Semiya/Vermicelli Paayasam

Paayasam are Kids altime favourite.. Not even Kids Adults also love to have Paayasam and Semiya paayasam is the easiest and tastiest of all payasam.

My son loves to have semiya paayasam and we make it very often. Here is how I make this

Milk -1/2 litre
Roasted vermicelli/Semiya -1/2 cup
Sugar -1 cup or as per your likeness for sweetness ( in my family we all like it with mild sweetness )
Milkmaid -1/4 tin
Roasted nuts and kismis- few.
Dried and powdered elaichi/cardamom - a pinch
ghee- 1 tspn

Boil the milk and once boiled add the roasted vermicelli and cook till soft. Stir in between to prevent milk from spilling over. Once it is fully cooked and soft add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add roasted nuts and kismis and elaichi powder and stir keeping on simmer. Finally add 1 tspn of melted ghee on top.Add milkmaid also towards the end ( optional)

Pazham pradhaman

Pazham pradhaman -- (Banana- Moong dhaal Paayasam ) 
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Pradhaman is a typical Kerala dish made on Special occasions/ celebrations like Onam, Vishu etc. Its a variety of paayasam made with coconut milk and jaggery.. there are variations in making a pradhaman as many items like chana dhaal, Kerala banana, moong dhaal , Ada (rice flakes cut to square) are used in the preparation of a Pradhaman.. Here I have tried making a pradhaman using Kerala variety of  Banana called Nenthran and for that crunchiness have added roasted moong dhaal too.

Ingredients:

Ripe Banana ( Nenthran variety/ Kerala banana) - 2 nos boiled
Jaggery- 1/2 kg
Coconut milk Extracted out of 1& 1/2 coconut.. Take the second extract and First extract 
Moong dhaal - 1/2 cup

Jeera powder- a pinch
Cardamom Powder -a pinch
Nuts and raisins as required
Dried coconut - roasted a tbspn

Boil and peel the bananas. Mash the bananas using hand to fine paste.
Melt the jaggery with little water and strain. In an Uruli ( a bronze vessel) heat 2-3 tbspn of ghee. Can also use a kadai if uruli is not there. Wash the dhaal and roast it in ghee till crispy. Add mashed banana now. Saute till ghee is coated very well. Add melted jaggery into this. Allow it to boil and thereby cook the dhaal. After 5 minutes add the second extract of coconut milk. Allow it to boil for few minutes. Add the first extract of coconut milk towards the end.Add elaichi and jeera powder and mix well. Add roasted coconut, cashew nuts and raisins to the boiled paayasam. 

Serve hot with fried papad and banana.. Yummiest paayasam with the soft taste of boiled banana and crunchiness of dhaal.. Generally this paayasam is made without dhaal.. I have made it with a difference to get that crunchy taste and it was super yumm.