Ragi Semiya - Sweet & Savoury Version - Easy Breakfast Recipes

 Category: Kids Breakfast
Preparation Time: 5 mins  
Cooking Time: 10 mins  
Servings - 2 servings

Ragi Semiya - Savory & Sweet Version

Ragi semiya / Ragi Vermicelli is a healthy and also a very quick breakfast we can make on a busy morning. This also comes in handy for a relaxed week end morning breakfast:) 

Ragi Sweet Semiya

Kids will enjoy this, especially the sweet version :) Not only for breakfast, we can make this for evening snack or for the sudden hunger prangs.

Ragi Semiya Upma

For making it more nutritious, we can add finely chopped veggies while making the savory Upma version. For the sweet version, I usually add unrefined organic coconut sugar, but we can also add organic jaggery powder or unrefined cane sugar.

Ingredients:

• Ragi Semiya / Ragi Vermicelli - 3 cups
• Water - as needed

For the sweet version:

• Fresh Coconut, grated - 3-4 Tbsp
• Coconut Sugar / Unrefined Sugar - 1 Tbsp (Use as per taste)
• Cardamom powder - a pinch
• Ghee - 1 tsp (Optional)
• Cashews - few pieces (Optional)

For the savory version:

• Cooking Oil - 1/2 Tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Channa dal - 1 tsp
• Urad dal, split - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Small Onions / Sambar Onions - 5-6 nos, halved
• Green chillies - 1-2 nos, halved
• Mixed veggies like finely chopped carrot, green peas (Optional)
• Salt - to taste

Semiya Briyani (Vermicelli Briyani)

Category: Breakfast / Dinner
Preparation Time: 15 mins  
Cooking Time: Around 30 mins
Servings: 2-3 Servings

Semiya Briyani

Ingredients:

• Semiya/ Vermicelli- 1 1/2 cup (I used the pre-roasted variety)
• Mixed Veggies, finely chopped - 1 1/2-2 cups*
• Onion, thinly sliced - 1 no
• Green chilly, slitted - 1 no (Optional)
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Ripe Tomato, chopped - 1 no
• Mint leaves, chopped - handful
• Coriander leaves, chopped - handful
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - Around 2 1/2 - 3 cups
• Roasted Cashews, broken - as needed (Optional)

For Tempering:

• Oil - 1/2 tbsp
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Cinnamon - 1 small stick
• Cloves - 2 nos
• Cumin / Shah Jeera -1/2 tsp

To Powder: (Can be replaced with Briyani Masala Powder)

• Cinnamon - a small piece
• Cloves - 3 nos
• Cardamom seeds - 4-5 seeds
• Star anise - 1-2 petals
• Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Mace - a very small strand
• Nutmeg, grated - a pinch
• Red chilly - 1 no

Method:

1. I have used the roasted semiya, if we are using the non-roasted variety, we need to roast them in little ghee till it turns golden brown
2. Add the ingredients mentioned under powdering into a blender and grind it into a fine powder; we can also sieve it if needed
   
3. Heat Oil in a pan, add Bay leaf, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamon and Mace strand; fry for 30 secs
   
4. Add the sliced onion with a pinch of salt and saute well until it turns golden brown. If using green chilly we can add now and fry for 1-2 mins
   
5. Add Ginger-Garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes off
   
6. Add chopped tomato and saute until it turns mushy
   
7. Add in the chopped veggies and saute for 5-6 mins till they get half cooked
   
8. Add chopped coriander and mint leaves and saute for a min
   
9. Add turmeric powder and around 1 tsp of ground powder (We can adjust as per liking and spice level, if making for kids we can reduce the amount to 1 tsp) and saute for 2 mins
   
10. Add around 2 1/2 to 3 cups of water and bring to boil, Add required salt
    
11. Once it starts to boil well, add in the roasted semiya and cook covered in medium flame
    
12. Once the water gets evaporated and semiya gets cooked, give a gentle mix and allow to sit in low flame for 5-6 mins
    
    
    
    
13. Switch it off and garnish with  roasted cashews
    
14. Fluff it up and serve hot!
    

Semiya Vegetable Pulao (Vermicelli Pulao)

Category: Breakfast / Dinner
Preparation Time: 10 mins  
Cooking Time: Around 30 mins
Servings: 2 Servings

Semiya Vegetable Pulao

Ingredients:

• Semiya/ Vermicelli- 1 cup (I used the pre-roasted variety)
• Mixed Veggies, finely chopped - 2 cups*
• Coconut, fresh grated - 1/3 cup tightly packed
• Onion, finely sliced - 1 no
• Green chilly, slitted - 1 no (Optional)
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Pav Bhaji Masala - 1 tsp**
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tsp+ 1 tsp
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Cinnamon - 1 small stick
• Cloves - 2 nos
• Cardamon - 1 no
• Star anise - 1 no
• Mace - 1 strand
• Salt - to taste
• Water - as required
• Cashews, broken - few (for garnishing)

*Mixed Veggies - I used Orange&White Carrots, Beans, Cauliflower florets and sweet corn

** Masala Powders - I have used home made Pav Bhaji Masala, since its already spicy I had not added green chillies; we can also use pulao masala / just Garam Masala according to our taste

Method:

1. I have used the roasted semiya, if we are using the non-roasted variety, we need to roast them in little ghee till it turns golden brown
   
2. Finely chop the veggies and keep it ready
   
3. Take the coconut in a blender/ mixie, add required water and grind to a smooth paste. Using strainer, extract the coconut milk. We can grind and strain the extract 2-3 times until we extract all the liquid. Make sure the extract comes to about 2 cups
4. Heat Oil and 1 tsp of Ghee in a pan, add Bay leaf, Star anise, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamon and Mace strand; fry for 30 secs
   
5. Add the sliced onion, sprinkle a pinch of salt, saute till it becomes golden brown. If using green chilly, we can add now
   
6. Add the Ginger-Garlic paste and saute well for 3-4 mins in medium flame
   
7. Add the finely chopped veggies and saute well for 5 mins
   
8. Add salt and around 1/3 cup of water to the veggies; cover and cook for few mins till it becomes soft
   
9. Now add the Pav Bhaji Masala / any Spice powder of our choice, mix well
   
10. Add around 2 cups of coconut milk extract to it and check for salt
    
11. Keep the flame low and once it starts to boil, add the roasted semiya / vermicelli to it, mix well and allow to cook till all liquids gets absorbed
    
12. In another small pan, heat 1 tsp of Ghee and roast the cashews till golden brown
    
13. Once the Semiya gets cooked, add the cashews over it
    
14. Serve hot!
    

Semiya Payasam with Condensed Milk

Category: Indian Sweets / Desserts
Preparation Time: 5 mins 
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Servings: For 4-5 persons

I am excited to post this easy sweet recipe as my 100th Post!!!! This is very easy one and Since we used condensed milk, it would be creamy and delicious. Also we can adjust the quantity of condensed milk as per the required sweetness. We can also prepare it with plain milk if we didn't have condensed milk in hand. In such case, milk needs to boil well till it gets reduced a bit to attain the creamy texture. If we don't like creamier version, we can cook the semiya separately in water and then add the cooked semiya to the milk.

Semiya Payasam - So Creamy!!

Ingredients:

• Semiya/ Vermicelli- 1 cup (I used the pre-roasted variety)
• Milk, (Preferably Full Cream) - 4 cups
• Condensed milk - 1 can
• Cardamon seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Cashews, chopped -2-3 tbsp
• Almonds, chopped - 2-3 tbsp
• Raisins - 8-10 nos

Method:

1. I have used roasted semiya, if we are using the non-roasted variety, we need to roast them in little ghee till it turns golden brown
2. In a large vessel, add milk and allow to boil for 5 mins in medium flame
   
3. Add the roasted semiya along with the cardamom seeds and allow them to cook in milk itself
   
4. Once the semiya gets well cooked, reduce the flame to low and mix well
   
5. Add in the condensed milk, mix well (I realized I should have used big vessel)
   
   
6. Allow to simmer for 5-7 mins
   
7. In a small pan, add the ghee and roast the chopped nuts and raisins and keep it ready
8. Add the roasted nuts and raisins to the payasam and switch it off
   
9. Payasam will gets thickened as it cools down, we can add warm milk if required while serving 
10. Serve warm / chilled!