This is a fabulous dessert to make that can be had at tea time or after a meal. It is best served warm with a dollop of cold ice cream, but you can also have it with some plain whipped cream as well.
This dessert has its origins in Goan cuisine. We can vary the same recipe, changing its use for different purposes. If you add more milk, you can serve this for breakfast for the children instead.
The recipe here is for a dried version. It is extremely important to get the right balance of liquid to the recipe or it will be extremely hard to separate the individual strands of vermicelli later.
I have used a pre roasted variety from the supermarket, but if you cannot find the same, you will need to roast it for a little longer time on the heat, till you get a nice light caramel color.
Ingredients:
150gms roasted fine vermicelli
4 tsps of ghee (clarified butter)
100gms water
100gms milk
5 heaped tsps of brown sugar (jaggery)
Optional
Nuts such as cashews, almonds or pecans
Dried fruits such as raisins or cranberries
Cardamom powder
Method:
TIP: Break the vermicelli in the packet into smaller pieces before you cut the packet. This will help it from flying all over your kitchen later. Do not break it so much that it becomes a powder.
In a pan, dry roast the vermicelli taking care not to let it burn.
Add the ghee or clarified butter next. If you cannot find ghee, regular butter will do as well.
Add the sugar next. I have used powdered jaggery, which is an Indian cane sugar, or you can use simple brown sugar as well. I prefer to add brown instead of white sugar, but again, if you cannot get it, use white sugar instead.
You can add the optional ingredients now or after adding the liquid.
NOTE; if you are adding any nuts, I would recommend you break them into smaller pieces and toast them separately before adding.
For raisins and cranberries, cook them separately in another pan with a tsp of ghee, just to plum them up.
For the cardamom, open up some fresh cardamom pods, and remove the black seeds inside. This is what you will need for the recipe. Collect a few seeds and crush them with a pestle and mortar and add it to the dish.
Add in the milk and water. Lower the heat and give it a good stir,
Remove it off the heat and cover it immediately.
NOTE: This step is extremely important to let it sit for a few minutes to finish off the cooking process.
Serve warm with some cold ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
For an extra crunch, sprinkle over some brown sugar just at the time of serving.
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