A soft, faintly saucy vermicelli upma built on browned onion and tomato, with peas and carrot folded through and ghee stirred in at the end.

Ingredients

From the TrooFoodz pantry

• Sprouted Jowar Vermicelli 1 pack (180 g)

Fresh

• Onion, finely sliced 1 large
• Tomato, chopped 2
• Carrot, finely diced 1
• Green peas 1/2 cup
• Ginger, grated 1 tsp
• Green chillies, slit 2
• Groundnut oil 2 tbsp
• Ghee 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds 1 tsp
• Urad dal 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves 1 sprig
• Coriander leaves, chopped 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Water 1.5 cups

Method

1. Skip the boil

   This upma cooks the vermicelli directly in the pan rather than boiling it first, so the strands take on the tomato masala instead of plain water.

2. Temper and brown

   Crackle mustard in the oil, fry urad dal to gold, add curry leaves, chilli, ginger, then the onion. Cook until the edges catch colour.

3. Break down the tomato

   Add the tomato and a pinch of salt and cook until it collapses and the oil shows at the sides. This is the flavour base of the whole dish.

4. Vegetables in

   Stir in carrot and peas, cook three minutes, then pour in the measured water and bring it to a full boil.

5. Add the sevai

   Scatter the vermicelli in, stir once, cover and cook on the lowest flame for four minutes until the water is absorbed.

6. Fluff and finish

   Turn off the heat, fork the strands loose, stir in the ghee and coriander, and leave it covered for two minutes.

Why this works

Cooking the vermicelli in the seasoned liquid rather than boiling it separately means the strands carry tomato and spice all the way through. The measured water ratio matters: too much and jowar sevai turns to porridge, too little and it stays chalky. Forking rather than stirring at the end separates the strands without breaking them.

Make it your own

• Sprouted Jowar Vermicelli → Sprouted Barnyard Millet Noodles Coarser and more substantial; break them up and allow two extra minutes.
• Ghee → Coconut oil Makes it vegan; the finish is lighter and less rounded.
• Tomato → Raw mango, grated Sharper and fruitier; add it with the vegetables and cut the water slightly.