Rice Vermicelli

Rice vermicelli is a thin, dried noodle made from rice flour and water. In South India the fresh version is sevai or idiyappam, pressed from rice dough and steamed; dried rice vermicelli offers a shortcut to the same soft, lacy strands. Across South East Asia it becomes bee hoon in Singapore, bun in Vietnam and sen mee in Thailand. Brown rice vermicelli has a nuttier flavour. It is one of two kinds in our vermicelli collection.

For lemon sevai, soak the noodles, drain them, then toss with a tempering of mustard seed, urad dal, curry leaves, green chilli, turmeric and peanuts, finished with lemon juice. Coconut sevai uses grated coconut in place of the lemon. Rice vermicelli is also stir fried with egg, prawns and vegetables Singapore style, rolled into fresh summer rolls with herbs, or added to soups and salads.

Pour boiling water over the vermicelli, leave it for three to five minutes until soft, then drain and rinse with cold water so it stops cooking. It overcooks quickly, so check early and avoid boiling it on the hob. Store dry in a sealed bag. For wheat vermicelli for sweets, see semiya, and for steamed string hoppers made from scratch, idiyappam flour.