SEMIYA PAYASAM / VERMICELLI PAYASAM

                               

         Semiya payasam is an authentic South Indian milk pudding made by boiling roasted vermicelli and soaked sago (javvarisi) in milk which is then topped with nuts n raisins with a dash of cardamom. This is a regular dessert for any festival and celebrations in south India... It is so much indispensable that you can find it in any marriages, birthday parties, family get togethers and any vazhai ilai sappadu(meal served on plantain leaf).
Though there are a lot of varieties of payasam in India ( kasa kasa(poppy seeds) payasam, carrot payasam, paruppu(lentils) payasam, sorakkai(bottle gourd) payasam(!!) and much more in the list), this dessert always steals the show and making it is a cakewalk. With the addition of sago, it makes the payasam much authenic. In villages, addition of sago is a must and one would definitely have memories of poking a sago jelly on plantain leaf on various occassions... It's called kheer in north India... But in north India, it's usually made with rice and milk.

                                                    Yesterday was Sri Anjaneyar Jayanti. Since this pudding is made on all occasions, I wanted to post this. On this day, milagu vadai (pepper fritters), butter, thattu vadai (a savory), laddu (gram flour sweet balls), sundal (cooked and tempered legumes or lentils), vetrilai malai (betel garland), tulsi malai (basil garland) and arugampul maalai (bermuda grass garland) are the usual offerings to lord Anjaneya. Hanuman jayanti is celebrated on different days across India. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, they celebrate it on the new moon day (amavasya) in the month of margazhi. It is celebrated in hanuman temple with great devotion and fervor. Hanuman statues are adorned with basil garland, bermuda grass garland and 108 pepper fritters (the number is considered very auspicious). At certain temples, whole Hanuman statue is covered with butter and is called vennai kaappu. Sakkara pongal (rice and jaggery based dessert) and milagu vadai (pepper fritters) are given as prasadam to the devotees at temple. Certain temples give a chunk of butter over a betel leaf as prasadam too.

                                               
                 

SEMIYA PAYASAM/ VERMICELLI PAYASAM RECIPE

Cuisine - South Indian

Category - Dessert

Yields - 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
Vermicelli/ semiya - 1/2 cup
Javvarisi/ sago - 3 tablespoons (soaked for half an hour)
Water - 1/2 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Salt - a pinch
Ghee/ clarified butter - 1 teaspoon
Cashew nuts (split) - 10 nos
Raisins - 10 nos
Cardamom powder - a generous pinch

METHOD
1. Soak sago for at least half an hour. Heat ghee in a wok and add cashew nuts and raisins. When the cashew nuts are brown and the raisins have puffed up transfer it to a clean bowl.
2. In the same vessel, roast the vermicelli till slightly golden. Keep it in another plate.
3. Boil sago in half a cup of water. Let it cook till they are transparent jelly balls. Add milk now and bring it to a boil.Now, add the roasted vermicelli.
4. When it is half done, add sugar and cardamom powder. Stir it occasionally.
5. Let it cook fully and then switch it off.
6. Top it with the roasted cashew nuts and raisins. Serve hot or cold.

TIPS
1. Addition of sago is optional. You can simply skip it.
2. The payasam would become thick after a while. If you want a watery consistency, just add some hot milk before serving.
3. Do add more sugar if you are sweet toothed!