Semiya Payasam | Saffron Vermicelli Kheer

Semiya payasam or Vermicelli Kheer is one of the popular desserts in India. This dessert is a delectable cross between a traditional semiya payasam and badam kheer. It will be a crowd pleasure with very little effort from your side.

Semiya payasam was omnipresent in my childhood. Amma would make it for festivals, when she had sudden guests at home or as a quick fix for our sugar cravings. It was a family favorite and we took it for granted. Amma would use the semiya that’s used for making upma in her payasam. I always wished the semiya was a tad thinner to soak in lot more flavor from the payasam base. I didn’t particularly enjoy chewing on the flavorless semiya that was left behind.

What is Semiya Payasam made of?

Semiya Payasam is a sweet dish made by cooking Vermicelli in milk and is flavored with saffron and cardamom. It is garnished with cashews and raisins and is usually served hot.

My inspiration behind this Saffron Semiya Payasam

During my Post graduate days in Dallas, my roommate made semiya payasam on Karthika month. She used a thin vermicelli called Nylon vermicelli. One mouthful of her payasam left me speechless. It was all that I’d wished for in a semiya payasam. The texture of semiya was super fine and melt in the mouth. It absorbed all the flavors from the payasam base and was even quicker to make. I never went back to the old way of making semiya payasam using the thick vermicelli again.

I love Badam milk and I make it at home regularly. This semiya payasam is inspired by the flavors from my favorite Badam milk. The mellow flavor from saffron, accentuated by cardamom is bliss and this payasam boasts all of that and more. Give it a try and you’ll be hooked too. Add in a lot of your favorite nuts to make this Vermicelli kheer a rich and decadent dessert.

Why you will love this Semiya Payasam

• It is a blend of two wonderful desserts
• It’s a crowd pleaser
• You can make it healthier by using unrefined sugar
• The addition of nuts and milk make it nutritious
• You can modify the flavors endlessly

Check out other Indian dessert recipes from my blog

Akkaravadisal

Badam Burfi

Ashoka Halwa

Ingredients for Saffron Semiya Payasam

Nylon vermicelli

This vermicelli should be easily available in any Indian or Pakistani grocery store. Nylon vermicelli is used to make the Sheer kurma for Eid. If you can’t get hold of it, you can use the regular vermicelli we use for making upma.

Milk

I strongly recommend using whole milk for this payasam. You can use reduced fat milk or vegan milk but it won’t be rich and creamy.

Saffron

Kesar or Saffron is the key ingredient for this kheer. Use it generously as mentioned in the recipe for full depth of flavor.

Cardamom

No Indian dessert is complete without cardamom. It screams Indian in any dessert and is one of my favorite flavors. Do not skip it.

Nuts

Use an assorted mix of cashews and almond. I like to use cashews predominantly and garnish it with slivered almonds.

Raisins

Use any type of raisin, plain or fried. I like mine plain and I skipped the frying step.

Method for making Saffron Semiya Payasam

In a small cup, heat 1/4^th cup of milk and add a fat pinch of saffron to it. Mix it well and let it sit for at least 5 minutes.

In a sauce pan, add ghee and roast the cashews till they turn golden brown taking care not to burn the cashews as it will ruin the taste of your payasam. Remove the cashews from the saucepan and keep them aside.

In the same sauce pan, add the nylon vermicelli and fry for 3-4 minutes if you are using roasted vermicelli or till they turn golden brown if you are using unroasted vermicelli. Remove it from the saucepan and keep it aside. I’m using roasted nylon vermicelli for this recipe.

Then, in the same saucepan, add milk and bring it to boil.

Once it starts boiling, add the saffron milk to it and let it boil for 5 minutes in medium-low heat. The rich yellow hue comes from saffron. That’s why it’s important to add it as soon as the milk comes to a boil, as, the more it boils the yellower it will turn.

Next, add the roasted vermicelli and cook it for 5 minutes or until the vermicelli turns tender.

Then, add sugar and mix well. Then, simmer it for 3 minutes and turn off the heat. Here, you can use any type of sugar. I’ve used turbinado raw sugar. Hence the color is brown. Don’t use jaggery as the milk might curdle.

Furthermore, add the crushed cardamom, roasted cashews and raisins to the semiya payasam.

Finally, garnish it with more nuts and serve it hot or cold.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to store Semiya payasam?

You can store the leftovers in the refrigerator. This payasam absorbs all the milk when it gets cold and will become thick. So, add some milk when you serve it again.

What are the benefits of Vermicelli (Semiya) Payasam?

Vermicelli is made from wheat and has a low glycemic index. It also has milk and nuts which provide the essential protein and dietary fat.

What is the difference between Vermicelli and Semiya?

Vermicelli is known as Semiya in tamil. Vermicelli is used across India to make both sweet dishes like kheer, payasam, sheer kurma, and savory dishes like semiya upma and curd semiya.