Bambino or vermicelli..!

Dear foodies,

I din't know bambino wasn't the name of the product but just the brand name until a few years back. Just like how maggi == noodles until I discovered Italian cuisine :P and LG== hing/asafoetida! I started taking notice of the word vermicelli on the pack only after I came here I think...hmm, until then it was just a word in the jingle. How many of you thought the same ? (please don't single me out) But well, whats in a name, its the taste that matters. I absolutely love
bambino
...err vermicelli upma, its such a simple and tasty breakfast/tiffin item and ...its quick! It is one of my favorite lunch box dishes too, just as good served cold and I like it with a sprinkling of sugar on top, no, not the powdered sugar we usually find here, but the granular kind that lends a nice crunch.

So if you need a breakfast idea or even a evening tiffin for this weekend, here's one

another day, another version...

Ingredients :

• 1 cup - Vermicelli
• 1/2 cup - Peas and diced Carrots (I used frozen)
• 1/4 cup - sliced Onions
• 2 nos - Green chillies, slit through
• 1 nos - broken Red chilli (optional)
• 1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp - Cumin seeds/jeera
• 10-12 - Peanuts (can be substituted with cashews)
• 1 tsp - Chana dal
• 4-5 Curry leaves
• 2 tsp - Oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp - lime juice or lime wedges for garnish and coriander leaves (optional)
• 1 3/4 cups - water

Method:

1. I like to roast the vermicelli a little even if its the pre-roasted kind. Heat a pan with 1 tsp of oil, on medium heat. Roast the vermicelli until it turns a light brown color, stirring regularly to avoid burning them. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Add the rest of the oil to the pan, splutter the mustard and cumin seeds, roast the peanuts and then add the chana dal, once they turn a deep orange, the red & green chillies, curry leaves go in.
3. Next add the onions and saute until they soften and turn translucent. The frozen (or fresh) peas and carrots go in next, saute them for a couple of minutes. In the meantime, microwave 1 3/4 cups of water and add it to the veggies along with salt.
4. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat a bit, add the vermicelli, stir to avoid lumps. Cover and cook for 5-6mins until they soak up the water and soften.
5. Take off the heat and add the lime juice or serve the wedges on the side. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with a sprinkling of sugar and some pickle.

I made this for a late brunch one weekend and had it with fresh cut-mango pickle my mom had made when she was here. Sometimes I skip the pickles and sprinkle some karapodi/idlipodi on top and some yogurt too on the side. When I was in school, my mother would make a tiny potlam/pouch of sugar for me to add right before I had it for lunch, cos the
bambino
vermicelli upma would still be warm when she packs it in the morning and the sugar would dissolve if added right then, pampered... yes! :D You can substitute the peas with edamame or lima beans, other veggie options could be corn, diced green beans, capsicum, tomatoes, boiled and cubed potatoes Or just skip them all together :D Whats your twist to this recipe ?

Happy Friday!
(and hattrick for me, yayyy!)