Category: South Indian Sweets

South Indian Sweets

Semiya [Vermicelli] Payasam [Pudding]

Dessert, Pudding, South Indian, South Indian Sweets, Sweets

Vermicelli kheer or Semiya payasam is a simple and delicious pudding made during the festival season. It can be served either hot or cold.

Ingredients:

  • Semiya [Vermicelli] (1/2 cup)
  • Milk (Full cream, 2 1/2 cups)
  • Cardamom Powder (1/4 tsp)
  • Saffron (Few strands)
  • Cashews (halved, 10)
  • Sugar (1/2 cup)
  • Raisins ( 2 tsp)
  • Ghee (2 tsp)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Dessert

Serves: 4

Method:

  • Soak saffron in warm milk.
  • Melt ghee in a shallow skillet and add cashews. when it’s half done add raisins and sautee till golden.
  • Set aside and in the same skillet add vermicelli.
  • Sautee till there is a slight change in color.
  • Add water and cook till it is soft.
  • Add milk and boil till it is reduced to half.
  • Add sugar cook till it dissolves.
  • Add cardamom powder, saffron, and roasted raisins and cashews.

Step by Step pictures of the recipe:

Melt ghee and add cashews and raisins.
Set aside the roasted cashews and raisins.
Add semiya [vermicelli] and sautee till they turn golden.
Add water and cook semiya until they are soft.
Cook till water is absorbed completely.
Add milk.
Cook until milk is reduced to half.
Add sugar.
Switch off the flame and add saffron, roasted cashews, raisins and cardamom powder.

Notes:

  • While roasting ensure vermicelli should be slight brown.
  • Cook vermicelli in water rather than in milk.

Beet-Sago Delight

Dessert, Festival Dishes, North Indian Sweets, South Indian Sweets, Sweets

Beet gives the beautiful color and sago turns into round pearls with saffron nuts and cardamom is a real delight. I used nylon sago which looks like a raw rice but the other store bought sago which looks white in color can also be used.

Ingredients:

  • Beet (cubes, 1/2 cup)
  • Milk (whole, 2 cups)
  • Saffron (few strands)
  • Sago (1/3 cup)
  • Sugar (1/2 cup
  • Almond (pieces, 3 tsp)
  • Cardamom Powder (1/4 tsp)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes

Category: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 3

Method:

  • Soak saffron in warm milk.
  • In a pressure cooker add sago and water. Use a separator or a plate to cook beet.
  • Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.
  • Grind the cooked beets to a fine paste.
  • In a thick skillet add milk and bring it to boil.
  • Add the ground paste and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Add sugar and once it dissolves add the cooked sago.
  • Garnish with cardamom powder, soaked saffron.
  • Refrigerate for 2 hours.
  • Add nuts before serving.

Step by step pictures of the recipe:

Soak saffron strands in warm milk.
Add water to sago and pressure cook.
Use a plate or a separator to cook beet.
Grind to a fine paste.
Boil milk and add the ground paste.
Add sugar and wait to dissolve.
Add the cooked sago.
Garnish with cardamom powder and saffron refrigerate before adding nuts.

Notes:

  • Care should be taken while cooking sago. It can be cooked by adding sago in boiling water for 10 minutes or until translucent on a low flame and transfer it to a cold water container and strain it or pressure cook it.Only nylon sago can be pressure cooked.

Kavuni [Black] Rice Sweet

Dessert, South Indian, South Indian Festives, South Indian Rice, South Indian Sweets, Sweets

This sweet originates from Chettinad region in Tamilnadu. Black rice is a good source of iron and other nutrients. I used jaggery instead of sugar. This rice turns purple after it’s cooked.

Ingredients:

  • Kavuni [Black] Rice (1/2 cup)
  • Cardamom Powder (1/4 tsp)
  • Coconut (grated, 1/2 cup)
  • Cashews (halved, 10)
  • Jaggery (3/4 cup)
  • Ghee (4 tsp)
Ingredients

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Soak time: 12 hours

Category: Lunch \ Dinner \ Snack

Cuisine: South Indian

Serves: 3

Method:

  • In a bowl wash and add water to kavuni rice and soak for 12 hours.
  • Transfer the soaked rice to a pressure cooker and add water if required.
  • Pressure cook for 15 whistles.
  • Add ghee to a deep skillet and add cashews.
  • Sautee for 5-6 minutes or until golden and set aside.
  • In the same skillet add grated coconut and dry roast for few minutes and set aside.
  • Add jaggery and water and cook till jaggery dissolves.
  • Add the cooked black rice and mash well.
  • Add the roasted cashews, coconut, and cardamom powder.
  • Add the remaining ghee too.

Step by step pictures of the recipe:

Wash and soak black rice for 12 hours.
Transfer the rice to a pressure cooker.
Pressure cook for 15 whistles.
If the rice is not soft pressure cook again for 4-5 whistles.
Roast cashews in ghee.
Dry roast grated coconut.
Roasted coconut and cashews to garnish.
Cook jaggery until it dissolves.
Add the cooked rice and mash well.
Garnish with coconut and cashews.

Notes:

  • Wild rice and black rice are not exactly the same. We can substitute with wild rice if it’s not available.
  • Add more water before pressure cook the rice if required.
  • Cook the rice on low flame and ensure that there is enough water to pressure cook for 15 whistles.
  • Mash the rice before add to jaggery water.
  • Dissolve the jaggery and no need to make thick syrup.
  • The rice should be properly cooked before adding to the jaggery water.