Recipe : Vermicelli Kheer (Indian Sweet dish)

Vermicelli Kheer is a very popular Indian sweet that is prepared across the country. Each household may have a different version of the dish. I have eaten versions with dates in the Middle East and with mashed bananas and jaggery in South India.

My recipe does not use raisins, as most of us in our family don't like raisins in our sweets.

Remember with most Indian sweets, while you can substitute splenda for sugar, there is no substitute for full cream milk. Its pointless to try and make an Indian dessert with skimmed milk. You will never get the right consistency and texture.

Ingredients:
100gms vermicelli
1 litre full cream milk
10 almonds finely sliced
10 pistas finely sliced
1tsp chironji

1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar (I mix 2 tsp of brown sugar to get a caramel colour in the kheer)1tsp ghee
2 green cardamoms crushed and seeds powdered
kewra water for fragrance

Method:
Heat the ghee in a pan and roast the vermicelli in it.
When the vermicelli starts to turn brown, add the nuts and roast a little longer.

 Add 1 liter milk and keep stirring constantly to ensure that the vermicelli does not clump up.

Keep stirring, when it starts to thicken up, add the sugar, cardamom powder and a tsp of raisins if you like.
Keep cooking till done to required consistency.
Add a little kewra water for fragrance.

The kheer can be served hot or chilled depending on preference. We normally have chilled kheer in summer and hot kheer in winter.

(Kim's Tip: With vermicelli kheer, the kheer may start to thicken as it rests. Add a little more milk and stir to get it back to required consistency)