Vermicelli in Coconut milk – Simple. 5 ingredients. Vegan. One of my favorite breakfasts.
Do you have a favorite morning memory? I’ve probably already written about this in an old post here, but I think I’ll tell the story again, just to be sure. I had an earlier start in the day than most other kids my age since the 3rd grade. That was when I switched schools and the new school van came to pick me up at 6:45 a.m. sharp every morning. Which meant, that I woke up an hour earlier, first person to shower in the house, first to eat breakfast and the first to leave the house, and this went on till I finished college at 21. If you thought that was tragic, my mother’s schedule was worse than mine, coz she had to wake up much, much earlier to make said breakfast and pack my lunch – and if you grew up in an Indian household like me, you’ll know that packed lunches weren’t as simple as a PB&J sandwich in a paper bag.
Because of the general grogginess of waking up before the sun was fully up, I got into the habit of leaving home without a single spoken word (except for the rushed goodbyes before running out) – and my mother and soon I fell into this rehearsed precision of doing things in unison without exchanging a single word between us. Some days, when I inadvertently slept in, she would plait one side of my hair without my asking her, while I worked on the other side, and on those days, I went to school with lopsided braids. My school was part of a Catholic convent, run by nuns, where uniforms were a very strict affair – and on these lopsided mornings, my teacher looked at me with more sinister judgement than a 9 year old could reckon with.
And some mornings, my mother would feed me breakfast even as I was tying up my shoelaces, and I’d run out yelling good byes with a mouthful of food towards the van that was pulling up to a stop at the end of my street. As soon as I got into the van, I’d find me my regular window seat at the back, and fall asleep with the wind on my face, until my best friend got in and woke me up! Then we’d chat animatedly about things that were seemingly important only to children until we reached the school.
This morning rush was a constant routine most of my life right from the 3rd grade up until I finished college, which made me hate mornings generally. I am not a morning person. I don’t think I ever will be, but even though I hated the school mornings, I now look back at them with a fondness I cannot properly put into words.
And on most of these rushed mornings this Vermicelli in Milk was my breakfast. Think of it like the Indian version of morning cereal, that you can drink – chewing optional, but likely recommended. It was just cooked vermicelli, drowned in milk and lightly sweetened with sugar. Of course, back then, my mother used whole milk for this, but now, I’ve gotten used to making it Vegan with Coconut Milk instead. And either way, it’s good!
What is Vermicelli?
Vermicelli is a type of pasta, not unlike angel hair in thickness, but shorter strands, usually made of wheat. There are rice vermicelli too, mostly used in Asia, which cooks to an opaque white, or sometimes even translucent (glass noodles).
Rice vermicelli can just be steamed or drowned in hot water until it softens and becomes fluffy, but wheat vermicelli needs to be slightly roasted and boiled in water until soft. The roasting stops the vermicelli from sticking to one another and forming a goopy mess in your bowl. This pre-roasted vermicelli here is what I use, and if you have an Indian grocery store nearby, you should be able to find them roasted and ready for use.
To make this Breakfast Vermicelli, cook the roasted vermicelli in water with a pinch of salt. Once cooked, remove from heat and add milk and sugar. You don’t want this to be overly sweet like a dessert, rather more like breakfast cereal where the sweetness is just barely there. My mother used to make these with whole milk and granulated sugar, but I now make it with diluted coconut milk and coconut sugar instead.
If you want to make a large batch, say for a week, cook the vermicelli and refrigerate. Before serving, take what you need, add milk and sugar and eat immediately. The longer you let the cooked vermicelli sit in milk, it will absorb all the liquid and swell up unpleasantly, much like cereal does.
Top with your favoruite fruits for a healthy punch, dig in and enjoy! It’s filling yet light, delicious and energizing! The perfect start to your day, no matter how chaotic it is!
That was a lovely piece of nostalgia I was so glad to relive today! Were your mornings crazy like mine? What was your favorite breakfast on school mornings? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂
And when you make these (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!
Paola says
This morning I was made your recipe Mmm!lov it! I never thought use the pasta this way… Thank you for sharing!
Tina Dawson says
Incredibly amazing, isn’t it! Thanks Paola – I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Maria says
I love your writing and the photography! This description of hurried mornings, lopsided plaits, breakfast spooned into my mouth so resonated with me…and my kids went through the same ?
Tina Dawson says
Awww thanks Maria!!! 🙂
Jagruti says
Haha, your childhood morning story reminds me mine, almost similar!, I would wake up for this breakfast even at 4am 🙂
Tina Dawson says
4 am !!!!!!!!!!!! – I feel terrible about complaining about mine then!
Kelly @ trial and eater says
I don’t like to talk in the mornings either! I love that first pour shot! Pinned 🙂
Tina Dawson says
Thanks so much Kelly! 🙂
Sandi G says
My kids love vermicelli, I will have to surprise them with it for breakfast
Tina Dawson says
Oh that sounds so awesome, they’ll love it!
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says
What an unusual breakfast dish but I can see how this could be a substitute to yogurt or porridge
Tina Dawson says
I like this much better than porridge!
Denise Wright says
This sounds very good! I will have to try it!
Tina Dawson says
Hope you like it, Denise!
Molly Kumar says
The vermicelli sounds delicious in coconut milk. I looove this dessert and it reminds me of childhood days of sitting in a verandah, eating this, and no worries of the world 🙂 Love the pictures and those leaf bowls are so cute.
Tina Dawson says
This is my breakfast version Molly – lighter than a dessert and just the start I need most days!