Kuch Jhatpat ho jaye...

On weekends we wake up late and then instead of having breakfast or lunch, we tend to have 'Brunch'. I know you got it, the recipe that I am presenting today is fairly simple brunch dish, which is very satisfying and can be made in number of ways. In India, generally people make it sweet with milk, sugar and dry fruits, but today we will be cooking a savory version of it. It is called Veggie Seviyan (Vermicelli). Seviyan or Vermicelli (we call them "JAVE" at home) is made up of all-purpose flour. In Indian homes, elderly women (in general) make these by hand on a piece of paper and dry them in sun for a while. Nothing like the hand-made one, you can easily make out the difference in taste and texture. Now-a-days, we get these pre-made by machines in grocery stores, but one has to roast them without oil on a gas stove or in the microwave, before using them. I do roast mine in the microwave. Back in India, at my home we have a solar cooker which is the best way to roast them without any effort. Just pour them in the solar cooker containers and forget about them. In the evening they will be ready to use, if the sun is at its best. :) So lets get cooking something colorful and delicious, anytime of the day. It also happens to be one of my hubby's all-time favourite dishes...

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Seviyan/Vermicelli (1.5 Cups, Roasted)

Yellow Bell-Pepper (1/2, Finely Chopped)

Green Peas (1/4 Cup, boiled)

Cauliflower (1/2 Cup, Par-boiled) optional

Red Onion (1, Chopped)

Tomato (2, Finely Chopped)

Green Chillies (2, Finely Chopped)

Green Onion (3, Finely Chopped, for garnish)

Black Mustard Seeds (1 Tsp)

Turmeric Powder (1 Tsp)

Red Chili Powder (To Taste)

Garam Masala (1/2 Tsp)

Salt (To Taste)

Curry Leaves (5-6)

Oil (1.5 Tbsp)

Water (3 Cups)

Method:

1. Boil Seviyan with salt and 3 cups of water in a separate pan.
2. In another pan, heat oil and put mustard seeds and let them crackle or wait till the time they become gray in color.
3. Now add onion, bell-pepper and curry leaves, fry until transparent. Then add all the other spices and fry for 30 seconds more.
4. Now add green peas and cauliflower along with Seviyan and mix well.
5. Serve hot garnished with Green Onions.

Tips:

1. Use Chinese technique (they use it for noodles) of putting the seviyan in cold water as soon as they are boiled for 3-4 minutes and then straining them. They will stop cooking immediately and it will prevent them from sticking to each other.
2. Use Ajwayan and corriander powder (1 tbsp) instead of mustard seeds and curry leaves for giving it a North Indian flavor.

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