Vermicelli Types in India and Their Recipes

Talk of Indian breakfast and talk of vermicelli. They go pan-in-pan. 

Vermicelli has been used for a long time across India as a breakfast ingredient. It is delicious it is nutritious, and it is wholesome. There are numerous stories around it that our dadis and nanis cooked along with it. But today, the story is a bit different.

Today, numerous types of vermicelli are available on the market. All credit to the developing needs and growing technology. And these different vermicelli types might confuse you even more. Which should you buy? Which one is a healthier option? What are some other ways of cooking these? Don’t worry! We’ll answer everything here for you. 

Different Types of Vermicelli in India

Chances are, you might be aware of only one type of vermicelli today: Wheat-semolina-based vermicelli. However, the market has expanded the buffet in order to cater to different tongues. 

Today, there are at least 4 different types of vermicelli available in India:

1. Wheat/ Wheat-semolina (Suji) Vermicelli
2. Whole Wheat Vermicelli (Made using whole wheat flour)
3. Plain vermicelli (Made using refined flour/maida)
4. Rice Vermicelli
5. Millet Vermicelli

All these types differ in terms of taste, quality, and nutrition. 

Also, in these three types of vermicelli, you’ll usually find two sub-categories:

• Roasted
• Unroasted

Not just this, vermicelli might also differ in terms of shape such as:

• Short, 1-inch thin pieces
• Long coiled vermicelli
• Long straight, noodle-like vermicelli

Make sure you don’t confuse vermicelli with noodles, which will usually be thicker in shape and different in taste. Vermicelli are not noodles! 

Now, the question that makes many scratch their heads – which vermicelli type is best?

Which Type Of Vermicelli Is The Best?

Deciding which vermicelli is best and to coronate it depends on several factors. It’s a matter of taste, texture, individual preference, and nutrition.

In terms of nutrition and salubrity, the vermicelli made using refined flour (maida) is a BIG NO! Maida is utterly harmful to our health because

• It contains no fibre at all
• All its vitamins and minerals get stripped away in the refining process
• It has a high glycaemic index and can cause huge spikes in blood sugar
• It can cause inflammation in the body ^[1]
• It is sticky, which can cause digestive problems and ruin your health

But still, if you have a recipe that pushes you to use refined flour-based vermicelli, it is alright to put it into the ‘exception bag’ once a month. 

Apart from that, among the rest of the three vermicelli, which are wheat-semolina, rice, and millet, the best depends on the needs. 

Nutrition-wise, millet vermicelli might surpass others because millet is nutritionally better. But its taste might not tempt many. Rice vermicelli and wheat-semolina vermicelli taste great and are nutritionally good, too, with wheat-semolina having the upper hand. 

Wheat-semolina vermicelli is the most common type of vermicelli that is consumed across India. It has a rich nutritional profile and offers numerous benefits too. For example, it offers plenty of fibre, a high amount of protein, cholesterol-free nutrition, etc. 

Now, let’s skip the wait, turn on the stove, and start cooking some delicious vermicelli recipes. 

Vermicelli Recipes – That Will Make You Lick Your Fingers 

The recipes stated here can use any type of vermicelli. If you like rice, go with rice; if you are a bit health-conscious and want to go for either millet or wheat-semolina, you have your free will. The kitchen is yours. 

So, let’s start our vermicelli recipes, first with some salted ones.

1. Vermicelli Uppit (Semiya Upma)

This recipe resides in the core of Indian hearts. It is one of the recipes that first sweep our minds when we think of vermicelli. Not only does it taste great and make us nostalgic, but it also is nutritious and healthier.

Ingredients:

For 2-3 people

• 1 cup Aashirvaad wheat vermicelli
• Oil of choice – mustard, olive, etc.
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 onion – chopped
• 1 tomato – chopped
• Vegetables of choice – carrot, capsicum, peas, etc. – chopped
• 2-3 green chillies – finely chopped
• 1 twig of curry leaves
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
• Salt – as per taste
• 1 tsp lemon juice 
• Pinch of hing

Recipe:

The recipe starts by roasting the vermicelli until golden brown. You may also buy roasted vermicelli, but freshly roasted vermicelli tastes much better. 

• Take a pan, keep the flame medium, and dry roast vermicelli for 3-4 minutes until you smell that tempting aroma and the colour is golden golden-brown (keep stirring, or the vermicelli will get burnt)
• Remove the roasted vermicelli, add oil to it, wait for it to get hot, add hing, add mustard seeds and curry leaves, and wait for them to crackle. Cover the lid to prevent the crackle from spreading around.
• Add chopped onion and green chilies to it and saute for 2-3 minutes
• Now, add all the chopped veggies, some salt, and any spice of choice, and saute for another 2-4 minutes
• Add water, cover the lid, and leave for 1-2 minutes for veggies to get properly cooked
• Remove the lid, add your roasted vermicelli to it, and add 1-2 cups of water to it until you are not able to see the vermicelli
• Cook for 6-8 minutes and keep stirring in between to ensure it gets evenly cooked
• Check with a spoon if the vermicelli is cooked. Leave some water if you love a soupy texture
• Garnish it with chopped coriander

Serve the cooked vermicelli upma steaming hot in a bowl accompanied with curd or coconut chutney. You are going to love it. 

Remember: The vermicelli tends to get hard after some time, so leave some water at the end to compensate for this. Also, always adjust the salt at the end when there is still some water left. 

2. Sheer Kurma (The Soul of Eid)

Sheer kurma fuels the soul of every Eid with its sweet taste and creamy texture. This dish uses lots of milk, dry fruits, sweetness, and love. Although each home has its own traditional sheer kurma recipe, we’ve tried giving it a traditional touch. 

Ingredients:

Serves 4-6 people

• 1 ½ tablespoon ghee
• Aashirvaad Roasted Wheat Vermicelli (50 grams)
• 2 tablespoons each (chopped) – almond, pistachio, cashew, melon seeds, or other dry fruit of choice
• 1-2 tablespoons of raisins
• 2 tablespoons sliced dry dates
• 1 tablespoon chironji
• 4-5 cups full-fat milk
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
• ½ teaspoon saffron
• ¼ the cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon rose water

Recipe:

• Take a broad pan, put ghee, and heat it on medium flame
• Add almond slivers, cashew slivers, and pistachio slivers. Sauté for 1 minute
• Now, add chirongi seeds and dates. Sauté for another minute on medium flame 
• It is not time to add vermicelli. Once added, sauté for 3 minutes
• Set the vermicelli mix aside to cool completely
• Take another pan, a deep one, and boil milk in it 
• Add sugar and saffron to the boiling milk
• Keep cherishing the aroma invoking your interiors
• Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes and let the milk get a bit thicker. 
• Now, add the vermicelli mixture, cardamom powder, and raisins, and cook for another 8-10 minutes.
• Add rose water to it
• Keep stirring it and see if the vermicelli is cooked

Check for the sugar and adjust it accordingly. If the sugar has unintentionally gone up, compensate by adding some more milk and some freshly roasted vermicelly. This will save your dish. 

• Leave some milk as vermicelli will keep soaking it even after getting cooked. It might get thicker. 

Turn off the heat and serve the delicious heart-warming sheer kurma in a bowl. Cherish! If you want to add more taste to it in summer, keep it inside the refrigerator and eat it in cold form. You are going to love it!

3. Indian-Style Vegetable Stir-Fry Vermicelli with Paneer 

If you ever get bored of cooking vermicelli, this recipe is for you. It is quick; it is flavorful; and it is full of protein. This vermicelli recipe uses homemade sauce. We’ll be using paneer here. If you are lactose intolerant, give tofu a try. 

Ingredients:

• Stir-Fry Sauce:
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce 
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce (optional – for colour)
  • 1½ tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp jaggery powder (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp oil of choice
  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated
  • 1-2 tsp green chilli paste, adjust to taste
• Noodles:
  • 3 spring onions 
  • ½ bell pepper 
  • 1 cob corn
  • 150 g green beans
  • 3 tsp oil of choice
  • 100 g rice vermicelli noodles (you may use any other)
  • Chopped coriander for garnishing (optional)
• Optional Paneer:
  • 300 g firm paneer, cubed
  • 1½ tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp oil

Recipe:

We’ll first prepare the sauce, then paneer, then vegetables, and then the whole dish.

• To make the sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a jar, shake well, and set aside.

• Now, it is time to prepare the Paneer. Cut paneer into small cubes, marinate in a mixture of soy sauce and oil for at least 1 hour, then heat a pan with a little oil, and pan-fry the paneer cubes until golden brown on all sides. Set aside.
• Now, prepare the vegetables by cutting the white and light green parts of spring onions into ½ inch segments, thinly slicing the pepper, shaving the corn kernels, and trimming and chopping the green beans into ¾ inch pieces.
• Heat oil in a wok or large pan, turn the heat high, add the beans, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes; add the pepper, corn, and spring onion segments and keep stirring constantly for another 2-3 minutes until vegetables are slightly softened and charred in some spots. Remove vegetables and set aside.
• Cook the Noodles by pouring 360 ml (1½ cups) of water (or vegetable stock) into the wok and bringing it to a boil. Add the rice vermicelli noodles and cook as per the instructions given on the label. Stir occasionally until softened but not overly mushy.
• Stir the sauce into the cooked noodles, add the stir-fried vegetables back to the pan along with the paneer, and toss everything together to heat through.

Serve the freshly made other-worldly Indian-style vegetable stir-fry vermicelli with paneer after garnishing it with coriander. 

4. Mango Vermicelli

This recipe is prepared using the sheer kurma recipe. Follow the sheer kurma recipe and then follow these steps to add that mango zest.

Once you’ve made the sheer kurma, set it aside to cool down and prepare the mango pulp.

To make the mango pulp, take 4-5 mangoes, peel them, chop them, and blend them to a fine taste. 

Now, once the vermicelli or sheer kurma is completely cooled, add 5 tablespoons of mango pulp to it and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before eating. Use Aashirvaad Roasted Wheat Vermicelli for this recipe for best results.

At the time of serving, add some chopped mango slices on top and serve it chilled.

The Bottom Line

So, that’s the vermicelli story in a nutshell! From a quick breakfast to a festive showstopper, there’s a vermicelli recipe for every occasion. 

Using vermicelli, you can make something as savoury as sevai upma, stir-fried paneer vegetable vermicelli, etc., and as sweet as sheer kurma, mango vermicelli, etc. The cookbook goes as far goes the craving and the creativity. And don’t be afraid to experiment with different flours and flavours to find your favourite vermicelli dish. 

With a little planning and these recipes as your guide, you can whip up a delightful vermicelli meal in no time. Now, get ready to slurp your way to vermicelli bliss!

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