HOW TO MAKE Semiya Payasam / Vermicelli Payasam

Semiya Payasam / Vermicelli Payasam

Semiya Payasam / Vermicelli Payasam in one of the favourites in my family. Though we all mostly make this sweet during festivals and special occasions, the preparation itself makes a normal day so special.!! Semiya Payasam is made by roasting the vermicelli with ghee, slowly cooked and simmered in milk and sugar, flavoured with crushed cardamom powder and little saffron and garnished with ghee roasted cashew nuts. It tastes heavenly if made using whole milk. As the process is simpler, its easy to make a normal day into a very special day....Its all in our hands!!! Have a beautiful day with a cup of sweet semiya payasam.

Ingredients

Semiya / Vermicelli - 1 cups

Milk - 4-5 cups ( Used 2% Milk )

Sugar - 3/4 th of a cup

Cardamom Powder - 1 tsp

Saffron - 1 pinch ( Optional )

Ghee - 2 tsp

Cashew nuts - 8-10 ghee roasted

Method

• In a kadai / cooking vessel, add a tsp of ghee and roast the cashew nuts first and keep them aside. Then add another tsp of ghee and roast the vermicelli till it turns golden colour.
• When you get a nice aroma, add enough water to cook the vermicelli.
• When its well cooked, add milk,saffron and sugar and allow them to cook for another 5-6 minutes.
• Don't forget to stir the payasam once a while.
• Add cardamom powder and roasted cashew nuts to the Payasam.
• You can have this Payasam either warm or chilled.
• Finally add the roasted cashew nuts to the Payasam and enjoy.

Tips / Note

Vermicelli payasam thickens after a while as the vermicelli absorbs most of the milk. Also, it gets thickened when its refrigerated. So, just before serving add warm milk to the Payasam and mix them well and serve.

You can add roasted raisins to the Payasam along with cashew nuts.

HOW TO MAKE Tomato Pickle / Thakkali Urugai / Thakkali Oorgai

Tomato Pickle / Thakkali Urugai / Thakkali Oorgai

Pickles , Thokku, chutney or any variety made out of tomatoes will get over quicker in my home due to its tangy taste which accompanies very well with any food items. ( Rice or Rotis ). Its really difficult to have a good meal without our favourite tangy, spicy tomato pickle bottle on the dining table. I already posted my version of making Tomato Pachidi / Tomato Thokku earlier ( My first Post !!). But I made a pickle version this time mainly to give it to my dear friend. It came out very well with good flavour and taste but unfortunately this pickle could not be delivered to her this time. Next time, it would surely satisfy their tongue and make me happy. This version is mainly suited for long travels.

Ingredients
Red Ripe Tomatoes - Around 25 medium
Sesame Oil - 3 tbsp
Oil - 1/2 Cup
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 Dash
Salt - To Taste
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Pickle Powder 
Dry Red Chillies - Around 15 ( Very Spicy Ones)
Fenugreek Seeds / Vendhayam - 2 tsp
Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp

Method

Wash the tomatoes and dry them on a tissue paper or a plate. Cut them into tiny pieces and keep it ready. Meantime, dry roast the fenugreek seeds and dry red chillies in a frying pan and grind them into a fine powder. In a big frying pan / kadai, add all the chopped tomatoes and allow them to cook by covering the pan with a lid.  After a while, you might notice a semi gravy of tomatoes floating in the pan. Open the lid and add turmeric powder, pickle powder, salt, hing and some oil and stir them nicely. Keep the lid open and allow the tomato paste to thicken slowly. Though this process might take some time, the final outcome is going to be yummy. After the paste thickens like above, finally add the sesame oil to the tomato pickle. Mix them well and switch off the flame when you see the oil oozing out of the pickle from its side. The pickle should be cooled completely before transferring into a dry storage container.

Tips

Keep the cut tomato pieces under the sun for few hours before making the pickle. This enhances the taste of the pickle and lasts longer.

Variations

Adjust the spice level according to your taste buds by reducing the dry red chillies in the pickle powder.