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Sekai Gohan

Semiya Payasam: South Indian Vermicelli Pudding Simmered in Milk

Servings 4 servings

Semiya payasam, South Indian vermicelli milk pudding, seen from above with fried cashews and raisins on top
Steps with photos

Ingredients

Ingredient Amount Role
Thick vermicelli (semiya), preferably whole wheat ¾ cup The body of the pudding. The strands soften and thicken the milk
Whole milk 4 cups Creaminess and volume. Use up to 5 cups for a looser payasam
Sugar ½ cup, adjusted to taste Sweetness
Green cardamom powder (elaichi) ½ tsp The main aroma
Ghee 2 tbsp Half for the nuts, half for toasting the vermicelli
Cashew nuts 12 to 15 Crunch and a toasty garnish
Sweet raisins 8 to 10 Small bursts of sweetness

Steps

  1. 1Fry the cashews and raisins

    Melt 1 tbsp of the ghee in the heavy-bottomed pan. Add the cashews and fry them, stirring, until they are golden all over. Add the raisins and keep stirring just until they puff up round and glossy. Lift everything out onto a small plate, leaving the ghee behind.

  2. 2Toast the vermicelli to pale gold

    Add the remaining 1 tbsp ghee to the pan and tip in the vermicelli. Stir it over low to medium heat so every strand gets coated and toasts evenly. Stop when it is pale gold in places, before it turns brown. If you bought pre-roasted vermicelli, skip this step and go straight to the milk.

    Toast lightly, not deeply

    The toasting gives the payasam its nutty smell and keeps the strands from clumping in the milk. Take it too far and the pudding turns brownish and tastes scorched. Keep the ghee well short of smoking.

  3. 3Simmer the vermicelli in the milk

    Pour in the milk and bring it to a boil over low to medium heat, stirring all the time. Keep it bubbling gently and keep stirring, running the spatula across the bottom of the pan so nothing sticks. Cook until the vermicelli is fully soft all the way through.

  4. 4Add the sugar and thicken

    Add the sugar once the noodles are soft, and stir until it dissolves. Turn the heat to low and let the payasam simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, still stirring. It grows creamier and thicker as the vermicelli releases starch. It is ready at a thick pouring consistency.

    Turn off the heat while it still pours

    Semiya keeps drinking milk after the heat goes off, so the payasam thickens a lot as it cools. Take it off at a thick pouring consistency. A pudding that looks perfect in the pan will be stiff in the bowl.

  5. 5Add the cardamom and garnish

    Stir in the cardamom powder and check the texture one last time. If it has tightened too much, loosen it with a little more milk, staying within 5 cups in all. Turn off the heat and scatter the fried cashews and raisins over the top. Serve hot or warm, or chill it. It sets thicker as it cools.