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Easy Semiya Payasam (Vermicelli Kheer)

Semiya Payasam, which is also known as Vermicelli Kheer, is a tasty Indian sweet dish or pudding prepared with whole milk, vermicelli, sugar, clarified butter, cardamom, cashews and raisins.
This South Indian sweet dish from Kerala is one of the easiest and simplest desserts that can be made effortlessly in just 20 minutes. It can be prepared for any occasion or on those days when you crave for a sweet dish after a satisfying meal.
Semiya Payasam can be prepared by even those people who are new to cooking. 
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2

Equipment

  • 1 Deep Pan
  • 1 Thick-bottomed pan

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup Vermicelli (any brand)
  • 5 cups Full fat milk
  • 1 Cup Organic sugar (powdered)
  • 2 tbsps Clarified butter

For Seasoning

  • 10 nos. Cashew nuts (broken into small pieces)
  • 2 tbsps Raisins (Indian)

For Garnishing

  • 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder (crushed)
  • 1/4 tsp Saffron (Optional)

Instructions
 

  • Heat 1 tbsp of clarified butter (ghee) in a pan and fry cashews till it turns golden brown. Remove and keep it aside. Add Indian raisins and fry till it plumps up. Remove and keep it on an absorbent kitchen tissue or cloth.
  • In the same pan with leftover ghee, heat 1 more tbsp of ghee. Add vermicelli and keep stirring on medium to low flame, until it turns light brown. Switch off flame.
  • Meantime, in another thick bottomed pan, bring milk to a boil. To it, add the fried vermicelli and cook on medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes. Keep stirring so that the vermicelli doesn’t lump up. Keep separating it while stirring continuously.
  • Add powdered sugar to the vermicelli. Mix well and keep stirring so that milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. When the milk gets to thicken and the vermicelli is cooked, switch off the flame.

Seasoning & Garnishing

  • Add the fried cashews, raisins and powdered cardamom to the payasam.
    If you want to add saffron, dissolve it in warm water or milk and pour over the payasam for that rich flavour.

Notes

Notes & Tips
Semiya Payasam can be served warm or chilled. When serving chilled, the payasam is creamier and tastier.
If using readymade roasted vermicelli, you need not fry in ghee for long. Just sauté it so that it absorbs and coats some ghee.
For a healthier vegan version of this payasam, use jaggery powder instead of sugar and use coconut milk instead of whole milk.
Note that the jaggery powder has to be boiled in water and strained to remove impurities.
The coconut milk has to be diluted while cooking the vermicelli. (Use thin coconut milk. Avoid using coconut cream or thick coconut milk as it can curdle while cooking).
Cashews can be replaced with Almond slivers.
Keyword cardamom powder, cashewnuts, coconut milk, ghee, organic sugar, raisins, vermicelli