Guess it is time for a dessert. I have pretty much come to the end of my humble recipe arsenal anyway:-) The ones that I make the most often I mean. Semiya Payasam is actually being made the first time. It all started when my eyes fell on the colorful package of vermicelli during one of our Indian store trips. I have had the payasam quite often in Kerala as well as here and knew it was rather easy to make. Only problem was when the mood struck me, there were no cashews or raisins at home and so I went with almonds instead. Not a bad choice for a substitute. Wished I had the raisins though as I have a soft corner for those in any food, be it biriyani or dessert.
Speaking of almonds, I remember this almond tree on the way to the church that had great fascination for us kids. Especially on the way back when we were all hungry for lunch. It had really large leaves akin to oak trees but what attracted us were the green/purple fruits that dropped on the ground when birds were trying to chip off the outer shell. I don't know how the birds could break that shell and maybe they were just eating the soft outer layer, but we could collect 2 or 3 per person as a result of their efforts. Then the hard work of finding good stones to be the breaker and the breakee so we could pop the heavenly delicious almonds into our starved mouths. It was never enough and always left a thirst for more..Sorry to go on but my kids love a childhood story and let me continue for them. The tree had long since been cut down and I didn't know what we knew as 'badam' is what is called tropical almond till much later. If my older sister who was then a botany student was with me then she would name the botanical names of the trees and plants on the way. I was fascinated by botanical names and russian full names and some of them stay with me till now. I don't remember the plant alongside the botanical name though and searching on an impulse I find that 'terminalia cattappa' is this almond. Read all about the almonds here. Some of the other names I remember are 'mimosa pudica', 'lucas aspera' and of course 'hibiscus rosa-sinensis'. These names stay with you not for any reason but they are there as part of your memory. Maybe like Kunta Kinte's 'gambi bolongo' this may evolve over time and morph into similar sounding but different names.
Recipe for Semiya Payasam sans cashew and raisins.
In the Mix
vermcelli - 200gms (cut into shorter pieces if long)
almonds - 5 or 6 diced and fried
sugar - 1 cup
milk - 6 cups (i use 2% )
water - 6 cups (could be more or less depending on how thick you want the payasam to be)
vanilla essence - 1 or 2 drops
cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
oil or ghee - 2 tsp
How To Do
Heat oil or ghee and fry the vermicelli till golden brown. Set aside.
Boil milk and water together. As always when heating milk be nearby to avoid boil overs and keep stirring. Add vermicelli and cook for 10-12 minutes. Keep the above caution about milk in mind. Add sugar, almonds, cardamom powder, vanilla essence and mix together for a few minutes. Remove from heat. Add more water or reduce as you like. This can be done at any stage so long as the payasam has not gone to room temp. Slurp on warm or cold depending on the mood.
I didn't have cardamom powder either. Before you wonder if I have anything at all of use in the kitchen let me disclose I indeed had regular cardamoms:-) Hmom to the rescue! Seeing our fashionably modern but quite useless pestle and mortar set from Williams-Sonoma, she packed off a "real" one that can do the deed with some friends as soon as she reached home.
So when you find you don't have a certain item in powdered form you can always go to the mortar. This worked out nicely and I even have extra for another time. Remember of course that with cardamom we need to remove the husks.
5 comments:
U knw wht, we also had an almond tree in our grandparents house & v used to get up early to collect the badamkas'....the same green/purple fruit u r talking abt:-D. After many years they cut the huge tree to make the doors & other woodworks for my uncle's house.
And about the semiya payasam....I make it the same way u make. My payasam always thickens if kept for sometime...all the liquid is absorbed in 2-3 hrs time...any suggestions?
nancy
i had written a long response which i guess did not get posted.
about the payasam thickening. the same thing happened to me and this is not a problem so long as the payasam is still warm. remove 1/3rd or so. add 2-3 cups of hot water for the right consistency and mix gently on stove till you see the liquid just beginning to boil. you can add 2 or 3 tsp of sugar if needed. remove from heat and pour into a fresh cool pan. this will do the trick.
as for the 1/3rd that you set aside, pour it into a nice ceramic pan and let set in fridge once cool. smoothen the top as you would for halwa and in 2-3 hours voila! yummy thick semiya pudding is ready to be served. you can cut this into pieces. in our house this was devoured in no time at all. the semiya payasam that you got to the right consistency is good to go either warm or cold.
Hey thanks, good idea, will definitely try it.
Hi lan:
Feel like payasam after reading you recipe.
I buy the cardamom seeds at our local Indian grocery store (if there is a choice, ask for green cardamom seeds) and store them in the freezer.
I grind them one cup at a time in my coffee grinder and this usually lasts for a year. The aroma is incredible.
Also, when I don't have enough stuff for a payasam /Indian dessert, I add a Tbsp of Badam kheer mix into it and it comes out yummy (MTR).
Hope this helps...I had an almond tree too in my parent's home.
geeta
i can get the cardamom aroma right through here:-) thanks for the badam kheer mix tip. trees from your childhood are hard to forget i think..
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