Semiya Payasam (Vermicelli Kheer) Using Condensed Milk

I was going through my pantry and found a can of condensed milk, the original purpose of the purchase forgotten! I wanted to use it for something and since I was planning on making this dessert, I decided to try it using condensed milk.  My mother never makes it this way and neither do I although one of my Indian colleague at work uses this method. Every time she would bring it to our work meeting, it would get over in matter of minutes and we would extract promises that she would bring it the next time around too :)

My mom's method involves cooking the vermicelli in water separately and then adding it to boiling milk along with sugar and other assorted spices. My method is more like Kheer (or Rice Payasam) where I cook the vermicelli in the milk itself but cook it on low heat for a long time until it thickens to a creamy consistency. As this shows, there are so many methods of making this sweet pudding each dependent on the family, time and effort.

I found this method to be simple and much quicker than my regular recipe. This is especially helpful when making it during festive occasions when other compulsory sweets and savories would hog all your time. My mom makes it for special occasions and at times for festivals.  Simple and quick to make (and probably finish!). It is creamy with the sweetness from the condensed milk. You can easily adjust the amount of milk/condensed milk to suit your tastes and preference. For my family this amount of condensed of milk provides more than enough sweetness (we don't prefer sugary foods) but if it is not enough you can increase the amount accordingly.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Vermicelli, see Tips
• 2-1/2 cups warmed Milk, or as needed. see Tips
• 1/2 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk, see Tips
• 2-3 tbsp of mixed Dried Fruits and Nuts, see Tips
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• Pinch of Saffron

Tips

1.Vermicelli: You can make it even more simpler for you by buying roasted vermicelli that's easily available in all Indian Stores. In that case you don't need to roast it separately.
2.Milk: Although you can use low fat milk for this, Whole milk is recommended. The amount of milk depend on the creaminess and consistency preferred by you and your family. You can increase/decrease the amount according to your needs.
3. Condensed Milk: If you think you need more sweetening, add a little more condensed milk and cook for few additional minutes.
4. Dried Fruits and Nuts: I used about a tbsp each of Cashews and Pistachios and about 10 Raisins.

Method

1

Heat Ghee in a non stick or heavy bottomed pan. Add the nuts and when slightly browned, add the raisins. When the raisins puff up, remove and set aside.

2

In the same pan (in the remaining ghee), roast the vermicelli

3

until it turns golden brown.

4

To it, add the warmed milk along with the some of the nuts (keep the rest for garnish). I like to cook the nuts along with it, but you can add all of  it towards the end of the cooking.

5

Close the lid and cook for 6-8 minutes,

6

or until the vermicelli is cooked.

7

Now add the condensed milk, cardamom and saffron to the mixture and cook  for another few minutes

8

until the mixture thickens slightly.

You can now serve this as it is or refrigerate it and serve it chilled. I personally lobe it chilled. Garnish it with the remaining nuts. Enjoy :)