LEMON VERMICELLI / LEMON SEVAI

         Sevai is the most easiest tiffins now a days. That too with the instant sevais coming up. We just soak them in hot water and do the necessary tempering. But once in a while when we are out of the instant varieties, we can still prepare the sevai with the original vermicelli also. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients :

(Serves two)

Roasted Vermicelli (Anil or Bambino) – 150gms(close to 2 cups)

Water – 5 cups

Oil – 2tsp

Peanuts – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1tsp

Chana dal – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1tsp
Red chillies - 3

Lemon Juice – 2tsp

Curry leaves/Cilantro for garnish

Method :

1. Add the vermicelli in a deep bottomed dish with 5 cups of water. Add salt and turmeric to the water itself.
2. As soon as water starts boiling and the semiya tends to keep jumping from bottom. Now drain out the water. Be careful that it should not get overcooked. This step takes 7 – 8 mins only.
3. Now let the vermicelli cool down.
4. Now add oil in a wide pan and add mustard seeds. After they pop, add peanuts, chana dal and urad dal. Now add red chillies. Fry them for a minute.
5. Add the cooked vermicelli and curry leaves or cilantro as per taste.
6. Toss them for a little while and switch off the stove. Now add lemon juice.
7. Serve it with chutney or sambar.

My Notes :

• Check the cooking instructions on the packet. Sometimes it would be specified to cook only for 3 or 4 minutes. Follow accordingly.
•  You can also used this cooked semiya for vegetable sevai or coconut sevai as well.
• While cooking vermicelli, see that you remove it form the stove before it is sticky. This doesn't really need oil. It just needs the correct time.
• I prefer the Anil brand as it is very thin and gets cooked very soon.