Semiya Payasam ( Vermicelli Milk Pudding )

Semiya Payasam - Smooth Creamy Vermicelli Milk Pudding (Vermicelli Kheer). Traditional recipe.
Semiya Payasam | Vermicelli Kheer is a sweet Indian dessert, consisting of milk and cooked vermicelli (Semiya).
Vermicelli is a type of pasta/noodle, prepared with durum wheat. wheat semolina, wheat or rice. Did you know that Vermicelli in Italian, translates to 'Little Worms?" In Italy, Vermicelli is slightly thicker than Spaghetti, however, in the US it is thinner. In India, usually made with wheat semolina, it is used to prepare both savory and sweet dishes.
Semiya Payasam is similar to the Indian dessert, Kheer, which is more traditionally made with rice (Rice and Milk Pudding). Without a doubt, the women in Kerala make some of the best Semiya Payasam. It is always served at Birthdays, Festivals and especially during the Festival of Onam.  It is the most simple preparation of Payasam. Payasam is a dessert made with rice or vermicelli, and sometimes other additions( like sago). It is cooked in milk or coconut milk, sweetened with sugar or jaggery. It flavored with spice, mainly cardamom and sometimes cumin. It also contains saffron sometimes  and typically some kind of nuts (cashew nuts)
Although Semiya Payasam is easy to make, you need to follow some steps, correctly and taste as you go. The milk in the Payasam gets absorbs after resting a while, so you need to adjust the consistency as needed by adding milk or water. Also, you really need to add the perfect amount of sugar to any payasam. Too much and it becomes sickeningly sweet, and not too many people like that. With the correct amount of sweetness, this is a creamy, delicious dessert that is worth learning.
These days, many people add sweetened condensed milk to the payasam, to simplify things a bit. However here I am sharing the traditional recipe, the way it is meant to be. Creamy, sweetened just right and delicious!
From my Blog: