Indian Milk Pudding (Payasam)

Growing up, milk puddings or ‘payasam’ were a very popular dish in my house. Grandma made them during every Indian festival, such as Tamil New Year and Diwali. I can’t remember my Grandma’s recipe as she stopped making payasam after my mom’s passing, when I was 14. When I try making payasam, I almost get the flavour of my Grandma’s payasam. But, not quite there yet! I have a feeling that my Grandma’s payasam will always elude me.

In this recipe I use the wheat vermicelli that is usually available at Indian stores. Do not use rice vermicelli, as it will not be able to maintain its shape in this recipe and you may end up with a big mess.

There are quiet a few variations for this recipe, creating different flavours and textures:-

1. Add a handful of roasted cashew nuts for a crunchier texture. 
2. Replace the condensed milk with 3-4 tablespoons of palm or brown sugar.
3. Replace the wheat vermicelli with 2 cups of cooked rice for a gluten free option. 

Wheat vermicelli

Recipe

Ingredients 
(Vegetarian)

1.5 L full cream milk
1 cup wheat vermicelli
100 ml sweetened condensed milk


Cooking

1. Milk: In a large saucepan, heat the milk up on medium heat and simmer the milk for about 5 minutes.
2. Wheat vermicelli: Add the vermicelli and cook until it’s soft, about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on the mixture as the milk can boil over. Stir every 5 minutes or so.
3. Sweetened condensed milk: Once the vermicelli is cooked, add the condensed milk and cook for about 5 minutes.