Semiya biryani recipe with quick video, step by step pictures. Combo post with curd semiya or thayir semiya.
I have tried vermicelli biryani from the outer wrapper of the vermicelli pack. It didn’t come out that good for first two times and I thought its a lame recipe. Then once we went to dinner to my hubby’s friend’s place. She (Ashwini Gandhi raj)had made this vermicelli biryani along with raita, poori, potato masala and payasam . The meal was hearty and we loved it. I was amazed by the taste of biryani and didn’t recognize that it was made with vermicelli for first few mouths.
Updated:
Check out how to plan a lunch menu with this semiya biryani: Click the below picture
Wanted to note down the recipe, but didn’t … I knew she had added coconut milk and mint leaves as she knew Aj loves those in his biryani(how thoughtful!). so I tried my own way and the result was just awesome… This is perfect when you host someone for meals, you can club this along with some other dishes to make a delightful spread!
Semiya biryani recipe
Equipments (Amazon Affiliate links)
Ingredients
- Semiya - 1 & ½ cup Vermicelli
- mixed vegetables- 1 cup chopped
- Onion - 1
- Tomato -1 small
- Mint leaves - 10 leaves
- Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsp
- Coconut milk -1 & ¼ cup can add upto 1 & ½ cup depending on the texture you want.
- Salt - As needed
To grind
- Cardamom - 1
- Cinnamon - ½ inch piece
- Clove- 1
- Star anise - a small portion
- Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
- Ginger - 1 inch piece
- Green chillies - 5 medium spice
- garlic - 5 flakes
To temper
- Oil+ghee - 2 tbsp
- Jeera/cumin seeds - 1 tsp
- Bay leaf - 1
Instructions
- Optional step: Roast the vermicelli with a tsp of ghee in medium flame, evenly with out changing its colour, you can also skip this part too.
- Grind the items given under ‘to grind’ table to a smooth paste with very less water.
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan (I used pot shaped cooker) with oil + ghee and temper with cumin seeds, biryani leaf.
- Add sliced onion fry till onion turns just transparent and add the ground paste. Fry in medium flame for just ½ minute
- Add the chopped veggies along with tomato (if desired) and the mint and coriander leaves. Add little salt for veggies and fry in medium flame for 4 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and bring to boil, add required salt.
- Then add the vermicelli. Let it boil till it absorbs all the coconut milk and then keep the flame in lowest possible and cook covered for 4-5 minutes.
Video
Notes
- If you make the biryani with proper care/ just like we make our rice biryani, you will get an equally yummy,delightful biryani.
- Vegetables I used are-carrot,beans,green peas and cauliflower.
- Don't cook for long time than mentioned as it will make the vermicelli sticky. Also increasing the water/coconut milk will make it sticky and gooey.
- Using less water ratio and cooking in low flame is the key to get it nice!
- You can grind the mint leaves along with the grinding items.
- Use ginger garlic paste and add the whole masalas while tempering and avoid the grinding part, if you want to avoid grinding.
How to prepare semiya biryani method:
-
- Optional step: Roast the vermicelli with a tsp of ghee in medium flame,evenly with out changing its colour(if it not raosted vermicelli),you can also skip this part too.
- Place the whole spices, chilli, ginger, garlic in a mixie.
- Grind the items to a smooth paste with very less water.
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan (I used pot shaped cooker) with oil + ghee and temper with cumin seeds, biryani leaf. Add sliced onion fry till onion turns just transparent.
- Add the ground paste. Fry in medium flame for 2-3 minutes,taking care to not to burn it.
- Add the chopped veggies along with tomato(if desired) and the mint and coriander leaves and fry in medium flame for 3 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and bring to boil,add required salt.
- Then add the vermicelli.Let it boil till it absorbs all the coconut milk.
- Keep the flame in lowest possible and cook covered for 4-5 minutes. Once done, fluff it gently and let it cool down for couple of minutes. Semiya will separate as it cools.
Garnish with cashews fried in ghee if you want,or just simply with chopped coriander leaves… serve hot with raita of your choice!
THAYIR SEMIYA / CURD SEMIYA
This one, I recently had in one of my hubby’s friends house, she is a wonderful cook and expert in making biryani(Hyderabadi origin) and this time too she had made vegetable biryani along with raita, rasam and ladies finger curry and the ‘Thayir semiya’. I had this curd vermicelli for first time and asked her the recipe, I was like, why I haven’t tried this before?? It was totally yummy and broke the assumption I had before tasting this. so if you are also like me,go and try it immediately!
Ingredients ( makes two bowls as shown above)
Vermicelli/semiya – ½ cup
Water – 1&½ cup
milk – ¼cup
Curd – ½ cup
Butter or sour cream (optional) – 1 tsp
Salt – As needed
Method
- Boil water in a pan with salt and add the vermicelli,cook till soft and before it starts sticking to the pan,put off the fire.(add butter if desired at this stage)
- Cool down and add milk and curd and mix well. Add water or curd or milk to get desired loose consistency.
- Temper with the usual items you do same as for the curd rice,I just tempered with oil,mustard,green chilli,asafoetida and curry leaves.
Note:
- You can add chopped ginger,coriander leaves,carrots, grapes as you do for curd rice to make it more special and rich!
I had this creamy,yummy and soft curd semiya with tomato thokku…
P.S. : Thanks for the lovely serving bowls Jeyashri ,I really needed some 😉
On seeing the pic nobody will recognise it is vermecelli biryani. Very new and different one.
Looks awesome.
My mom makes this thayir semiya too.Came out very nice and clicks are nice and i have the same bowl which u have kept the thokku in the last pic.
Looks so delicious ….. a gr8 idea for this weekend brunch. Lovely Clicks
Cheers,
Satrupa
http://satrupa-foodforthought.blogspot.com
Two lovely semiya dishes.I make vermicelli pulao once in a while,but curd semiya is something new..got to try!!
Mouthwatering pulao and thayir semiya. When I'm hard pressed for time, I go for semiya pulao instead of with rice. But as you said, little care has to be taken to get decent results. Gorgeous presentation as always.
i tried semiya biryani…i wont pressure….but curd semiya very interesting….bookmarked it! both the pics looks superb n nice click as usual dear!!
Both vermicelli dishes makes me hungry, i do often thayir vermicelli,its my fav..
Raji, I was taken aback by the click. If not mentioned it will be very difficult to find out that the Briyani is made from vermicelli. Simply yummy raita to go along too.
Both the dishes look equally yummy..inum lunch sapidala and u r tempting with ur clicks…Lovely spread of semiya varieties 🙂
The biryani look so delicious! Fluffy rice and lovely spice mix.
Lite Bite
Rekha,I too dint pressure cook,just used a cooker for making …. 🙂
Even I have tried Vermicilli Pualo, it tastes yumm..Only thing is I did not blend any ingredient instead used MTR Pulao masala along with ginger garlic paste. It tasted good. Vermicilli curd bath also tastes equally yummy.. Your pictures are tempting me to make again.
Wow…both dishes looks absolutely delicious,beautiful click and nice presentation. Bautiful bowls.
Looks perfect 🙂
This is such a yummy recipe. I have made vermicelli pulao a number of times. I've got to try the biryani 🙂
Semiya briyani and thair semia loks inviting, i have tasted thayir semaia , awesome clicks.
Perfect recipes when v have guests over next time…;) Both dishes look too mouthwatering!!
Prathima Rao
Prats Corner
both the recipe looks yummy ..haven't tried these …will try it soon.. thanks for sharing
I dont add coconut milk n mint otherwise it's the same thing I do too and I simply love this one …that curd semiya my friend introduced to me ..I guess she done in the same way too…looks gud
both are delicious semiya recipes..lovely clicks
Both r new to me..i wanted to try semiya pulao.Will try this briyani.. awesome clicks as usual:)
lovely,the thayir semia is really good one ! BTW i made jangiris inspired from ur post- it came really well, thx a ton
I love the biryani..will try it soon..yumm
I'm loving the idea of biryani with semiya. Looks simply delish. Loved all the pictures too. The semiya sadam also looks delicious!
Both dishes look yummm…mmm..mmm…
I have the recipe to semiya biriyani from a packet of 7star semiya. And thayir semiya from a cookbook.
Though I do cook both of these, seeing yours makes me want to try again.
Both recipes are new to me but ur tempting clicks make me to try it out immediately…Awesome recipes.
Great dishes . Semia biriyani is awesome. I do in a similar way. Luv thayir semia . A comfortable food.
Perfect clicks yaar….So yummy yummy n tempting…
This is seriously gonna be a big treat!
I love both and looks so tempting .. Wonderful clicks as always.
I make it when I go in for idli,doasi or any breakfast items for my guests. It is easy too and adds as an additional dish on the table.
Both the recipes are awesome…and the clicks are tempting..
Makes me hungry..both dishes are new to me looks equally yummy.will try this.
Woow i have never had vermecelli biriyani, looks really delicious and i love your pictures.
Loved both the dishes, bookmarked!!!! Clicks are too good as usual :):)
Loving both the dishes. I was skeptical about thayir semia first too but liked it after tasting it. As for the biryani, thsi is pretty much how i make vegetable biryani – must try it with semia – looks really good Raks.
delicious combo!!
One pot meals are always a savior n they are well liked too ..especially if done as nicely as you have done here 🙂 Have bookmarked your yogurt semiya. Rocking recipes !!
PS- loved your fork 🙂
US Masala
Love both the choices..hard to pick which one is the best. I had posted a "Yogurt Sevai" ages ago with Pomegranate seeds and thaalithal..Semiya is so versatile. I guess it can pretty much be used in place of rice…except for sambhar saatham.LoL
Hey, I made the dosai over the weekend. It came out delicious and what a color! I had it with Thogayal. Yum!
both of the dishes look too tempting!….I can eat them any time!
Smitha
Smitha's Spicy Flavors
very yummy briyani… never heard of semiya briyani before… i too prepare the curd semiya the same way… just love it…..
Both dishes are looking so inviting..simply too good.
wow..wow..both semiya biriyani and thayir semiya looks awesome…BEautiful clicks Raks..
Love both of them…feel like having some!!Delicious!!
Semiya biryani is much elaborated version of semiya kichdi 🙂 Like the curd version!
Perfect combination…
Looks lovely
மிகவும் அருமையாக இருக்கின்றது…எனக்கு மிகவும் பிடித்த சேமியா பிரியாணி…
Luv the click on vermicelli biryani with fork…We feel lite after eating this than the rice briyani..Totally adore both the recipes
spectacular effort and lovely biriyani.bookmarking it dear.
Delicious awesome looks biriyani. love. it.
Very different one Raks, asusual asathiteenga..
Loved the Biryani with semiya……
http://panchamrutham.blogspot.com/
Semiya with coconut milk.Am damn sure, it will taste good! 😛 😛
Thayir semiya saptathillaiya raji? Its an easy and tasty dish too!! 🙂
Biriyani looks to be a wonderfully prepared masterpiece with vermicelli. For a moment I thought it to be a rice based.Wonderful recipe.
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
Loved the ingredients u used in this biryani Raji, must be v flavourful would love to try this:)
I too love vermicelli biryani. Tastes too good. Yours looks super delicious. Both dishes.
Both the recipes are superb…
FunWidFud
Hi Raji,
Both the receipes are awesome.I once prepared vermicelli biriyani but it was ok only,as i didnt grind d items you mentioned in the grinding column.Instead i just added while tempering.Is that may be the reason.Have you ever tried like that.Incase if we're not having star anise means wat else we can put as the substitute or can we add garam masala.
Raji,
Also tel me how much water u added or cocnut milk alone is enough.I added 1:1 since mine is a roasted vermicelli.also i fried in the ghee for few minutes.
Hi sudha,
Thanks 🙂
In case you dont have star anise its ok, you can omit it and use the rest of the things. Only the garlic,ginger and fennel(soambu) adds nice flavor.
I too for the first times dint grind anything and made so bland,then it was not nice. If we make it properly with care exactly like our rice briyani, then this also comes out very nice.
I used coconut milk powder,so I mixed coconut milk powder with 1 & 1/4 cup water. Thats it,no water separately.
I dint fried my semiya,I just added as such.
Thnxs Raji.Also can u give us some easy and simple sandwhiches and also some receipes in mushroom and meal maker apart from biriyanis
Sure Sudha,I have bought both from shop,tomorrow making mushroom and see,if it tastes good will post soon too,same with meal maker,will try and post soon 🙂
Two wonderful contrasting dishes. Both look delicious and mouthwatering.
these are two wonderful presentations well loved by all in my family! the thayir semiya esp makes my tongue tingle – very appetizing!
hi, ths is the frst tm am vstng yr blog. i tried the semia biriyani recipe and it came out too goooooood!!!!!!!. my neighbours also tasted it and enquired abt the recipe. it's diff as well as trendy! thnk u!
hi raks,made the semiya biriyani and it came out so good…thanks a lot for the recipe..!
Hello!
I'm the kind of person who can't get measurements right even while making Maggi. I was very sceptical when I saw this recipe in the easy lunch section. But I had a few hours, and I tried it out today, and it was not just edible, it was delicious. Thank you from keeping me away from takeout lunch!
hi,
all ur recipies are looking delicious, I had a idea while seeing this recipie,can we use string hoppers for making this recipie if so can u tell me how to do it?
thanks
sudha prasanna
Sure you can do that Sudha!
HI Raks,
Have u used rice vermicelli or wheat vermicelli. Will there be ay difference in taste and which one is better.
Regards
Shwetha.s
I tried vermicelli biriyani today. It was really good. Taste was good. Everyone liked at home. Thank you for this idea. 🙂
Hi Raks, I read the Vermicilli Biryani recipe on the product pack that called for Biryani Masala and wasn't very convinced as I thought it might be a strong flavor against the bland Vermicilli base. I looked up the recipe and found yours to be different and tried your method. The Semiya Biryani turned out delicious, I enjoyed it with Boondi raita. Thank you very much for sharing this. Have a fantastic week ahead.
Tried this recipe twice… It was really good.. 🙂
I had to add extra water though to get the vermicelli cooked..