It is the time of the year when the heart is merry and the spirits are high. Time to eat a hearty meal and spread the good cheer. One of my favorite childhood memories was hanging the Christmas stocking every Christmas Eve and as expected Santa always delivered. Those where the times when the little pleasures of life, gave immense fulfillment.

I am going to share one of the recipes that my family has been enjoying every Christmas. Just the perfect recipe to celebrate those perfect moments. Traditionally known as ‘’Payasam’’ or ‘’Kheer’’, this Indian dessert can be prepared in 15-20 min. It is a delicious creamy festive pudding made from vermicelli, milk, dry fruits, nuts and cardamom. Folklores say that the thin noodles soaked in milk, date syrup and dried fruits used to be the food of emperors and that is how it got adapted as a celebratory dish.

Ingredients

Vermicelli- 1.5 cup

Unsalted butter- 2 tablespoons

Sugar-3/4 cup

Milk-6 cups

Cashews-1/4 cup

Raisins-1/4 cup

Cardamom powder-1 teaspoon

Directions

Add 2 tablespoon of unsalted butter to a pan. Add vermicelli and roast it for 5 min.

Meanwhile boil the milk in another pan.

Add a little bit of milk to the roasted vermicelli. Add sugar. Keep adding milk in small quantities to the vermicelli. Stir the mix frequently for around 10 min.

When the mixture starts to thicken, add the cardamom powder.

Garnish with fried cashews and fried raisins.