced and satiating all the time. You will need very few simple ingredients as you did for the Semolina-based Upma Recipe, except you replace semolina here with Vermicelli strands. To fortify the recipe to make it more balanced, you will need half a block of tofu, grated. And that’s it!

What is Vermicelli Upma?

Upma is a savory breakfast dish from South India and is usually based on broken semolina (cream of wheat) and can have variations with oats, millets, quinoa, bread etc. You can also add a bunch of veggies to make this more nourishing.

Vermicelli upma is another version of this South Indian breakfast dish where the main ingredient is vermicelli (wheat-based pasta with long and thin strands), also known as seviyan in Hindi and Semiya in many South Indian languages. This version of healthy vermicelli upma with tofu is also easy to make and tastes equally good, maybe even better!

How to make Tofu Vermicelli Upma? (Step-wise recipe)

Here’s how you can make a delicious and healthy vermicelli tofu dish that’s perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.

• First, we’ll need some broken vermicelli, also known as semiya or seviyan. You’ll need about 3/4 cup or 150 grams.

• Dry roast the vermicelli in a pan on low heat until they turn golden, stirring often. Then set them aside to cool down.

• In the same pan, heat up a tablespoon of oil and add mustard seeds, letting them crackle. Then, add urad dal.

• cumin seeds and fry until the urad dal turns golden and everything becomes fragrant. (Add some cashews for a delicious crunch.). Next, add chopped onions.

• Next add the curry leaves, ginger, green chili. Sauté everything until the onions become translucent or even golden.

• Then add chopped carrots, asafoetida and turmeric powder and cook for a few minutes until the raw smell of turmeric goes away.

• Now it’s time to add the grated tofu and stir fry everything for another 4-5 minutes until everything is well cooked and the tofu looks well-coated in the mixture. Then add water, salt, and sugar to taste and let it all come to a boil.

• Lower the heat and add the roasted vermicelli. Stir and cook the vermicelli until they become soft and have absorbed all the water. Adjust the consistency according to your preference.

• Finally, switch off the heat and add some chopped coriander/cilantro leaves for a burst of freshness.

• Squeeze some lemon juice on top for an extra zing and serve hot!

This vermicelli and tofu dish is a great way to incorporate protein-rich tofu into your diet, and it’s also a flavorful and nutritious meal that’s perfect for any time of day. Enjoy!

I hope you give this healthy vermicelli upma recipe a go and I’m sure you are going to make it this way from the next time on!

Check out other breakfast recipes from @beextravegant:

• Vegetable Rava Upma Recipe
• Khaman dhokla recipe
• Paniyaram recipe- shallow fried, spiced rice and lentil balls
• Vegan Yoghurt Toast – Spicy
• Tofu masala sandwich