We´ve observed that Indians seem to love sweets. No wonder that the country offers a large variety of desserts and candy. But don´t worry, if until now you have never heard of Payasam. This sweet dish has dozen names and variations inside and outside of India. It would take me months to discover and learn all of them. For now, we have selected one version that has especially caught our taste buds.
Background of Payasam
For those who have been to India already, know that Hindu temple ceremonies are conducted with extreme passion and emotions. For visitors, participating in an entire ceremony can be fascinating and delicious at the same time. Delicious? Yes, because on top of the beauty of the temple celebrations, participants receive a small plastic bag of Payasam to take away (let´s leave the plastic waste out of topic here).
What you need to prepare Payasam
- 100g butter
- 15 pcs cardamom
- 120g cashew nuts
- 120g yellow raisins
- 200g Vermicelli (Indian wheat noodles)
- 1 Liter milk (or coconut milk)
- 150g sugar (feel free to use less sugar)
How to prepare Payasam
- Take a big pot, add the milk and the sugar and boil it up.
- As soon it is boiling, add the vermicelli noodles and keep it on low heat for about 5 minutes
- Melt the butter in a (wok)pan.
- Add the cardamon to the (wok) pan and roast them until they turn light brown on the outside.
- Put the cardamon seeds to the vermicelli noodles. During this time, the cardamon flavour will infuse into the milk. This is important for the classic taste of Payasam.
- Now, add cashews and raisins into the (wok) pan and keep frying. The cashews will become darker and the raisins will pop up in a round shape.
- Add the wok mixture to the vermicelli and keep it boiling for 5 more minutes.
- Stir it well so the vermicelli do not burn on the bottom of the pot.
- Now it is ready to serve.
Time to prepare: 15-30 minutes. Serves 5-8 people.
Some people like a thinner consistence. For this, simply add more milk.
Also, keep in mind when the Payasam gets colder it will thicken a bit because of the wheat starch from the noodles.
boil milk and sugar 
melt the butter 
roast the raisins and nuts 
add nuts and raisins 
stir it to prevent from burning
The best for your friends
As soon you know how Payasam is done, it is actually very fast to make. You can also prepare Payasam a few hours in advance. This makes it the perfect dessert when you have friends at your home for dinner.
A big thank you goes to the team of Dr. Nisha, who taught us this extremely delicious dessert!
