Shavige Payasa / Vermicelli Kheer / ಶಾವಿಗೆ ಪಾಯಸ /ಖೀರು

Shavige payasa or vermicelli kheer is one the common sweet made during festivals and special occasion. It is an easy and quick recipe.

Servings : This recipe makes about 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup Vermicelli/ Shavige /ಶಾವಿಗೆ (roasted)
(Vermicelli used here is made from wheat. One of the commercially available popular brand is BAMBINO which has to be roasted. Some brands sell roasted vermicelli. If you use that you can just add it to milk without roasting it.)

4-6 cups Milk / ಹಾಲು (can use half water & half milk too)
½ cup Sugar / ಸಕ್ಕರೆ (can use upto 1 cup depending on your taste)
1 tbsp ghee / ತುಪ್ಪ
a pinch of cardamom powder / ಏಲಕ್ಕಿ ಪುಡಿ
few strands - saffron /ಕೇಸರಿ (or any food color) - optional
1 tbsp Cashews, Raisins / ವಣದ್ರಾಕ್ಷಿ , ಗೋಡಂಬಿ

Method:

Take a small kadai, add 1 tbsp ghee , when it is hot add raisins and cashews. Fry it till it is done. switch off and keep it aside.

Heat a pan on medium flame. Add a few drops of ghee, pour 1 cup of Vermicelli Shavige to the pan. Roast is slowly till it changes to brown colour and you get a nice aroma. It will take about 3-5 minutes. Then take it off the stove and keep it aside.

In a pan heat around 4 cups of milk, bring it to a boil. Once the milk is boiling add the roasted vermicelli into milk. stir it and let it cook. This will take around 10 - 15 minutes. Check if there is enough milk in the pan, if not add some more milk. Stir it in between.The Vermicelli becomes soft to touch, that is when you know it is cooked. Now add the sugar, cardamom, saffron strands, fried cashews and raisins along with ghee into the pan. Give it a good mix and switch off the stove. Shavige Paayasa is ready to be served. It can be eaten hot or cold, either way it tastes great :)