Savoury Vermicelli with Ghee: Choosing the Right Water Method

By Faimly Farm · 16 October 2026

To make savoury vermicelli with ghee, cook the vermicelli according to its packet, drain if instructed, then fold it through a separately cooked vegetable tempering. This approach avoids assuming that fine wheat seviyan, thicker vermicelli and rice noodles all absorb the same amount of water.

This is a savoury breakfast for two, not a milk pudding. Allow about 25 minutes. Choose plain wheat vermicelli whose pack gives a boiling-and-draining method; if yours requires absorption cooking, follow that method separately before combining.

Ingredients

• 100 g plain wheat vermicelli
• 10 g ghee
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 50 g carrot, cut into very small cubes
• 50 g peas
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon grated ginger
• 6 curry leaves, washed and dried, optional
• Salt, lemon juice and coriander to taste

Wheat vermicelli contains wheat, and ghee is milk-derived. Check the packet rather than assuming all products called seviyan have the same ingredients.

Cook the two parts separately

1. Measure the ingredients and prepare a colander before starting. Cook the vermicelli using its packet's water quantity and timing. Begin checking near the stated minimum time; stop when cooked but not falling apart.
2. Drain promptly if directed. Avoid leaving the cooked strands sitting in their hot cooking water while you prepare the vegetables.
3. Warm the ghee in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Add mustard seeds, then the dried curry leaves carefully. Add onion and ginger and cook until the onion softens.
4. Add carrot with a small splash of water. Cover briefly until nearly tender, then add peas and cook fully, following the pack instructions if frozen.
5. Let excess water evaporate before adding the vermicelli. Fold gently with a broad spoon until evenly combined and hot. Season, remove from the heat and add lemon and coriander.

Separate strands need gentle handling

The aim is a loose, moist breakfast, not perfectly isolated dry strands. Vigorous stirring can break fine vermicelli. Use a lifting-and-folding motion and a pan large enough to turn the mixture without crushing it. If the vegetables are still wet, reduce that moisture before combining rather than cooking the noodles longer afterward.

For a first attempt, record the brand-independent details that matter: wheat or rice, strand thickness, packet method and actual cooking time. These notes are more useful than a universal “one cup to two cups” rule.

Frequently asked questions

Why does vermicelli upma become mushy?

Overcooking, standing in hot water and vigorous mixing can all contribute. Drain promptly where instructed and fold gently.

Should I roast pre-roasted vermicelli again?

Follow the packet. Pre-roasted vermicelli does not automatically need another long roasting stage.

Can I use rice vermicelli?

Yes, with its own soaking or cooking instructions. Do not use the wheat-vermicelli timing unchanged.

Related Faimly Farm cooking guides

Start with our complete guide to cooking with A2 ghee. For related preparations, read Vegetable Upma with Ghee: A Small-Batch Breakfast and Ghee-Toasted Oats: A Savoury Breakfast Method.

For a ready-made cooking ingredient, view Faimly Farm Organica A2 Cow Ghee Bilona Churned. Check the current pack label for ingredients and storage directions; this recipe does not depend on an A2 sourcing claim.

Prepared with AI assistance. Not independently kitchen-tested by Faimly Farm: use the cooking cues and adjust for your ingredients and equipment. Featured banner: AI-generated editorial illustration, not a photograph of a tested recipe.