With the festival of colors - Holi right around the corner it is time for me to post a sweet recipe. The speciality of today’s recipe is its simplicity. Semiya or Vermicelli is so easily available all over India and in South, it is used for both spicy as well as sweet stuff. In less than 20 mins, you get to either make a meal or a dessert with this awesome stuff – Vermicelli. Today I am posting the recipe of one of the easiest sweets that can be made – Semiya Payasam or Vermicelli Kheer. Payasam or Kheer is made with the vermicelli cooked in a base of milk, sugar and some dry fruits. Traditionally it is served at the end of any South Indian meal, especially in traditional banana leaf meal. This recipe is how my Amma has been preparing Payasam as long as I have known and hardly ever, the milk curdles. This Kheer is rich, sweet and loaded with dry fruits making it a perfect for people with sweet tooth, like me 😀

How to make Semiya Payasam | Vermicelli Kheer

📖 Recipe

Semiya Payasam Recipe with Step by Step Pictures

  1. In a pan, heat 1 teaspoon of ghee. Add cashews and raisins – fry until golden. Set aside. In the same pan, add the remaining 1 teaspoon of ghee and fry the semiya/vermicelli until nicely toasted and golden on low flame.

  2. Add 1 cup of water and keep the pan covered. In 6-7 mins, the semiya/vermicelli would be cooked with all water evaporated. Add sugar and mix well. Once the sugar dissolves, it would leave water. Cook for another 5 mins.

  3. Once the semiya is thick again, add crushed green cardamom/powder. On a low flame, add the milk and mix well. Keeping the heat low, bring it to a boil. Add the tbsp. of condensed milk and mix well. Switch off the heat and add fried dry fruits.

  4. Serve warm/cold as dessert/sweet.

Recipe Notes

I used roasted vermicelli but still roasted it with some ghee since I love the nutty flavor of semiya roasted in ghee. Also, the vermicelli would be non-sticky. When the vermicelli/semiya turns almost transparent and can be mashed between your fingers, it is cooked. Adjust sugar levels as per taste preferences. Condensed milk is optional but gives a good sugary kick to the kheer/payasam. Also makes it rich. Be careful when adding milk. Sometimes the milk can curdle if the heat is too much. Make sure the sugar is well cooked and the flame is low. As the kheer/payasam cools down, it can thicken up. Add more milk and warm again before serving. The thickness of the kheer is as per preference. I like mine with lots of milk but if you prefer thicker kheer, cook the milk further until it thickens up a bit. This tastes best both hot or cold 🙂

I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂