Need lunch in a pinch? Try this vitamin C-packed South Indian variation of upitu (upma)! It’s been known to stave off ‘hangry’ kids and adults…without feeling guilty about what’s going into their bellies in the process.

Pre-packaged broccoli florets and frozen peas help with prep time but you can easily vary the vegetables based on the ingredients in your fridge or freezer. Check out the recipe notes section to see how!

Gluten free, plant-based and vegan, corn free, soy free and options to make it nightshade free and low FODMAP in the recipe notes section, as well.

Let’s begin!

Bring water to a boil to cook the rice vermicelli per package instructions. Since this usually takes about 8 minutes, I use this time to preheat my saute pan and prep the ingredients.

The broccoli florets can be used whole, but I run them through the food processor to help them cook faster (…and perhaps mask the presence of broccoli from picky eaters…)

Also, a microplane or zester works wonders for making ginger paste on the fly.

Add oil to a pan at medium heat. Once it shimmers, add the mustard seeds, urad dal and a dry red chili pepper (optional). Saute until the mustard seeds begin to pop and the urad dal turns a pretty golden-red color.

Now add the ginger and curry leaves and cook for about a minute more until fragrant and the ginger begins to turn a golden-shade as well. Finely chopped green chili peppers can be added during this step as well, if you prefer a more spicy flair.

Toss in the finely chopped/processed broccoli and cook until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes). Add the frozen peas and cook for about 1-2 minutes more. These quickly transition from brilliant green to not-so-pretty green in seconds so keep a close eye on the pan (or set a timer).

Add lemon juice and salt to taste and remove from heat.

Remove the rice vermicelli from heat and strain the noodles. Combine or top with the vegetables and serve!

Print Recipe

Shavige Upitu (South Indian-style Rice Vermicelli with Vegetables)

Need lunch in a pinch? Try this Vitamin C-packed South Indian variation of upitu (upma)! It’s been known to stave off ‘hangry’ kids and adults…without feeling super guilty in the process. 

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: allium free (no onions, no garlic), corn free, gluten-free, nightshade free, nut free, plant-based, rice vermicelli, soy free, upitu, vegan

Servings: 4

Calories: 185kcal

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (black)
• 1-1/2 tsp urad dal (split lentils)
• dry red chili pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger (minced or paste)
• 2 curry leaves (fresh or dried)
• hot chili peppers (optional, to taste)
• 2 cups broccoli florets (finely chopped or food processed)
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
• 4 oz rice vermicelli noodles
• water to cook the rice vermicelli (per package instructions)

Instructions

• Bring water to a boil in preparation for cooking the rice vermicelli noodles. It will take about 8 minutes for the water to boil so, in parallel, preheat a pan for cooking the vegetables, and prep the remaining ingredients.
• Add the rice vermicelli to the boiling water and cook per the package instructions (usually 7 minutes). Set the timer accordingly. 
• Heat oil in the pan until it shimmers. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal and a dry red chili pepper. Once the mustard seeds begin to pop and the urad dal turns a golden-red color (about 30 seconds), add ginger, curry leaves and finely chopped hot chili peppers if using. Cook for a minute more.
• Add the broccoli and saute on medium heat until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes). Add the frozen peas and cook until tender (about 1-2 minutes more). Add lemon juice and salt to taste. Remove from heat.
  
• Remove the rice vermicelli from heat. Strain the noodles and combine or top with the vegetables. 
• Serve!

Notes

To make this recipe nightshade free, simply leave out the chili peppers. 

Just about any vegetables can be substituted for the ones chosen here. The key is to adjust the cooking time based on the type of vegetables you choose, and to sequence the order in which vegetables are added based on their respective cooking time required.

Generally, root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, etc.) and legumes (lima beans, green beans, etc.) take about 7-8 minutes to cook, and require about 1/4 cup of water or more to help them along. Just be sure to cook off the added water before adding the noodles.

Depending on their size, cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, etc.)  may need water as well, and can take 2-5 minutes to become tender enough to add the vermicelli.

Peas, corn, sweet peppers generally take about 1-2 minutes and don’t typically require additional water. 

Also, frozen vegetables cook more quickly than their fresh counterparts and generally do not require additional water.

For the low FODMAP version I would use green beans or potatoes and peppers.  When making this dish with those ingredients, I would add the green beans or potatoes first and wait until they were fully tender (8 minute) before adding the bell peppers and cooking for about a minute or two more. 

Actual nutrition facts will vary based on the exact ingredients and quantities used, as well as natural variations in raw ingredients.