Shevayachi Kheer ~ Vermicelli Pudding

Last February when I met some of my blogging group friends in Chennai, Pradnya gave us a goodie bag which had a small packet of homemade whole wheat vermicelli. She said making vermicelli at home is a popular summer activity in small towns of Maharashtra. Sun dried vermicelli is then stored in airtight containers and used throughout the year.

I made simple shevayachi kheer or vermicelli pudding with the vermicelli. Vermicelli was very thin, thinner than the bambino vermicelli. I wish I had taken a picture of whole wheat vermicelli Pradnya gave us. The kheer was easy to prepare and tasted awesome. I used skim milk as that was the only milk I had that day.

Source: Pradnya
Ingredients:

• 1 cup Whole Wheat Vermicelli
• 1 ½ - 2 tbsp. Butter or Ghee (since I used skim milk, I used 2 tbsp. butter)
• 2 ½ - 3 cups Whole Milk (I used skim milk)
• 5 tbsp. Sugar (adjust to taste)
• ½ Cardamom Seeds powdered
• Few Strands of Saffron
• 7 - 10 Cashew Nuts
• 2 - 3 tbsp. blanched Sliced Almonds
• Few Pistachios (I did not use as I did not have any at home)

Preparation:

• Heat butter in a sauce pan. When the butter melts, roast vermicelli in butter until it is slightly roasted and changes color.
• Crush cardamom seeds, 5 cashewnuts, 1 ½ tbsp. sliced almonds in a spice grinder. The powder should be coarse
• Add 1 ½ - 2 cups milk, powdered nuts, saffron, stir and bring milk to a boil. Cook vermicelli stirring it constantly until milk reduces and vermicelli is cooked.
• Add sugar and mix well until it melts.
• If serving right away, add remaining milk and garnish with remaining nuts. Kheer tends to thicken as it cools. It is better to add remaining milk to the kheer before serving.

Note:

• I used unroasted cashews for garnish. I felt I should have roasted even the cashews.

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