Shavige Payasa | Semiyan Kheer | Vermicelli Pudding

Happy New Year!!!

I hope you had a great New Year's Eve!!

I ended 2016 with a sweet note. Read about it here.

In our culture, we start everything new with something sweet. I'm starting the new year with this sweet treat - Vermicelli Pudding or Semiyan Kheer or Shavige Payasa. Not that I need excuses to eat desserts, but then it is January, and I have resolutions made that I don't want to break in the very first week.

So, I just had one little bowl. But what a bowl it was, rich, sweet, fragrant, everything a kheer is meant to be.

Shavige Payasa is very commonly made for all festivals and is what we begin the meal with. It is one of the easiest desserts I know to make.

To make Shavige Payasa, we first need to roast the shavige or semiyan or vermicelli in ghee until golden brown. This is an important step as it prevents the vermicelli from clumping up when added to the milk. Also it imparts that rich taste of ghee to the entire kheer. You need to do this step carefully, stirring frequently and ensuring that the vermicelli does not burn. I always use wheat vermicelli that is not pre-roasted and is already broken into small pieces. I buy brands like MTR or Bambino

The second step is the dry fruits. I am a total "nut-case", I love nuts and dry fruits. I am extra generous with nuts and dry fruits when it comes to desserts and I also like to add a variety of them. This time I've used almonds, cashews, raisins and pistachios. The nuts and dry fruits need to be chopped and fried in ghee as well. Again, you need to be careful while frying in ghee. Ghee heats up quickly and you can end up with burnt nuts. So keep a watch on them. Stir frequently and keep the heat low. Fry the raisins separately as they burn quickly.

After this you are pretty much done with the "work". Just boil milk, add sugar and the roasted vermicelli. Give it a good stir to separate the strands of vermicelli and then allow it to simmer on low heat until the vermicelli is cooked completely but still retains it's shape. The vermicelli will give way when squeezed. About the sugar, I'd say start with less and add more if required later. Add around 3/4th the quantity in the beginning and you can add more after the vermicelli is cooked. Somehow, a lot of people think Indian Desserts are way too sweet and avoid them. But when you make it at home, you can adjust how much sugar you add depending on your taste. So Indian desserts don't have to be sickly sweet. Once the vermicelli is cooked and the sugar adjusted, add the cardamom powder and the fried nuts and dry fruits and mix well. If you have over reduced the milk and the kheer begins to look thick, add more milk and adjust the sugar.

Shavige Payasa is usually served hot to warm, but I like it at room temperature. I enjoy it even when it is cold.

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Chana Dal Payasa - Kheer made from chana dal and coconut milk.
• Gajar ka Halwa -  North Indian carrot pudding made with grated carrots, milk, sugar, ghee and dry fruits.

Shavige Payasa | Semiyan Kheer | Vermicelli Pudding

Shavige Payasa | Semiyan Kheer | Vermicelli Pudding is a simple Indian dessert made by cooking ghee roasted vermicelli in milk.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     5 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

0.5 cup Vermicelli or Semiyan or Shavige
4-5 cups Milk
3-4 Tbsp Sugar
1.5 Tbsp Ghee
3 Cardamoms
5-6 Cashew Nuts
5-6 Almonds
8-10 Raisins
4-5 Pistachios

Method:

Chop the almonds, cashew nuts and pistachios.
Heat ghee in a kadhai and add the chopped nuts. Fry them until they are a gentle brown. Do not allow them to burn. Keep stirring.
Remove the nuts and keep aside.
Add the raisins and stir fry them until they puff up. Remove and keep along with the nuts.
Add the vermicelli to the kadhai and on low heat roast the vermicelli until it is golden brown. Keep stirring frequently. Remove from heat and keep aside.
In the same kadhai, add 4 cups milk and bring it to a rolling boil.
Lower the heat and add sugar and simmer for 1 minute until the sugar dissolves.
Add the vermicelli to the milk and on low heat allow it to simmer until the vermicelli is cooked. Stir occasionally so that the vermicelli does not form lumps.
The kheer is done when the vermicelli is cooked. At this point if the kheer looks very thick, add the remaining milk and you can add more sugar and cook it until the sugar dissolves.
Crush the cardamom into a powder and add to the kheer. Simmer for 1 minute after mixing well.
Add the nuts and raisins and mix well. Remove from heat.
Kheer is usually served hot, but you can serve it at room temperature or even cold. As the kheer cools it ends up thickening. You can add a little milk to loosen the kheer while serving. You can add powdered sugar to adjust the sweetness as well.

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Shavige uppit / Semiyan upma / Savoury vermicelli

I always get tired of thinking what to make for breakfast. Somehow, cornflakes never was my favorite and with store bought bread being mainly of maida/flour, I need to keep making something different everyday so I don't get bored and skip breakfast. Being the most important meal of the day, breakfast has to be energy packed to get you through the day. Shavige uppit is an easy and quick to make breakfast.

Ingredients:

Shavige/ Semiya/ Vermicelli – 1 cup (dried)

Onion – 1 small

Tomato – 1 small

Green chillies – 1-2

Oil – 2 tsp

Mustard – ½ tsp

Coriander leaves – a handful

Fresh grated coconut – 2 tbsp (Optional)

Curry leaves – 5-6 (Optional)

Water – 2 cups

Salt

Method:

Heat a kadhai and roast the vermicelli without oil for 2-3 mins until they turn faintly brown and keep aside. Do not let them burn, keep stirring.

Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds.

Add the curry leaves and chopped green chillies to the oil after the mustard seeds splutter.

Add the chopped onion and fry until they are translucent.

Add the chopped tomato and fry until they are soft.

Add the water and salt. Allow it to boil.

Once the water boils, add the roasted vermicelli and cover it.

Cook for around 5 mins until all the water evaporates and the vermicelli is cooked.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fresh grated coconut and serve hot.

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