For me, Kheer means with vermicelli? It's also called Payasa or Payasam.
There is no end to delicious and yummy pudding and the variety of kheer you can have. You can have Chawal ka Kheer, Godi Kutid Payasa, Moong Dal Payasa, Aliva che Kheer, Peas Payasa, Kheer with Bottle Gourd & Sago, the Goan Special Mangane to name a few.
When you say Kheer it conjures images of a delicious pudding, an Indian dessert made by boiling made by boiling rice, broken wheat, tapioca, sago or vermicelli with milk and sugar. The flavourings range from cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios or almonds.
The flavourings range from cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios or almonds. Here are a few samples
When do you have kheer? During a meal or as a dessert. The other names for kheer are payasam, payasa, phirni, gil-e-firdaus, payesh, payesh, Paays and fereni. The Sanskrit names are क्षीर kṣīra/ पायसम् "paayasam.
Kheer is prepared in festivals, temples, and all special occasions. It is an essential dish in many Hindu feasts and celebrations. In fact, in a traditional North Karnataka thali, the first thing you have to eat is payasa. The quantities served are small and it is the Prasad.
While payasa is made with rice, it can also be made with other ingredients, such as vermicelli, moong dal, broken wheat, sago. Fresh vegetables like carrots, bottle gourd. Then there is apple kheer which I must try. Although white sugar is most commonly used, adding gur (jaggery) as a sweetener is common.
Firni or phirni, also known as "Indian rice pudding", allowed to set in a shallow earthen dish, and garnished with strands of saffron, chopped almonds and pistachios.
Semiya is also consumed during Ramadan and prepared for the feasts of Muslim weddings and festivals, such as Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha.
Kheer, Shavgi Payasa or Vermicelli Payasam
Ingredients:
- 700 ml milk
- ½ cup of semiya or vermicelli
- ¼ cup of sugar (adjust as per taste)
- 2 teaspoons ghee
- ⅛ tsp. elichi/green cardamom powder
- few strands of saffron
- cashew nuts and raisins (adjust as per taste)
Method:
- In a thick bottomed vessel heat the milk on low flame.
- Add a small ceramic dish to the bottom. It prevents the burning of the milk. This is what I use its called basundi plate.
- Boil the milk till it reduces to about ¾ to ½ the original quantity.
- Meanwhile, add ghee to a heavy bottom kadhai/wok and heat it.
- Deep fry the cashews till golden.
- Similarly, fry the raisins if using. Set aside for garnish
- Make small pieces of the semiya add to the kadhai/wok and fry till slightly golden on a low flame. Set aside.
- Add the semiya to the boiled milk. The semiya cooks almost immediately. Heat on low flame till vermicelli is cooked.
- Keep stirring to prevent the payasa from burning. Add the Add sugar and cardamom powder.
- immediately the payasa becomes watery. I generally cook it at this stage to let it thicken. But now rethinking it. as the payasa cools it thickens. So will let it remain in this form only.
- Garnish with fried nuts and raisins.
Archana
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