We had been on a pilgrimage, together as a family, to Sri Ramana Maharshi's ashram in Tiruvannamalai and fortunately, were able to stay within the premises in their guest house. All resident pilgrims are allowed to partake in the dining facilities. One of the most significant aspects of the menu was the regular or frequent use of vermicelli in different recipes for dinner. This struck as most appropriate for a light dinner at home, back in Pune.
On our return, we began experimenting with vermicelli or semiya or sevai, and combined the dishes with various types of stews, curries, vegetables and chutneys. Luckily, vermicelli is also available in different types - thin, thick, small bits and long strands, and most deliciously, also in ragi variety. The ragi variety was the most amenable to all experiments, and we had a great time bringing forth and appreciating our own results.
One of the combinations was a very lightly spiced ragi sevai upma, tempered with extra strong curry leaves (from our Lonavala home compound, freshly picked) and coriander and ginger+garlic paste. If you would have been nearby, you would have got the odour from at least two houses away. The curry or stew, heavily dunked in coconut milk, but combined with some pungent leftover curd and sauteed, brought forth an exceedingly worth-it type of aroma and taste. The best action was in dunking the hot ragi sevai upma in to the steaming hot spicy coconut milk stew, at near midnight, before a Sunday morning. Nothing could get past that blessing of having a light dinner but a very heavy and happy satisfaction of a good experiment.
All thanks to the missus and the daughter for their enthusiasm and support to each other.
[Ragi = finger millets, sevai or semiya = vermicelli or thin traditional type of pasta, upma = sort of a thick porridge]
On our return, we began experimenting with vermicelli or semiya or sevai, and combined the dishes with various types of stews, curries, vegetables and chutneys. Luckily, vermicelli is also available in different types - thin, thick, small bits and long strands, and most deliciously, also in ragi variety. The ragi variety was the most amenable to all experiments, and we had a great time bringing forth and appreciating our own results.
One of the combinations was a very lightly spiced ragi sevai upma, tempered with extra strong curry leaves (from our Lonavala home compound, freshly picked) and coriander and ginger+garlic paste. If you would have been nearby, you would have got the odour from at least two houses away. The curry or stew, heavily dunked in coconut milk, but combined with some pungent leftover curd and sauteed, brought forth an exceedingly worth-it type of aroma and taste. The best action was in dunking the hot ragi sevai upma in to the steaming hot spicy coconut milk stew, at near midnight, before a Sunday morning. Nothing could get past that blessing of having a light dinner but a very heavy and happy satisfaction of a good experiment.
All thanks to the missus and the daughter for their enthusiasm and support to each other.
[Ragi = finger millets, sevai or semiya = vermicelli or thin traditional type of pasta, upma = sort of a thick porridge]
