Semiya Payasam/ Vermicelli Kheer

Semiya Payasam

Semiya or vermicelli payasam/kheer is a yummy dessert, easy to make, and truly delectable. It is a delightful treat- a sugary, creamy rich, dessert made with vermicelli and milk. It has the beautiful fragrance of ghee and cardamom. The trick to make a perfect semiya/ vermicelli payasam is to boil milk and sugar till the milk is reduced, and it attains a slightly creamy consistency. An easy shortcut to achieve perfect consistency and richness is to add sweetened condensed milk. It helps in giving the payasam a thick, creamy texture.

I think few could resist a warm or chilled bowl of payasam to end a hearty meal. Payasams are festive puddings. Whenever it's time for a celebration or festival, I make this payasam because it is the easiest and also my favorite. I made this for Vishu along with sweet boli, and the combination was divine. Boli is very popular in southern Kerala and is served along with pal payasam or semiya payasam during Sadhya. Payasam is a comforting, homey dessert flavored with ghee, roasted dried fruits and nuts, cardamom powder, and sometimes with saffron. Get your ingredients together and try this recipe. Let me know how it turned out for you :) For the boli recipe click here.

The secret to this recipe is slow cooking the vermicelli in milk and sugar till it reduces and becomes creamy like condensed milk. Added to this is the flavor of ghee and cardamom and roasted cashew nuts. It is good to roast the vermicelli in ghee till it slightly changes color to golden. This enhances the flavor and avoids it from sticking and clumping together. Sugar is the sweetener, but you can use jaggery or brown sugar instead. If you are using condensed milk reduce the amount of sugar. Also, use full-fat milk for the best results. Substitute the nuts according to your tastes. You can use cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios, raisins, or dates.
You can also add sabudana/tapioca pearls for this payasam. It helps to thicken the payasam. Soak 3-4 tbs of sabudana/ tapioca pearls. Soak them in water for a few hours. Add 3-4 cups of water and cook the sabudana till soft and transparent. Add this to the payasam along with milk and cook

Semiya Payasam/Kheer Recipe

Ingredients
Semiya/Vermicelli- 3/4 cup
Whole milk- 5 cup
Condensed milk- 1/2 cup
Sugar- 1/2 cup
(adjust according to your taste)
Cashews and raisins- 1/4 cup
Cardamon powder-1/2 tsp
Ghee- 2 1/2 tsp

Bring 4 cups of milk to a boil and set aside. In a heavy bottom pan, heat two tsp of ghee in a pan and roast cashew nut and raisins till golden brown keep aside. Add a little more ghee and roast semiya till golden brown. Allow this to cool a bit. Add warm milk and stir occasionally. Allow the semiya to cook completely, before adding sugar and condensed milk. Allow this to simmer for 3-4 minutes or till the milk is reduced and thickens. Add cardamom powder or 3-4 crush cardamom pods, mix and simmer for a few more minutes. Garnish with ghee fried cashew nuts and raisins. Serve warm or chilled. Enjoy!