[Recipe] Shavige Payasa: An easy-to-make south Indian dessert

This recipe is part of our new culinary series, The Global Kitchen, which features recipes from all over the world, provided by our own international student reporters.

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Sharmila Kuthunur

Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Difficulty level: Easy
Spice level: None

In my home state of Karnataka in south India, Shavige Payasa is a sweet dish that is cooked during festivals and birthdays. “Shavige” means vermicelli and “Payasa” is a type of pudding. Recently, I’ve made this dish whenever I feel like having something sweet. It is a simple and quick dish that is full of flavor.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
  • 100 grams vermicelli (slender noodles made of rice)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 pieces of cardamom
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ cup cashews

Procedure

In a pan over medium-heat, pour 1 tablespoon of ghee. Fry the vermicelli in the ghee until it is slightly golden. Set aside to cool.

In another pan, boil the milk. Add the sugar, cardamom and fried vermicelli. Stir the mixture until the vermicelli becomes very soft.

In another pan over medium-heat, pour 1 tablespoon of ghee. Fry the raisins and cashews. Add them to the vermicelli mixture. Stir until the consistency is thick.

In the fridge, let the mixture cool for 1 hour. Serve cold.