Today is "Atham", people start Onam festivities by putting pookalam or floral carpet in front of their homes to welcome Mahabali.
I am sharing pressure cooker semiya payasam (kheer) for my friends today. Amma used to make this payasam since my childhood. This is entirely cooked in a pressure cooker and not with condensed milk, though the taste of the payasam makes you wonder if there is condensed milk in it.
This payasam have the same taste of ambalapuzha paal payasam or that's what those who taste this states. Since milk and sugar is pressure cooked for 30 min and opened after another 30 min, the milk will turn light pinkish in colour and slightly thicker.
I used homogenized milk and added only a teaspoon of ghee to lightly fry the cashewnuts and raisins. If you are using plain vermicili do not forget to fry them in a tsp of ghee, I used roasted vermicili.
From my experience, it is always better to use a bigger pressure cooker otherwise once the pressure builds up there is a chance of milk to be leaked out . I used 7.5 litre cooker also, I simmered close to about 40 minutes though a minimum of 30 minutes is a must.
It is also important to wait near the cooker while the steam builds up and when the whistle is about to go, simmer it for 30-40 minutes.
Begin onam festivities with this yummy payasam.
Ingredients:
Milk: 1 1/2 liters.
Sugar: 1 cup.
Roasted vermicili: 1 cup.
Cashewnuts: 2 tbsp.
Raisins: 2 tbsp.
Cardamon: 3.
Ghee: 1 tsp
Method:
Get the ingredients ready.
Put sugar in the pressure cooker (preferably large cooker).
Add milk. Note the colour of milk is white before cooking.
Close the cooker and put the cooker on high flame. Do not go away, wait for the steam to come, immediately put the weight on the stub of the cooker and wait for the whistle. When the whistle is about to go....immediately simmer the fire for about 30-40 min. After 30-40 min switch off the fire and leave the cooker unopened for another 30-40 min.
Open the cooker after 30-40 minutes. You can see the colour of the milk has turned into light pink. Again switch on the fire and simmer it. Crush the cardamon and add to this.
Add 1 cup of roasted or fried vermicili. Simmer for 5 to 10 min or until the vermicili is cooked.
While the vermicili is getting cooked. In a kadai, heat a tsp of ghee and roast the cashew and raisins.
Pour this on to the payasam and serve hot.
Make this payasam for your loved ones and enjoy Onam.
Note: I had posted this paysam two years back minus the step by step pics.
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