Semiya Payasam.

Ingredients:

Vermicelli (extra fine texture) 1 cup
Sugar 1/2 cup
Whole Milk 2 cups
Half n Half 1 cup
Condensed milk few spoons
Saffron 1/4 + 1/4 spoon
Cordamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Kewra essence 1 spoon
Ghee/Clarified butter few spoons
Cashew nuts 25
Golden Raisins 25.

Method:

Soak 1/4 spoon of saffron in 2-4 spoons of milk for about 2 hours. Using mortar and pestle wet-grind it. Set aside.

Break the vermicelli into bite size bits and set aside.

In a large vessel, heat ghee. Toast vermicelli for few minutes and set aside.

In the smae vessel, add sugar + 1/2 cup of water. Bring this to syrup like consisteny.

Add whole milk, half n half and condensed milk to this. Continues boiling. Stir regularly.

When the milk is half the way reduced, add cardamom seeds powder, kewra essence and wet-ground saffron to it.

Add vermicelli as well. Cook over medium heat for a while. Maybe till the vermicelli is done and the milk really thickens to pudding.

Heat few more spoons of ghee, in a seperate pan. Fry cashewnuts till golden and set aside. In the smae ghee, fry raisins till they pop. Set them aside as well.

Transfer the payasam made to display vessel. Garnish with saffron, cashewnuts and raisins. Chill and serve.

Serve chilled, warm or at room temperature.