Semiya Biryani | Vermicelli Puloa/Pulav

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A quick and flavorful biryani or pulao prepared with Vermicelli or Semiya. This is an easy one pot meal that can be prepared during weekdays and also a perfect lunch box recipe. I pretty much prepared this like my chettinadu biryani but went with less veggies and regular onions instead of shallots.

Upma will be in my menu during weekdays as it is super easy to prepare during weekdays. I alternate between Rava Kichadi, Cracked Wheat Upma, Arisi Upma, regular upma, Semiya upma and this biryani. I usually prepare them on busy days and we gobble it right away. So I couldn’t click and post them at all. Blogging Marathon helped me to post Rava Kichadi and Wheat Upma and Arisi Upma. One fine Sunday, when M prepared his version of Semiya upma, I clicked and posted that too. Every now and then M and vaandu audit my blog. (Vaandu know my URL and sometimes checks in phone) That’s when M was asking about this semiya biryani recipe.  Finally clicked and added couple of weeks ago. But as the BM posts came in between this got postponed and finally here it is. I need to post my regular rava upma too. :-) (Coming soon)

This recipe is one of the staple recipes in our household.  I have tried many variations like with and without ginger garlic paste, with and without dagad phool powder, with and without red chili powder and with and without roasting semiya and of course adjusting the vegetables. The dry masala that I don’t skip is coriander powder and also I grate carrot as it cooks faster.

If you roast the semiya, you get nice and fluffy and non-sticky vermicelli. Just onions and mushrooms are good enough for this biryani. Without any delay, here is my semiya biryani,

Ingredients:

• Roasted Semiya – 2 cups
• Chopped Onion – 1 cup
• Chopped Cilantro and Mint Leaves – 1 cup (tightly packed)
• Carrot – 1 (Grated)
• Green Chillies – 2
• Potato – 1 (chopped)
• Green Peas – 1/2 cup
• Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tsp
• Yogurt – 1 tbsp
• Water – 3 cups
• Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece
• Star Anise – 1
• Dagad Phool / Black Stone Flower / Kalpaasi – 1 small piece
• Fennel Seeds – 2 tsps
• Bay leaf – 1
• Cardamom – 2
• Cloves – 3
• Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
• Paprika / Red Chilly Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 1 tsp heaped
• Oil – 1 tsp

Prep-Work

• Chop the veggies and set aside.
• I usually grate the carrot as it cooks faster.
• Roast the semiya if required.
• Slit the green chillies and set aside.

Steps:

• In a heavy bottom pan or kadai, add oil.
• Once the oil is hot add the fennel seeds and roast for 30 secs.
• Now add the cinnamon, star anise, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom and black stone flower.
• Let all the spices fry for about 30 seconds.
• Add the slit green chillies and onion and cook until the onion turns translucent.
• Then add the chopped cilantro, mint leaves and also ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smell goes, for about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Now add the veggies (carrot, peas and potatoes), red chilly powder, coriander powder and salt.
• Mix well and let it cook for 3 minutes.
• Now add 3 cups of water and yogurt and mix well. Check for salt at this stage and if required adjust the spices and salt.

• As the water starts to boil, add the roasted semiya and keep stirring when you add the semiya.
• Let it cook until 3/4 of the water is evaporated.
• Reduce the heat to low and cover and cook for 3 minutes and turn off the heat.
• Let it rest for sometime (about 5 minutes or so) and separate it with fork and that’s it.

Yummy Semiya Biryani is ready. Serve hot with raita.

Notes:

• As I mentioned above I have tried this recipe with and without ginger garlic paste and red chilly powder and also dagad phool powder. Adjust these ingredients, salt and spice according to your preference.
• I usually add water in the ratio of 1:1.5. For 1 cup of semiya, I add 1.5 cups of water.
• If you are doing this pressure cooker, 1 cup of water is sufficient.
• This biryani can be prepared just with mushrooms also.

Semiya Biryani | Vermicelli Puloa/Pulav

A quick and flavorful biryani or pulao prepared with Vermicelli or Semiya. This is an easy one pot meal that can be prepared during weekdays and also a perfect lunch box recipe.

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Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

Author: Srividhya G

Ingredients

• Roasted Semiya - 2 cups
• Chopped Onion - 1 cup
• Chopped Cilantro and Mint Leaves - 1 cup tightly packed
• Carrot - 1 Grated
• Green Chillies - 2
• Potato - 1 chopped
• Green Peas - 1/2 cup
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Yogurt - 1 tbsp
• Water - 3 cups
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
• Star Anise - 1
• Dagad Phool / Black Stone Flower / Kalpaasi - 1 small piece
• Fennel Seeds - 2 tsps
• Bay leaf - 1
• Cardamom - 2
• Cloves - 3
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Paprika / Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp heaped
• Oil - 1 tsp

Instructions

• Prep-Work
• Chop the veggies and set aside.
• I usually grate the carrot as it cooks faster.
• Roast the semiya if required.
• Slit the green chillies and set aside.

Steps

• In a heavy bottom pan or kadai, add oil.
• Once the oil is hot add the fennel seeds and roast for 30 secs.
• Now add the cinnamon, star anise, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom and black stone flower.
• Let all the spices fry for about 30 seconds.
• Add the slit green chillies and onion and cook until the onion turns translucent.
• Then add the chopped cilantro, mint leaves and also ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smell goes, for about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Now add the veggies (carrot, peas and potatoes), red chilly powder, coriander powder and salt.
• Mix well and let it cook for 3 minutes.
• Now add 3 cups of water and yogurt and mix well. Check for salt at this stage and if required adjust the spices and salt.
• As the water starts to boil, add the roasted semiya and keep stirring when you add the semiya.
• Let it cook until 3/4 of the water is evaporated.
• Reduce the heat to low and cover and cook for 3 minutes and turn off the heat.
• Let it rest for sometime (about 5 minutes or so) and separate it with fork and that’s it.
• Yummy Semiya Biryani is ready. Serve hot with raita.

Notes

As I mentioned above I have tried this recipe with and without ginger garlic paste and red chilly powder and also dagad phool powder. Adjust these ingredients, salt and spice according to your preference.
I usually add water in the ratio of 1:1.5. For 1 cup of semiya, I add 1.5 cups of water.
If you are doing this pressure cooker, 1 cup of water is sufficient.
This biryani can be prepared just with mushrooms also.

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