Semiya Payasam | Vermicelli Kheer

ABOUT

Semiya Payasam is a South Indian kheer made with Vermicelli, milk and sugar. They are super simple and are made in just 20 minutes. They don’t take much time to thicken as vermicelli takes care of that part :). This payasam is super smooth and melts in your mouth and you can enjoy like a sweet noodle soup 😀

This is one of my mom’s favorite recipe and will be made on festivals and occasions. But actually you don’t need any occasion to make it, it just satisfies your sweet tooth. It is also called seviyan , vermicelli kheer in North India. Some of the similar recipes like pal payasam, pal adai pradhaman etc., are also famous in South India.

INGREDIENTS

Vermicelli

Vermicelli in Tamil is called Semiya and Seviyan in North India. For Payasam/Kheer , broken vermicelli can be used or thick ones can also be used. I am not a fan of thick vermicelli , so I go for the “broken payasam Semiya” , which is available in the market.

Milk

It is always recommended to use full fat milk for any milk sweet. This ensures creaminess to the payasam/kheer. For a shortcut method, prefer adding milk powder and milk in equal quantities, however I recommend only milk for Semiya payasam as it by itself has the tendency to thicken.

In case you are a vegan , use any vegan milk and switch to vegan ghee. In such case the vermicelli should be cooked in water separately and added to boiled vegan milk, because vegan milk might curdle if continuously stirred as like regular payasam(full fat milk).

Sugar and its alternative

This recipe has normally sugar for the sweetness but you can also add jaggery or country sugar. In case of using jaggery make sure it is dissolved well in water and filtered for impurities. Take 1 cup of jaggery powder and dissolve in 1/4 cup of water . Cool the mixture before adding milk. Country sugar (naatu sarkarai) can be directly added , however make sure there are no impurities in it. The taste and color will slightly be changed, but will definitely taste yummy

TIPS AND NOTES

1. Roasting the vermicelli is important before adding milk, this ensures the vermicelli is cooked without sticking to each other and will not become too mushy.
2. Use Boiled full fat milk, don’t add water while boiling the milk, otherwise the creaminess will be less or it requires more time to condense evaporating the water.
3. Adding the nuts just before switching off flame retains the crispness of nuts and the raisins will be chewy without soaking too much in milk.
4. If you opt for jaggery in place of sugar, always dissolve in water , strain it for impurities and then use. Also cool the syrup before adding milk in order to avoid curdling.
5. Always note that vermicelli payasam gets thickened as it cools as the vermicelli absorbs some milk. Hence if you wish certain consistency , switch off the flame just before that required consistency. This will make sure that the payasam has right consistency while serving
6. In case your payasam becomes too thick after it is cooled, add some hot milk and stir. This give you the required consistency.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS WITH PHOTOS

1. Add Ghee to a pan, add all the nuts like cashews , raisins , almonds and additional nuts as per your taste and roast in ghee till everything is aromatic and golden. Keep them aside
   
2. To the same pan, ( leftover ghee) add the vermicelli (broken ones, I personally don’t prefer very thick vermicelli) and roast for few seconds until it starts to change its color.
   
3. Once it starts to change color add the boiled milk and start stirring, continuously till the vermicelli cooks completely.
   
4. Add the sugar and stir till it dissolves. Don’t overcook the vermicelli, it becomes thick. Hence once it starts to cook add the sugar and stir continuously.
   
5. Once the payasam starts to thicken , add cardamom powder, roasted nuts and raisins and stir.
   
6. If you want it loose and thin, switch off the flame right here. Or in case you need thick and creamy payasam, stir for few more minutes.Please note that this payasam thickens even more when it cools. So switch off the flame accordingly. It takes around 12-15 minutes in medium to low flame. Super yummy payasam ready!!
   
   
7. You can enjoy this both hot and cold!! Happy Eating!!
   

STORAGE

Semiya Payasam can be stored in fridge up to 1 week. It tastes like icecream when kept in fridge :D. But I always recommend not to store any milk products/dishes more than 3 days. In case you want to reheat the payasam add a little milk and heat it up, this will make it a little loose.