Semiya Payasam Recipe (Vermicelli Payasam)
Semiya Payasam (Vermicelli Payasam) is a delicious South Indian dessert made using wheat vermicelli, milk, and sugar. Make this delicious sweet using my easy recipe.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 10-12 cashew nuts chopped
- 10-12 almonds chopped
- ¼ cup raisins
- 75 grams roasted wheat semiya (vermicelli) ½ cup
- 1 cup boiling water
- 4 cups whole milk (full-fat milk)
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a pan over medium heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, add cashew nuts and almonds and fry until browned. Take both out and set aside.
- Add raisins and fry until they plump up. Remove on a plate.
- Add roasted wheat vermicelli to the same pan. Stir constantly until it turns light golden. Roasting removes the raw, starchy taste and stops the noodles from turning mushy once milk goes in. Be very careful not to burn the vermicelli.
- Now add boiling water to the pan and cook until the vermicelli is soft and cooked through. Stir gently a few times while cooking.
- Once the vermicelli is cooked well, add milk and sugar to the pan and mix well.
- Cook until the milk thickens (10-12 mins), stirring frequently.
- Add ground cardamom and mix well.
- Simmer for a few more minutes until the semiya payasam thickens to the desired consistency.
- Check for sugar and add more if needed.
- Add most of the fried nuts and raisins back into the pot, keeping a few aside for garnish. Simmer for 1 to 2 more minutes so the flavors settle together.
- Turn off the heat and allow the payasam to cool down for a few minutes.
- Serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature, garnished with fried cashews, almonds, and raisins.
Do not add sugar until the vermicelli is properly cooked. The cooking process stops as soon as you add the sugar.
Video
Notes
Keep it slightly thinner than you want at the table. It sets as it sits, and reheating with extra milk is much easier than fixing an overly thick pot.
Do not walk away while roasting the vermicelli. It goes from golden to burnt in under a minute, and burnt vermicelli tastes bitter enough to ruin the whole batch.
Use a heavy-bottomed pan. Thin pans scorch milk fast.
Taste before you add all the sweetener.
Nutrition
Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 309mg | Iron: 1mg
