This savoury seviyan is a vegan breakfast recipe without onion or garlic. Seviyan or vermicelli upma is quick to prepare and is a deliciously mild and filling meal. This upma is Gujarati-style and has really fresh sweet and sour flavours.

What is Upma?
Upma is an Indian dish commonly eaten at breakfast. It is commonly made with dry-roasted semolina and then cooked with various spices and sometimes vegetables. Murmura upma can also be made with puffed rice.
Seviyan or semiya upma uses the same idea but is made with vermicelli.
Vermicelli is often used to make Meethi Seviyan without milk and Vermicelli Kheer with milk and is typically served during festivities.
Ingredients
In this recipe, pasta or vermicelli are boiled before adding in potato, sweetcorn and basic spices, Gujarati style.

1. Vermicelli/Capellini/Angel hair pasta
2. Potato - slice the potatoes thinly so that they cook evenly and quickly
3. Sweetcorn - you can use frozen, fresh or tinned sweetcorn
4. Green chillies and ginger crushed - use fresh or frozen
5. Turmeric powder - adds a little colour but you can also skip this if you do not have it
6. Curry leaves - fresh, dried or frozen although fresh lends beautiful flavours and aroma.
7. Lemon juice - adds a little tanginess and fresh flavours
8. Sugar - a little touch of sweetness makes this dish typically Gujarati in flavour
9. Mustard and Cumin seeds - for tempering
10. Oil - use a flavourless oil such as vegetable or sunflower oil or a light olive oil
11. Asafoetida (hing)
12. Coriander leaves - to serve with. You can leave this step out if you do not have fresh coriander
How to prevent vermicelli clumping together
Here is our tried and tested way to cook vermicelli the best way without clumping and sticking and thus making it easier to stir and serve.
-add some oil while boiling the vermicelli.
-blanch in cold water and mix it with a tablespoon of oil.
How to make Seviyan Vermicelli Upma step by step
(Follow this step by step instructions, full printable recipe card with the exact measurement is at the bottom of this post)
1. Heat water, add oil. (pic 1)
2. Add pasta and cook for 4-5 minutes. (pic2)
3. Cut it, drain the water and leave it aside. (pic 3)
4. Heat oil.

5. Add all the seeds and curry leaves. (pic 5)
6. Add potatoes, turmeric powder and cook for 203 minutes (pic 6)
7. Tip in sweetcorn and salt, cook for another 2-3 minutes or until done. (pic 7)
8. Add crushed ginger-chilli and mix. (pic 8)

9. Cooked pasta, mix well. (pic 9)
10. Salt and sugar to taste. (pic 10)
11. Lemon juice. (pic 11)
12. Coriander leaves and serve.
How to store Seviyan Upma
Fridge - this will stay fresh for up to ⅔ days in the fridge. To re-heat simply sprinkle a few drops of water to loosen up the vermicelli and either heat on the stove or in the microwave.
Freezer - I do not recommend freezing this recipe as the potato will lose its texture.

Serving suggestions
Pair it with Karak or Masala Chai, Caramel Lassi or Hibiscus Rose and Basil Sharbat.
Other breakfast recipes and snacks:
4. Yogurt & Herb Summer sandwich
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Seviyan Vermicelli Upma
Ingredients
- 400 gram angel hair pasta or capellini pasta
- 150 gram potato peeled and sliced
- 100 gram sweetcorn kernels we used frozen
- 2 tablespoon green chilli and ginger crushed
- 3-4 tablespoon oil
- 3-4 curry leaves we used frozen
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon cilantro coriander freshly chopped
Instructions
- Heat water, add pasta and oil.
- Boil the pasta according to packet instruction or 3-4 minutes.
- Drain it and leave it aside for later.
- In a heavy bottom pan heat oil.
- Add mustard seeds, cumin and sesame seeds.
- Once they splutter add curry leaves.
- Add cut potatoes and add turmeric powder.
- Cook potatoes for a couple of minutes.
- Add sweetcorn, ginger-chilli and salt. (just enough for the potato and sweetcorn)
- Cook until potatoes are done (about 5 minutes.)
- Turn the heat on low, add cooked pasta.
- Gently mix, add salt and sugar.
- Mix again and add lemon juice.
- Sprinkle coriander and serve hot.
Video
Notes
If you feel like adding onion, add before potatoes and cook for a couple of minutes.
You may add some other vegetables such as green peas, or french beans.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Share on Facebook Pin This RecipeNote - this post was originally posted on 12th March 2012, since we have updated the post with new and better images and content.





Archana says
Love it
anjana says
nice and delicious upma...clicks are super inviting..
Shabitha Karthikeyan says
My favorite bfast !! But never made it in recent times !! Looks so homey and yummy.
Mary Bergfeld says
This looks delicious. I'll have a hard time finding curry leaves but I think I can work around it.I hopeyou have a great day. Blessings...Mary
Unknown says
Yumm and comforting....love vermicelli