Amishi 's Kitchen : SEMIYA(VERMICELLI) PAYASAM / SEMIYA (SEVIYAN) KHEER / MEETHE JAVE

Semiya (vermicelli) payasam, Semiya kheer or Meethe Jave is a popular sweet dish all over India known with different names in different regions.

Here in North it is known as Meethe Jave and is a traditional sweet which is usually made on Rakshabandhan, the famous brother sister festival where the sisters tie rakhi to their brothers.

I remember my grandmother used to make Jave with hands in the month of saawan (shravan) ready to be used for rakshabandhan. My mother too makes them with hands but I don't make them at home and use the store brought vermicelli.

When I got married I tasted the same meethe jave the only difference I found that the dry fruits used were lightly roasted and it was known as Semiya (Seviyan) Payasam.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 litre milk (500 ml)
3/4 cup vermicelli / jave / seviyan / semiya
1/2 cup sugar
2-3 green cardamoms
1 table spoon ghee (clarified butter)
dry fruits of your choice I've used almonds, cashews and raisins
few strands of kesar dipped in warm milk (optional)

METHOD

1. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan or kadhai, add the almonds first, fry till golden brown, remove and keep them aside. Then add the cashews and fry till they turn golden brown, remove and keep aside. Switch off the gas and add the raisins (kishmish). As the ghee is already hot they will quickly fluff up, remove from kadhai and keep aside.
2. In the same kadhai add the cardamoms and vermicelli and roast them till golden brown.
3. In a bowl take some warm milk add the saffron strands to the warm milk and keep aside.
4. In a heavy bottomed pan add the milk and bring it to a boil.
5. Add sugar to the milk. Stir a few times so that the sugar dissolves completely.
6. Add the roasted vermicelli to the boiling milk. Mix it nicely. Let it simmer for 7-8 minutes or till the time the milk starts to thicken. The kheer will thicken after cooling down so adjust the consistency accordingly.
7. Add the roasted dry fruits and the saffron strands dipped in milk.
8. Semiya payasam. kheer or jave can be served warm as well as chilled.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan or kadhai, add the almonds first, fry till golden brown, remove and keep them aside. Then add the cashews and fry till they turn golden brown, remove and keep aside. Switch off the gas and add the raisins (kishmish). As the ghee is already hot they will quickly fluff up, remove from kadhai and keep aside.

2. In the same kadhai add the cardamoms and vermicelli and roast them till golden brown.

3. In a bowl take some warm milk add the saffron strands to the warm milk and keep aside.

4. In a heavy bottomed pan add the milk and bring it to a boil.

5. Add sugar to the milk. Stir a few times so that the sugar dissolves completely.

6. Add the roasted vermicelli to the boiling milk. Mix it nicely. Let it simmer for 7-8 minutes or till the time the milk starts to thicken. The kheer will thicken after cooling down so adjust the consistency accordingly.