Shavige Uppit, also known as Vermicelli Upma, is a popular South Indian breakfast dish made from roasted vermicelli noodles. It’s cooked with a blend of spices, vegetables like onions, carrots, beans, and peas, and garnished with fresh coconut and cilantro. However, I prefer to make this dish with just onions, since adding the other vegetables overpowers the toastiness of roasted vermicelli. It also comes together a lot faster with fewer vegetables to prep. The dish is flavored with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and red chilies, giving it a subtle, aromatic heat.
Light and filling, Shavige Uppit is a favorite meal at our house when we just want something simple to eat for brunch, or a late dinner after a long road trip of flight back home. Serve it with some tangy Indian pickles, potato chips, or plain yogurt.
Shavige Uppit
Ingredients
- 2 cups Roasted vermicelli preferably Bambino brand from an Indian store
- 1 tsp Black mustard seeds
- 1 small Onion diced finely
- 2 Dried red chilis preferably Byadagi variety, torn into pieces
- 1 tsp Urad dal
- 8-10 Curry leaves
- 2 tbsp Chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp Vegetable or Canola oil
- 3/4 tsp Salt or to taste
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tbsp Fresh grated coconut fresh or frozen
- 1 tsp Ghee optional
Instructions
- Heat the water in a kettle or in the microwave until it is close to boiling hot
- Meanwhile, heat a heavy bottomed saucepan and add the oil
- Once the oil is heated, add the mustard seeds and cover until the seeds pop. When the mustard finishes popping , lower the fire and add urad dal, curry leaves and chilis. Give a quick stir and wait a minute until the dal turns golden.
- Add the chopped onions and salt. Cook while stirring frequently until the onions turn translucent.
- Next, add the vermicelli. Stir everything together for a few seconds until the onions are evenly distributed.
- Add the hot water carefully and stir immediately to break up any lumps. Cook the uppit over low to medium fire until the water is fully absorbed. Avoid stirring too much at this stage. Once all the water is absorbed, adjust the salt if needed and turn off the fire.
- Cover the saucepan and rest the uppit for 5 minutes. This will allow the vermicelli to finish cooking in the residual heat and fluff up a bit.
- Uncover the saucepan, add the ghee, if using, and fluff up the uppit with a spatula. Garnish with fresh grated coconut, and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.