Semiya Payasam

Semiya payasam is a sweet pudding made from vermicelli and milk. The dish has warm memories of childhood when my mother used to make this dish quiet often . It is one of the very favourite dishes of  of my sister as well as my father who used to devour it in no time. With my sons as well loving this dish , I too quiet often make it  The dish being a quickie is quiet often made as prasadam during festivals as an offering to God .

Ingredients

1 cup semiya (vermicelli)
1 tbsp ghee
3/4 cup sugar( adjust according to your preference of sweetness)
2 cups water
4 cups milk ( full cream for a richer taste)
1 tsp cardamom powder
handful cashew nuts for garnishing
 
Method

1. Pour the ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel and toss the cashew nuts in it till they get evenly coated with ghee and become slightly brown.
2.  Take the cashew nuts out in a small bowl and roast the semiya in the same ghee on a very low flame till it becomes slightly brown in colour. 
3. Add the water and let it come to a boil ,simmer and let the semiya cook in the water till all the water is absorbed.
4. Add the sugar and cardamom powder and give it a nice mix.
5. Then add the milk and let it cook for about 10 minutes on very low heat.
6. Garnish with cashew nuts tossed in ghee.

This sweet dish tastes good when served warm as well as chilled in the fridge for a couple of hours.  

Tasmania

Eggless Vanilla cake

Baking is something that I started only recently because of my son's love for cakes and cookies and the presence. This cake of mine has always been a crowd pleaser and absolute melt in the mouth. It calls for few ingredients and quiet easy to make.It can be a good starting point for somebody new to baking

Ingredients

• Self raising flour -11/2 cups
• All purpose flour(maida)-1/2 cup
• Butter (unsalted)- 150gms
• Vanilla essence -1 tsp
• Sugar -3/4 cup
• Sweetened condensed milk-1 can (400ml)

Method 

1. Preheat the over at 170 F
2. Place the butter in a microwave safe bowl and melt it on high for about a minute.
3. Stir in the can of condensed milk till it forms a uniform mixture.
4. Gently fold in the self rising flour and the all purpose flour , adding just half a cup at a time so that the flour gets mixed evenly
5. All the vanilla essence and sugar the give the mixture a good stir making sure all the ingredients and mixed evenly and you get a smooth mixture
6. Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted at the centre comes clean.