Semiya payasam recipe, How to make semiya payasam

Name: Semiya payasam recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: ½ cup Semiya (Vermicelli); ½ cup Sugar; 2 cups Water; ½ cup Milk (See notes); 2 tsp Ghee; 6 Cashew nuts; 12 Raisins (optional); 1 Cardamom (crushed); Salt - a pinch

Updated on August 22, 2026 by Raks Anand 49 Comments

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Semiya payasam is a classic south Indian dessert with vermicelli, milk and sugar as main ingredients. In this post, I have shared the basic way to prepare this vermicelli dessert with step by step pictures and detailed instructions.

Best for special occasions, festivals and celebrations like anniversaries, birthdays as it is easy even for beginners.

Check out my microwave version using fine vermicelli and the condensed milk version in this website.

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About Semiya Payasam
Semiya Payasam Ingredients
Stepwise Pictures
My notes
Top tip
Substitutions & Variations
FAQs
Recipe card

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous NEW YEAR!! 2012 has been a great year for this blog, has come a long way with all you support.

Thank you friends for your continuous support and all your comments, suggestions, appreciations. Let me start this new year with a sweet post - Semiya Payasam/ vermicelli Payasam.

Most popular payasam as the recipe is very forgiving and doesn't involve any complicated steps.

Check out my other payasam recipes.

About Semiya Payasam

Semiya payasam is a creamy South Indian dessert made with roasted vermicelli, milk, sugar and cardamom. Ready in 20 minutes for festivals or for everyday sweet cravings. Popular choice among adults and kids, this is a classic dessert that even beginners can make.

The name Semiya is a Tamil word for vermicelli. It is a type of Indian pasta.

Payasam Vs Kheer

Payasam in south India is prepared with jaggery traditionally, but you can also prepare with sugar. Since we use jaggery and there is a high chances of curdling, milk is added later part and in comparatively less measurement. The main ingredient is cooked in water mostly. Flavor payasam with cardamom.

Kheer on the other hand is a north Indian version where the ingredient is cooked in milk itself and uses white sugar most of the times. It is dense, richer as it is cooked in milk. Kheer has saffron, cardamom mostly as flavouring agents.

Semiya Payasam Ingredients

Here are the simple ingredients needed to make semiya payasam.

Vermicelli - Semiya (wheat noodles) is the base for this payasam.
Sugar - sweetening agent for the recipe.
Cardamom - For flavour.
Raisins - I have used sultanas, but usually golden raisins are best.
Milk - For creamy results.
Cashews - Gives a nutty flavour as well as great texture to the dessert
Ghee - For a mild flavour as well as roasting.

Please check my recipe card for exact measurements.

Stepwise Pictures

1. Heat a pan firstly, add 2 teaspoon ghee and fry cashew nuts into golden brown. Make sure the flame is low to avoid burnt cashews.

If using raisins, fry them as well in ghee until it fluffs up. Keep aside.

After that, in the same pan, roast vermicelli in Medium-low flame with constant stirring.

2. The vermicelli should turn golden here and there. Set aside.

Meanwhile boil 2 cups water. Cook semiya with pinch of salt, for 5 mins or until soft. Do it in low heat.

3. Add ½ cup sugar. Powder cardamom and add to it (or use ⅛ teaspoon cardamom powder). The cooked vermicelli turns transparent at this stage. Boil for 2 minutes. Add ½ cup milk (refer Recipe card notes).

4. Bring to boil. Boil for a minute and switch off the stove. As it cools down, it gets thicker. Garnish with fried cashew and raisin.

The evergreen semiya payasam is ready! I love it both hot and cold. Pure deliciousness!

My notes

Depending on the semiya brand or variety, the water quantity may vary for this south Indian pudding. If it is too thick before it gets cooked, add more water.

You can add more whole milk to make a richer vermicelli dessert.

No need to brown the semiya, just coating them in ghee gives a non-sticky texture needed for payasam's perfect texture.

For variation, use 2 tablespoon condensed milk along milk. In that case, reduce sugar as condensed milk is sweetened.

If you can get evaporated milk, you can add ¼ cup evaporated milk along milk for more creamy and rich taste, especially if you are making it as a festive sweet dish. It adds a mild caramel flavor. It's my favorite hack when I have guests too.

For this payasam, I add only 2 teaspoons of ghee. It will be perfect without overpowering.

Top tip

Some issues beginners face while making semiya payasam

While roasting, semiya gets burnt - Always use heavy bottomed pan. Don't let ghee smoke/ over heat the pan.
Roast in low or medium flame and don't leave unattended. It gets browned quickly towards end.
Same has to be followed while roasting nuts.
Payasam getting thick as it cools down - The payasam gets thicker always as it cools down.
This is because the semiya absorbs and gets bloated as it is cooked/ gets soaked.
Always cook the semiya well. while switching off, make sure to check consistency.
Let it be on runny side keeping in mind about getting thicker later.

If you are serving later, you can either make it runny or if you serve immediately as well as save for later, keep a cup of boiled hot milk with 2 teaspoons or 1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in it. Use it to get the right consistency.

Using a pinch of salt while cooking the semiya is to give a balanced taste.

Substitutions & Variations

You can add rose water or saffron along cooking the semiya for a lovely rich flavour and taste.
Use thick or thin coconut milk (homemade) in place of milk and avoid ghee for vegan version.
For sweetener, you can replace sugar with ½ cup Jaggery powder.
Along with cashews, you can roast chopped almond and add to payasam. Check out my richer taste Seviyan kheer.
You can make sago vermicelli payasam too, following the similar procedure.
Use millet semiya/ wheat vermicelli or rice vermicelli in place of regular semiya.

FAQs

Which semiya variety is best to use for making payasam?

You can use any variety, long or short, roasted/ unroasted vermicelli, thin or thick. Here's what I have noticed:
Using roasted version gives brownish colour payasam.
Long variety (thick) gives a lot of volume, swells a lot, so make sure to add enough water or milk as it absorbs and becomes thick later.
I find short unroasted ones best for me as I like to have control over how much I am roasting.

Can I use brown sugar or jaggery?

Yes, you can use, but quantity may vary. it could taste less sweet comparatively.

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I also have Semiya payasam recipe in Tamil here.

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