Semiya Payasam or Vermicelli Kheer with stovetop, microwave and Instant pot instructions, stepwise photos & video. Semiya Payasam is an Indian dessert that is made with just a handful of ingredients. It is probably one of the easiest and quickest desserts or sweets that you can make in under 30 mins.
From birthday celebrations to weddings, this semiya payasam is a part of the celebrations, in fact, you don't even need a special occasion but can make it whenever you crave anything sweet.
Semiya payasam is also known by several names across India as vermicelli kheer, vermicelli payasam & seviyan kheer.
It is made as a dessert for celebrations like birthdays, housewarmings, anniversaries and as a neivedhyam for festivals like Diwali, Navratri, and New Year.
You can make this dessert for potlucks and get-togethers too, as it takes little time to cook and is a great crowd-pleaser.
Table of Contents:
About
Semiya payasam is one of the easiest and simplest desserts that can be made without much effort.
It is an Indian dessert made with semiya, whole milk, sugar, cardamom and topped with nuts.
Though there are several kinds of vermicelli available in the market, I prefer using the one made with wheat to make semiya payasam.
Ingredients
Semiya: We also call this as vermicelli or seviyan. There are ragi, rice, millet & wheat vermicelli available in the market. Some brands sell both unroasted and roasted vermicelli.
You can use either the ‘Bambino’, ‘Savorit’ or ‘MTR’ brand of either roasted or unroasted semiya to make this payasam.
I prefer using the thick, unroasted variety of wheat vermicelli when making any recipe using semiya like in this semiya upma.
Sweetener: I prefer using sugar to make semiya payasam as any other sweetener like jaggery will change the colour of the payasam which I do not like.
You can use sugar-free pellets or stevia as well, and adjust the quantity of the sweetener according to your preference.
Milk: I have added whole milk or full cream milk to cook the kheer. It gives a good flavour & taste and also imparts a thick, creamy consistency to the kheer.
Ghee: Use a good brand of desi ghee or homemade ghee to roast the nuts and semiya for a good aroma.
Other ingredients: Cardamom and nutmeg to add more aroma, roasted cashew nuts to a give bite while eating the kheer.
Instructions
To make semiya payasam,
Heat ghee in a pan and add cashew nuts, roast till golden brown. Drain & transfer to a bowl.
Now add raisins to the same pan & roast till they puff up. Drain & transfer to the same bowl.
Add semiya and remaining ghee to the same pan.
Roast till golden brown over medium flame and transfer to a plate.
Add water to the same pan and let it come to a boil.
Now add in the semiya and mix well. Let it cook till soft.
Add sugar and mix well. Let it dissolve in the heat itself.
Pour milk, cardamom powder, nutmeg, a pinch of salt, mix well and let it come to a boil and switch off the stove.
Add roasted cashew nuts, saffron strands (if using) and mix well.
Serve this semiya payasam in individual bowls, either hot or warm.
Semiya Payasam in Microwave
In a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl, first mix 1 teaspoon ghee with cashew nuts, raisins and cook at high for 1 min till the nuts turn golden brown and raisins puff up. Transfer to a bowl.
Next, mix semiya with remaining ghee and microwave at high for a minute, mixing it once in between till it becomes golden brown.
Add milk, mix well and microwave at high for 5 minutes.
Stir in sugar and let it dissolve completely. Microwave for 3 minutes at high power.
Now add cardamom powder, roasted cashews and microwave at high for 2 more minutes for all the flavours to meld well. Serve hot or warm.
Safety Tip: Use kitchen gloves or silicone mitts to handle the bowl, as it will be very hot.
Instant Pot Semiya Payasam
Start the Instant pot in ‘saute’ mode. Add 1 teaspoon ghee when the display reads ‘hot’ and let it melt.
Add cashew nuts & raisins and fry them till the nuts turn golden brown & the raisins puff up. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Tip in semiya and remaining ghee to the inner pot. Stir to roast till golden brown.
Pour water, milk & sugar and mix well. Close with the lid, making sure that the vent is in ‘sealing’ position.
Press ‘cancel’ and then ‘pressure cook’ function and set the time for 5 mins at high pressure.
Once the cooking cycle completes, wait for 5 mins and release the remaining pressure manually.
Open the lid, add cardamom powder, nutmeg, a pinch of salt and mix well.
Add roasted nuts, raisins & saffron strands, if using, mix and serve this vermicelli kheer hot or cold.
Recipe Notes
I have used unroasted ‘bambino’ brand semiya and roasted it in ghee before making the payasam.
While roasting semiya, stir continuously to ensure even roasting and it also ensures that not a single strand gets burned. Even few strands of burnt semiya can ruin the flavour and aroma of the payasam.
Add the sugar only after the semiya is fully cooked. If you add it before, the semiya will not cook, and it will become hard & chewy.
I have used whole milk that has already been boiled and cooled down to room temperature.
You can also cook the semiya in milk entirely instead of water, but I prefer to cook it in water and later add milk. This not only prevents the kheer from getting a smoky aroma after roasting in ghee, but also prevents it from becoming too lumpy after the payasam cools down.
Other than cashew nuts, feel free to use almonds, walnuts, melon seeds and caraway seeds.
Nutrition Profile
This recipe is
- Egg-Free
- Soy-Free
- Vegetarian
Storage
Any leftover semiya payasam can be refrigerated, and it stays well for 2 to 3 days. In fact, it tastes best the next day, enhanced with all the flavours melded well.
You can either serve it cold or reheat it in the microwave or stovetop to warm it up a bit before serving.
Since the vermicelli kheer will thicken further upon cooling, add a little milk to dilute it before reheating.
FAQ's
I would advise using almond milk if you wish to use plant-based milk to make the payasam. Cashew milk and soy milk won't go well with the kheer and coconut milk will change the flavour of the kheer.
Yes, you can and while it does cut short the time of roasting the vermicelli, it is best if you roast it once again with ghee to avoid the payasam from tasting like porridge or gruel without any flavour.
Using condensed milk will not only sweeten the vermicelli kheer but also gives it a more thick and creamy consistency.
If using condensed milk, use ¼ cup and skip adding sugar completely. You can also use both by reducing sugar to ¼ cup sugar and adding 1 to 2 tablespoon of condensed milk to get the creamy consistency.
Watch Video
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more recipe videos.
Related Recipes
See more Payasam Recipes
If you loved this recipe, tap --> Rate or in the recipe card below to give us a 5 star rating!
If you have tried this recipe & have any more queries, send an email to ticklingpalates@gmail.com
Recipe
Semiya Payasam Recipe - Vermicelli Kheer
Ingredients
- ½ cup semiya or vermicelli
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2½ cups whole milk boiled & cooled to room temperature
- 3 cardamom powdered
- 2 pinch nutmeg grated
- 10 to 12 cashew nuts halved
- 5 to 7 raisins
- 2 teaspoon ghee
- 1 pinch salt
- ¾ cup water
- 1 pinch of saffron strands (optional)
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- Heat a pan with 1 teaspoon ghee. Let it melt, add cashew nuts, and roast till the nuts are golden brown. Drain the nuts & transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the raisins & roast till they puff up, taking care not to burn them. Drain & transfer to the same bowl and set aside.
- Add semiya to the pan, 1 teaspoon ghee and roast the semiya by tossing frequently over low flame till it turns golden brown. Transfer to a separate bowl and set it aside.
- Add water to the pan and let it come to a boil. Add roasted semiya, mix and let it cook over low flame till it is cooked soft.
- Add sugar and stir till it gets dissolved in the heat itself. Now add milk, cardamom powder, nutmeg, a pinch of salt, mix well and let it come to a boil.
- Cook for 2 to 3 mins over low flame and switch off the stove.
- Add roasted cashew nuts, raisins, saffron strands (if using) and mix well.
- Serve this semiya payasam in individual bowls either hot or warm.
- If you wish to serve this cold, after it cools down to room temperature, refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours prior to serving.
Semiya Payasam in Microwave
- In a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl, first mix 1 teaspoon ghee with cashew nuts, raisins and cook at high for 1 min till the nuts turn golden brown and raisins puff up. Transfer to a bowl.
- Next, mix semiya with remaining ghee and microwave at high for a minute, mixing it once in between till it becomes golden brown.
- Add water & milk, mix well and microwave at high for 5 minutes or till cooked soft.
- Stir in sugar and let it dissolve completely. Microwave for 3 minutes at high power.
- Add cardamom powder, nutmeg, roasted cashews & raisins, salt, & saffron strands and microwave at high for 2 more minutes for all the flavours to meld well. Serve hot or warm.
Instant Pot Semiya Payasam
- Start the Instant pot in ‘saute’ mode. Add 1 teaspoon ghee when the display reads ‘hot’ and let it melt.
- Add cashew nuts & raisins and fry them till the nuts turn golden brown & the raisins puff up. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add semiya and remaining ghee to the inner pot. Stir to roast till golden brown.
- Add water, milk & sugar and mix well.
- Close with the lid, making sure that the vent is in ‘sealing’ position.
- Press ‘cancel’ and then ‘pressure cook’ function and set the time for 5 mins at high pressure.
- Once the cooking cycle completes, wait for 5 mins and release the remaining pressure manually by flipping the vent to ‘venting’ position.
- Open the lid, add cardamom powder, nutmeg & a pinch of salt, & saffron strands and mix well.
- Add the roasted nuts, raisins & saffron strands, if using, mix and serve hot or cold.
Leave a Reply.