Indian Vermicelli Milk Pudding -- Seviyan Kheer or Payesh

• milk↗1 liter
• sugar↗4 tablespoons
• vermicelli↗200 g
• bay leaves↗2 leaves
• green cardamom pods↗2 -3
• raisins or 5 tablespoons dried fruit↗5 tablespoons
• jaggery↗50 g

  enhances the flavor (optional)

• ghee or 2 tablespoons oil↗2 tablespoons

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   I simmered 1 lit of milk in a pot for at least 20 -25mins. Never bringing it to a boil, but on simmer only so that the water content reduces in the milk and we have a more condensed version of it. After about 15 minutes, I added 4 Tbsp of sugar and kept stirring the milk. After 25 mins, I added 3 pods of green cardamom, 2 bay leaves, and a handful of raisins. Then plopped in the Vermicelli and mixed the ingredients.

2. 2

   Before adding these, I had fried the Vermicelli, Cardamom and Bay Leaf in a separate pan, with a little bit of Oil or Ghee. I had lightly fried the Vermicelli into a medium brown color.

3. 3

   I turned off the flame, and added about 50g of brown jaggery Gur , and closed the pan with a lid, to allow the flavor to infuse and the jaggery to melt. With the flame on, the jaggery would have curdled the milk, but this pudding tastes great with the jaggery.

4. 4

   Transfer into a bowl and add a few pistachios on top. It can be eaten warm, but it tastes even better after chilling for a few hours.