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LoginKhapli Wheat Flour Vermicelli: How To Press Thin Noodles And Use Them In Dishes
10 min
30/05/202610 min30/05/2026
Khapli wheat flour vermicelli is not something you'll find in ready-made packs on supermarket shelves. So, if you have taken to khapli atta recently, it’s recommended that you try making your own batch of homemade vermicelli using khapli wheat. Invest in quality khapli atta like Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta, which has more dietary fibre and protein with the goodness of iron and vitamin B1. Khapli atta has an earthy, nutty flavour that regular vermicelli lacks, and the process of making it takes patience but is quite straightforward.
The Indian repertoire when it comes to food has an enormous variety that is made from raw ingredients, such as chutneys, pickles, ghee, papads, paneer, yet vermicelli is seldom heard of being handmade. The store-bought kind, usually pressed from refined wheat flour or semolina, is convenient and consistent in flavour, but it’s not as flavourful or nutrient-dense as the ones made from khapli wheat.
The reason you should try khapli wheat flour vermicelli is:
The flour quality: Khapli atta, pressed fresh at home, retains the bran, germ, and most of the grain's natural oils.
The flavour: Khapli wheat has a distinctive nutty, slightly earthy quality, which is courtesy of its ancient, unhybridised grain structure.
The Maillard reaction during dry roasting: when khapli wheat vermicelli strand hits a dry pan, the higher protein content of the grain interacts with its residual sugars under heat, producing richer, more complex browned notes.
There are no shortcuts to making any kind of noodles, and vermicelli is one of them. So you will need time. Making the dough and pressing out the noodles is a piece of cake, but it is the drying that will take dedicated time.
Khapli wheat is an ancient grain grown across the Indus Valley Civilisation from around 7,000 BC and still farmed in parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat today. Unlike modern hybrid wheat, it has never been re-engineered for yield, which means it has:
Lower gluten content than regular whole wheat atta, which makes the dough easier to press through a fine die (a perforated surface).
Higher fibre, which is roughly twice that of modern wheat flour.
Lower glycaemic index, which means that the strands digest slowly, giving the body steady energy
A distinctly nutty, slightly earthy flavour that sets it apart from the bland taste of refined flour noodles
Higher protein and mineral content, including iron, magnesium, and B vitamins
For vermicelli, the lower gluten is an advantage, as the dough moves through the press with less resistance and produces strands that hold their structure when dried without becoming brittle.
Making vermicelli at home does not require specialist equipment. What you need is already likely in your kitchens, or can be easily sourced:
A sev sancha, chakli press or murukku press (also called a sevai nazhi or nazhi in South India, or a sorya in Marathi homes): it’s a cylindrical hand press with interchangeable perforated discs. The thin-hole disc is the same one used for fine sev or omapodi, which produces strands close to the thickness of the commercial vermicelli. Most stainless steel or brass sev presses available at kitchen stores or online include this disc.
A large tray or plastic sheet for drying
A clean, dry, airy surface (or direct sunlight, which speeds up drying)
The dough is loaded into the cylinder, the lid is screwed tight, and the handle is rotated or pressed downward to push out thin strands. The whole pressing process for one batch takes 10-15 minutes.
This is where khapli atta's lower gluten works in your favour. The dough for pressing needs to be soft but not sticky, firm enough to hold shape as it extrudes, loose enough to pass through fine holes without requiring excessive force.
Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta: 200g
Salt: ½ tsp
Oil or ghee: ½ tsp
Warm water (100ml)
Method:
Mix khapli atta and salt. Add the oil and rub briefly between your palms.
Add warm water gradually, kneading as you go. The dough should be a lot softer than roti dough. Feeling close to soft clay that should not stick to your hands.
Cover and rest for 15-20 minutes. This resting period is crucial for khapli atta as it needs time to hydrate. It will make the dough easier to press.
Do not over-knead. Excessive kneading develops the gluten network, which can make the dough spring back in the press.
Fit the fine-hole sev disc into your press. Grease the interior lightly with oil for the dough movement to be easier later.
Put a portion of dough into the cylinder; do not overfill, as a full cylinder requires more force and increases the risk of producing uneven strands.
Press over a flat tray or directly onto plastic sheets laid on a flat surface. Keep the press moving slowly and steadily as you press. It will help the strands fall in loose, unclumped coils rather than a single tangled mass.
Once a tray is full, set it aside and continue with the remaining dough.
A note on thickness: The fine sev disc produces strands of approximately 1-1.5mm thinner than standard commercial semiya, which typically is between 1.5-2mm. If you prefer the slightly thicker texture of market vermicelli, use the next size up disc.
Vermicelli that is not fully dry before storage will clump, go soft, and possibly mould. Drying the noodles well is what will determine how long the strands will last after storing.
Sun drying: Spread the pressed strands in a single layer on trays or plastic sheets in direct sunlight. The drying time depends entirely on temperature and humidity:
In hot and dry summer conditions (peak humidity below 50%), the strands will be ready in 2-3 days
Humid conditions, or during the monsoon, sun-drying is not recommended indoors. Dry for 4-5 days minimum, turning the strands once a day so the underside dries evenly
The traditional gova shevai of Maharashtra is a sun-dried wheat vermicelli made every summer, which follows this process, with batches sometimes drying for 7 days in full sun before storage
Air drying indoors: Spread strands on a clean tray placed near a window with good air circulation. Cover loosely with a muslin cloth to keep off dust. Indoor air drying takes 5-7 days and requires daily turning.
How to tell when they're ready: A fully dried strand snaps cleanly when bent with no bending or flexibility. If it bends rather than snapping, it needs more time. Another marker is that the colour will deepen slightly.
Commercial vermicelli packets in India typically contain short, broken strands of about 2-3 centimetres, that are bite-sized and easy to cook, and quicker. Homemade strands come off the press in long coils. Breaking them down is easy, but there is a method to it.
While the vermicelli is still in the process of drying, at a stage when it is no longer soft, gather small handfuls and break them into rough 3-4cm lengths over a tray. At this semi-dry stage, the strands are firm enough to snap neatly
If fully dry, the strands will be more fragile. Place a portion into a clean cloth, fold it over once, and apply light pressure with your palm.
You could also break them after sealing them in a zip-lock bag.
Store the broken strands in an airtight glass or steel container. Stored well in a cool, dry place, homemade khapli wheat vermicelli keeps for up to one year.
When raw khapli wheat strands meet liquid, without prior roasting, the starch on the surface of the noodle gelatinises too quickly, and the strands stick to each other and become a clumped mass. Dry roasting sets the surface and waterproofs it slightly.
Roasting also triggers the Maillard reaction, the same chemical process that browns bread, sears meat, and turns spices aromatic. In khapli wheat strands, the grain's naturally higher protein interacts with residual sugars under dry heat to produce a range of new flavour compounds: toasty, slightly nutty, with a faint biscuit smell.
Use a wide, heavy-bottomed pan; cast iron or thick stainless steel. The pan must be completely dry.
Heat on medium-low. Add the broken vermicelli strands in a single layer.
Stir continuously with a spatula or wooden spoon. Do not walk away, as it does not take long for the strands to go from golden to dark in under a minute.
For savoury dishes: roast until pale golden, 3-4 minutes. You want colour and nuttiness without deep bitterness.
For sweet dishes (kheer, halwa): roast slightly more, to get a warm amber-gold, 5-7 minutes. The deeper roast adds complexity that goes well with the sweetness of milk and jaggery.
Transfer immediately to a plate. The residual heat of the pan will continue to cook them if left inside.
Khapli Wheat Sevai Kheer
The easiest homemade vermicelli recipe is kheer. The nutty depth of khapli atta transforms a simple milk pudding into something with real character.
Ingredients:
Roasted vermicelli, milk, jaggery or sugar, ghee, cashews, raisins, cardamom, saffron, salt.
Method:
Heat the ghee and fry the cashews and raisins. Keep aside. Add vermicelli to the same pan and roast briefly. Pour the milk and simmer, stirring often, until the vermicelli softens and the milk thickens slightly. Add jaggery, saffron, cardamom, and salt. Cook a few more minutes, then finish with fried nuts and raisins. Serve warm or chilled.
Goan-Style Meethi Sevai
A firmer, tea-time version with no milk is close to what Goan households call shevyo. The khapli wheat version tends to be extra nutty, which particularly goes well with jaggery.
Ingredients:
Roasted vermicelli, jaggery, ghee, cardamom, water, milk, dried fruits, salt.
Method:
Heat the ghee and roast the vermicelli briefly. Add water, milk, jaggery, cardamom, salt, and dried fruits. Cook on low heat, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the strands turn dry and separate. Cover and rest briefly, then fluff before serving.
Khapli Wheat Semiya Upma
The Indian breakfast workhorse is this upma that is a staple in many South Indian homes. With khapli wheat in the mix, it gets a nuttier base note and slightly more body.
Ingredients:
Roasted vermicelli, oil, mustard seeds, cumin, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves, green chilli, onion, carrot, peas, water, salt, lemon juice, coriander, peanuts or cashews.
Method:
Heat oil and fry mustard, cumin, chana dal, and urad dal until lightly golden. Add curry leaves, chilli, and onion, cooking until soft. Stir in vegetables and cook briefly. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Mix in vermicelli, cover, and cook on low until the liquid is absorbed. Rest for a bit, then finish with lemon juice, coriander, and nuts.
Khapli Wheat Vermicelli Pulao
Less common but worth knowing: the strands hold up extremely well in a spiced, stock-cooked pilaf form, similar to the fluffy pulaos that many vegetarians love. But you will find the vermicelli version in many Middle Eastern homes where the where vermicelli is fried in butter and cooked with rice.
Ingredients:
Roasted vermicelli, ghee, whole spices, onion, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, cumin powder, mixed vegetables, water or stock, salt, and mint.
Method:
Heat the ghee and fry the whole spices until fragrant. Add onion and cook until golden, then add ginger-garlic paste and cook briefly. Stir in turmeric, cumin, and vegetables. Add water or stock with salt and bring to a boil. Mix in vermicelli, cover, and cook on low heat until the liquid is absorbed. Rest briefly and finish with fresh mint.
Making noodles is more straightforward than it seems, with the entire process being technique-heavy rather than relying entirely on ingredients and their taste. Batch make the noodles on a leisure day and store them away for days when you want a quick breakfast recipe made out of the nuttier noodles.
A: Sometimes. Many commercial Indian vermicelli brands use maida, while others use semolina, whole wheat, or rice flour. Always check the ingredients label before buying.