Lemon Sevai / Elumichai Sevai
Lemon sevai is a Gluten Free Rice String hoppers seasoned with spices, salt and lemon. Served for breakfast / snack
Sevai in tamil refers to string hoppers or thin noodles made with mostly rice, although millets and ragi (finger millet) sevai also has been around for a long time. These are light breakfast or tiffins (palaharam / supper) eaten in Tamilnadu homes. The sevai can be made from scratch or can be prepared from store bought Rice noodles too.
Sevai or Vermicelli upma is a favourite evening snack and we all love to have it for breakfast even. Quick to make and takes very little oil, you can add as much any vegetables to this to make it healthy too - like peas, carrots, capsicum.. The punch however comes with a drizzle of lemon juice added just before serving. While I like Ragi Sevai (finger millter sting hoppers) or any Upma with very little lemon, this is surely one dish which can do with a reasonable amount of Lemon. Serve it for either snack or breakfast, and you are surely to love this.
Sevai vs. Idiyappam vs. Vermicelli
Sevai as referred to earlier can be made with either millets or rice, whereas Idiyappam is made with a processed rice flour. Vermicelli is the generic name for these noodles while also referring to the hard semolina / durum wheat based noodles that are used in Kheer / Sheer Kurma/ Upma.
What other flavours of Sevai can be made apart from Lemon Sevai?
Sevai can be made in Tamarind base, Coconut, Tomato base usually. Lemon Sevai is however one of the popular ones. This can be made simply with just lemons, or veggies and / or onions added. All 3 variations are a winner.
Did you know about the story of Vermicelli / Sevai ?
Spanning across many regions of the world, the thin noodles have so many variations that self-anointed purists would only be left scratching their heads. In fact, there are no clear answers even to where the story of the worm-like strands began. In Italy, as the Tuscan name suggests? Or, in China as countless Marco Polo stories would suggest. Vermicelli is of course pervasive today all over south-east Asia, in west Asia and in the Indian subcontinent too apart from its two big outposts, Italy and China.Tracing these various versions of the noodle across the world is not just a fun exercise but also quite instructive: There can be no boundaries and no snobbery in the world of food.We can only conjecture that the vermicelli made its way into India through trade with the Arab world that connected the west with the east for so many hundred years; as a result imbibing within its fold so many culinary treasures. (source - NDTV food)
What is served with Sevai?
Usually, coconut chutney is very popular with this, and sometimes as it's spicy on its own we skip the chutney too. But at home, we love it with Kothamalli -Thengai Chutney (Cilantro+coconut chutney). If you need more options of Chutney to serve with Sevai or any other breakfast, head to this collection of 20+ easy chutney varieties that you can make in a jiffy.
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Lemon Veg Sevai - let's get cracking
Prep time : 10 mins | Cook time : 15 mins | Serves : 3
Serving Suggestions : Plain chilled yoghurt or Coconut Chutney
Ingredients:
- Rice Sevai - 200 gms (I used Double Horse Brand)
- Oil - 2 tsp
- Veggies - capsicum & carrot - minced fine
- Onions - 1 large (minced fine)
- Turmeric - ½ tsp
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp
- Chillies - 2 (minced)
- Grated coconut - 2 tsp
- Tempering : mustard seeds, curry leaves, Red chillies (1 no), coriander leaves, Urad dal (½ tsp)
- Salt - 1 tsp
Method:
- Steam the sevai as per packet instructions
- Steam the veggies, and prep the onions (if using) and proceed with the next steps as indicated in the video below
TIPS to make a NON STICKY / NON CLUMPY LEMON SEVAI
- I have used store bought Rice Vermicelli
- You can make your own Sevai at home from scratch too.
- Be sure to follow packet instructions to make the sevai, cool it thoroughly and then use it. Else the Upma will be too sticky. You can spread the cooked sevai in a flat plate to cool down quickly.
- Cooking time for the plain sevai depends on the brand. So, be sure to read the packet instructions carefully.
- Additional addons for the sevai are : roasted peanuts, fresh peas, cabbage, french beans etc.
Refer the Video below for a detailed recipe and step by step instructions. If you are visiting our channel for the first time, please don't forget to hit like ???? and subscribe to our channel ❤️. We appreciate your love and would eagerly wait to hear from from you on how we can bring your favourite dishes to our channel too ! Thanks a ton ????????
Lemon Sevai
Equipment
- Kadai
- Knife
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 200 g Rice Sevai I used Double Horse Brand
- 2 teaspoon Oil
- ½ cup Mixed vegetables I used capsicum & carrot - minced fine
- 1 Onions Minced fine
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 2 Green Chillies
- ¼ cup Grated coconut
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
- 2 Dry Red Chillies
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Urad dal / Split black gram
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Coriander
Instructions
- Steam the sevai as per packet instructions
- Steam the veggies, and prep the onions (if using) and proceed with the next steps as indicated in the video below
Video
Notes
- I have used store bought Rice Vermicelli
- You can make your own Sevai at home from scratch too.
- Be sure to follow packet instructions to make the sevai, cool it thoroughly and then use it. Else the Upma will be too sticky. You can spread the cooked sevai in a flat plate to cool down quickly.
- Cooking time for the plain sevai depends on the brand. So, be sure to read the packet instructions carefully.
- Additional addons for the sevai are : roasted peanuts, fresh peas, cabbage, french beans etc.
Unknown says
wow prefectly made lemon sevai 🙂 looks so delicious and yummy .. just tempting me !!
Priya Suresh says
Wish i get that plate for this droolworthy,tangy sevai,drooling here.
cookingwithsapana says
Delicious one pot meal with lemony flavors !
Sandhya Karandikar says
Mouthwatering lemon sevai.
Chef Mireille says
mild and flavorful...looks delightful
Padmajha says
This is the first one on my fav. list. We used to make this from the scratch but now I go in for the fresh ones that are available in the shops and in the mornings they are still hot from the steaming process[That's how fresh it is!]. I just get a pack and season it. Looking at your pics, I am hungry now...
Pavani says
So simple and delicious dish.
Unknown says
Perfect breakfast for me with a cup of coffee..
Srivalli says
I love this with pickle..your plate looks very inviting!
preeti garg says
look so flavorful and tasty
Harini R says
Love sevai in any version..pictures are tempting, Kalyani.
Gayathri Kumar says
My mom makes delicious lemon sevai. Your snaps are making me nostalgic...
Unknown says
who can say no to this delicious sevai!!! perfect for lunchbox!!
Sowmya
Unknown says
Lovely sevai..look perfect & tempting.
Rajani S says
Simple homely breakfasts like these make a good start for the day, right 🙂
The Pumpkin Farm says
this is lovely recipe, will be handy next year when Shlok carries tiffin
veena says
That is a delicious plate Kalyani...nalla uduri aa irukku:-)
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Perfectly made sevai! I always want to make fresh one's but always ended up buying the store bought ones. I love lemon sevai the best!
Archana says
Mmmm! Kalnayi will you share? Awesome pics. I have the dried variety will make this out of them.
Mayuri Patel says
Wow, Kalyani, love the colour of the lemon sevai. Looks so tempting. I love how in India we get ready made rice or millet sevai, miss that here. I probably will have to make the sevai at home to enjoy this dish.
Kalyani says
awww. thanks mayuri. Wish I could send you some...
Renu says
I love Sevai and specially with the lemony taste. I always add a dash of lemon juice at the end. I will try your recipe soon, The sevai looks so perfectly done with each and every sevai separate and not soggy
Kalyani says
Thanks Renu. Do try and let me know how you liked it
Poonam Bachhav says
Lemon sevai looks absolutely flavorful. It is such a delightful breakfast option!
Kalyani says
Thank you, Poonam. It IS an amazin bfast option