Vermicelli Payasam

Payasam is my mom's standard 'nayvedyam' for most of the festivals (and now mine). Since it has dry fruits and whole milk in it, it gives energy to keep us going for a while. This is also a famous dessert for most of Indian Dinner parties. Most ladies already know this recipe, but posting this nevertheless for my own satisfaction of posting my mom's favorite dessert.

Ingredients:
Vermicelli: 1 cup (you will find this in any Indian grocery store)
Sabudana (Tapioca Pearls): 1/4 cup
Whole Milk: 2 cups
Water: 1 cup
Sugar: 1/2 cup
Dry fruits: 1/4 cup (I used raisins, cashew nuts, shredded almonds and unsalted pecans to make 1/4 cup)
Ghee (Clarified butter): 1 tbsp
Cardamom Powder: 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Heat 1/2 tbsp of ghee in a wide bottom pan. Roast vermicelli until golden brown and keep aside.
• In the same pan, add the remaining ghee and roast all the dry fruits together until aromatic and keep aside. 
• Take another bowl (enough to hold 4 cups of liquid) and add the sabudana with a cup of water. Keep stirring.
• When the sabudana is 3/4 cooked, add vermicelli and another half cup of water. 
• When Vermicelli is half cooked, add milk and sugar. Cook until milk boils once. By then vermicelli and sabudana would have been completely cooked.
• Check for sugar and add the cardamom powder and the dry fruits. Serve warm. 

This goes great with Vada.