Indian Vermicelli Pudding (or Seviyachi Kheer in Marathi) has always been a family favorite. And yes, it is made up of super thin noodles that when cooked, become super soft & even silky in taste & texture. Indian vermicelli is generally much thinner than its Italian counterpart & therefore cannot be adequately substituted, although Indian vermicelli can easily be found in any Indian grocery store. Nowadays you can also buy Indian vermicelli that’s already toasted too, which is a nice timesaver.


SEVIYACHI KHEER (Indian Vermicelli Pudding)

Ingredients:

1 cup roasted Indian vermicelli noodles, broken
1½ tsp ghee (or clarified butter)
¼ cup toasted cashew pieces
¼ cup raisins
2 to 2½ cups of milk (may need more if needed)
½ to ¾ cup sugar
¼ tsp ground cardamom powder
small pinch of saffron threads (soaked in a little warm milk)

METHOD:

In a large deep dry skillet on medium heat, add the broken vermicelli noodles. Keep stirring continuously so as not to burn & until the vermicelli turns golden brown in color and a nutty fragrance is emitted. Remove the noodles from the skillet & keep aside until needed. If the vermicelli is already toasted, you may obviously omit this step.

Now to the same skillet on medium heat, add the ghee and add in the cashew pieces along with raisins. Keep stirring continuously so as not to burn your dry fruits. The cashew pieces should golden brown in color & emit a nutty fragrance, while the raisins should be plumped. Remove both the cashews & the raisins from the skillet & keep aside until needed. {Note: even though I use toasted cashews, I still sauté them in a little ghee for maximum flavor}.

In a large saucepan on medium heat, bring the milk to a gentle boil. Carefully add in the sugar & stir to dissolve. Then add in the vermicelli noodles & cook on very low heat stirring every so often. After 15-20 minutes or so, the noodles should have absorbed most of the milk & the mixture should have thickened in consistency. If the noodles have softened & are fully cooked (otherwise let cook for another 5 minutes or until ready), then add in the cardamom powder along with the saffron threads & the milk too. Mix well, let cook for a few more minutes & stir in the cashew pieces along with the raisins. Let cook for a couple more minutes, adjust the consistency if needed. You can add more milk if the kheer is too thick. Mix well & serve warm or chilled.


VARIATIONS:

Feel free to add chopped dates, chopped dried apricots & even dried cranberries if you like. You can also add chopped toasted almonds or pistachios to the kheer if you like.



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