How to Make Semiya Payasam

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  Heat ghee in a frying pan. Add in cashews and fry till light golden. Once cashews get golden, add in kishmish (golden raisins) and fry for few seconds. Now both cashews and raisins is golden brown. Remove them to a bowl and set aside.
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  Now in the same ghee, add in vermicelli and sago. I used roasted vermicelli, so roasted only for couple of minutes. If you are using un roasted then roast till golden brown in colour. Remove this and set aside.
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  Meanwhile bring 1 litre milk to a full boil. The milk has to stay hot when you add it to the payasam.
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  In another pot, take 2 cups water and ½ cup milk. Bring it to a full boil. Once milk and water starts to boil. Add in roasted vermicelli and sago mixture in. Mix it really well and continue cooking till sago and vermicelli gets cooked. Keep stirring in between to prevent semiya sticking to the bottom of the pan.
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  After 15 to 20 minutes of cooking on a low flame. Semiya and sago is completely cooked. Sago will look translucent in colour and semiya will be soft if you press them with your fingers.
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  Now add in sugar to taste. The amount of sugar totally depends to your taste. You can add more or less as per taste. Mix sugar into the cooked semiya. Once sugar is mixed into the semiya it will start to melt and gets thick. I like to cook sugar with semiya for at least 2 minutes.
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  Now pour in your hot milk into the semiya sugar mixture. You have to use hot milk at this stage. If you add cold milk or room temperature milk into the hot semiya and sugar mixture, it may curdle. Once milk is added, mix well and cook together for 3 to 5 minutes.
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  Now pour in milkmaid or sweetened condensed milk. this adds richness and gives you restaurant and wedding style taste to your payasam. if you want to skip, you can.
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  Now for flavourings add in ground cardamom powder. You can use a pinch of saffron at this point too. Add in fried cashews and raisins and mix.
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  Semiya payasam is ready to serve. Payasam tends to get thicker as it cools, you can adjust the consistency with some hot milk.