Tomato Vermicelli /Thakkali Semiya is a popular dish in South Indian breakfast or brunch.A light, easy and healthy breakfast made in just 20 minutes. It is made with Vermicelli and tomatoes either cubed or pureed and flavored with Indian spices.It can also be served as a light lunch or dinner.
What is Vermicelli?
Vermicelli is traditional Indian pasta or spaghetti.
What is Indian vermicelli made of?
Vermicelli is made out of maida/all purpose flour that is ground from very hard wheat. It is simply maida, water, and a little salt.
Vermicelli is a popular instant food product used regularly in Indian kitchens.
What kind of Vermicelli can I use for this recipe?
Look for ones that are made with wheat flour, since not all thin long noodles are Vermicelli fit to be used for this recipe. Indian stores carry them both plain and in roasted form or you can order online and get it both as plain and roasted in the Bambino brand.
Roasted Vermicelli is the one, I usually use to make this recipe, because it saves you time from manually roasting the vermicelli.If you prefer plain , then you can buy plain and roast them to a golden brown in warm ghee/clarified butter.
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What is difference between plain and roasted Vermicelli?
Roasted Vermicelli is crisper and does not stick to form lumps when cooked unlike the plain one, which gets very sticky and form lumps, if you are not careful. A slight smoky flavor and a bit of crunch is also present in the roasted vermicelli, if you enjoy that taste in your food.
How to roast Vermicelli?
- Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan.
- Crush the vermicelli in a tray or bowl.
- Add it to the warm ghee.
- Roast it lightly for 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
How to roast Vermicelli in the oven?
Lay out plain Vermicelli on a roasting pan or cookie sheet and stick it in a 350° F oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Wait until the Vermicelli gets a deep golden brown. Remove when done and let it cool.
You can either cook with it as soon as it’s ready or you can store it in airtight containers to use in future.,
How to roast Vermicelli in a microwave?
In a microwave safe bowl add 2 tsp of ghee and spread 1 cup of plain Vermicelli on top. Mix it well so the vermicelli is coated with ghee.
Microwave for 2 minutes. Mix in between if needed. Remove and cook or store in airtight containers for future use.
How to make Tomato Vermicelli?
Tomato Vermicelli
4
servings5
minutes15
minutes212
kcal20
minutesIngredients
2 cups 2 Roasted Vermicelli
2 1/2 cups 2 1/2 Water
1 large 1 Onion finely sliced
2 tsp 2 Ghee
1/2 tsp 1/2 Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp 1/2 Urad & Channa Dhal mix for seasoning
Curry leaves- a sprig
4 4 -5 Green chilies
2 2 Garlic cloves crushed/sliced -optional
1/4 tsp 1/4 Turmeric powder
Tomatoes
Salt to taste
Cilantro/Coriander leaves for garnishing
Directions
- Boil water in a vessel and set aside.
- Meanwhile heat ghee in a thick bottomed cooking pan, to this add the channa& urad dhal mix, along with mustard seeds and curry leaves and wait till the mustard seeds splutter.
- If you are using Roasted Vermicelli for the preparation then there is no need to toast it more.If you are using plain Vermicelli, then fry it along with the ghee & mustard mix till it turns golden brown before proceeding further.
- Next add the green chilies & stir them a bit , followed by the crushed garlic cloves and keep stirring till the raw smell disappears.
- To this, now add the finely sliced onions and saute them till golden brown.Then add the Turmeric powder and stir for a few minutes.
- Next add the cubed tomatoes and stir them with the onion mix , till they turn soft & mushy.Some prefer to use tomato puree instead. Either way it works.
- Now add the boiled water to the mix, along with salt to taste.Cover with lid and allow to cook for 10-12 minutes, until the Vermicelli is cooked and soft and the water completely absorbed.
- Garnish with Cilantro /Coriander leaves on top and serve hot for breakfast, brunch or dinner.
Notes
- You can try the same recipe with Lemon and yogurt/curds too, where either of these replace the tomatoes in the recipe.
- The addition of mixed vegetables is optional, one may do so to make it nutritious
- Some prefer to toast a few cashew nuts to garnish on top (optional)
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories212
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 11g 17%
- Saturated Fat 6g 30%
- Cholesterol 26mg 9%
- Sodium 637mg 27%
- Potassium 219mg 7%
- Total Carbohydrate 29g 10%
- Dietary Fiber 8g 32%
- Sugars 13g
- Protein 2g 4%
- Vitamin C 42%
- Calcium 6%
- Iron 6%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Variations of this Recipe :
- Lemon Vermicelli/Semiya
- Yogurt/Curd Semiya
The Bottom Line
Do you need to fix a quick breakfast or perhaps a light lunch or dinner that is filling, yet not time consuming? Here is your answer. Try this easy Tomato Vermicelli/Thakkali Semiya recipe, I will bet you won’t be disappointed and come back asking for more !
Would love to hear your feedback in the comments section below.