Semiya Payasam

“Wishing you all a very happy Onam”

Semiya/Vermicelli Payasam is the simplest of all the payasams and is the most popular one.

Recipe follows…

Ingredients:-

Vermicelli/Semiya – 1 cup
Sago – 1/4 cup (Optional)
Milk – 4 – 5 cups(I’ve use 2% fat milk here.You can use whole milk,or little water combined with whole milk depending on your choice.)
Sugar – 1/2 cup
Condensed milk – 1/2 cup (Optional)
Cashewnuts – 1/4 cup
Raisins – 1/4 cup
Cardamom pods crushed – 3
Ghee – 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp(for roasting cashews & raisins)

Method :-

Soak the sago in 1-2 cups water for an hour.Boil it along with this water until it turns soft and translucent,stirring in between.Drain it through a sieve and reserve the sago.

Heat ghee in a pan and roast the vermicelli till it gets a light brown color and keep it aside.(Ready made roasted vermicelli is available in market now,if you’re using that you can skip this step.)Boil milk in a big vessel,and when it is fully boiled,slowly add the roasted vermicelli into it,stirring continuosly to prevent them from sticking.Let it come to a slow boil in medium heat.When the vermicelli is cooked,add the sugar and sago and mix well.Now simmer it for 10- 15 minutes or until it begins to thicken.Add the condensed milk into it and stir again until everything is well combined.You can also add more milk if needed.Check for the sugar and add crushed cardamom,mix well and switch off the stove.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan and fry cashews until brown,remove them from pan and fry the raisins until plump.Add these to the payasam.This payasam can be served warm or chilled.

Note :- If you’re not using the condensed milk add more sugar accordingly.