Semiya Kesari

Semiya Kesari is a simple South Indian Sweet made with semiya aka vermicelli, sugar, ghee, water or milk and saffron color or saffron strands. It is simply a variation of the Rava kesari but semolina is replaced with semiya here. Semiya Kesari is similar to the Sweet Seviyan made without milk but with the addition of Kesar (saffron) which is the star of this dish.

Vermicelli is one of those most common ingredients used in Indian homes to make kesari, Semiya upma and Kheer.

There are some sweets which I rarely make at home, considering the amount of unhealthy refined sugar that goes towards making them. This semiya kesari is one of them.

I choose to make this as a last minute option since it can be made quickly within 15 minutes & tastes good.

You can make this semiya kesari when you have a sudden craving for a sweet dish or when you have some guests and you don’t want to cook anything elaborate. I do that a lot of times and pair it with Onion pakoda & Masala chai.

During festive seasons, we end up confused with no idea what to make. That is another time I make this for occasions for Diwali or Ganesh Chaturthi.

I make this colorful semiya kesari without using any food colors, just by adding a pinch of saffron. If you are keen to use artificial color use organic natural color.

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Photo Guide

How to Make Semiya Kesari (Stepwise photos)

1. Bring 1½ cups water to a boil in a separate pot or microwave.

2. While the water boils, add 2 tablespoons ghee to a pan. Add 10 cashews chopped or split. Fry them until lightly golden, add 10 raisins. Stir till they swell up. Transfer them to a plate.

3. Add 1 cup semiya and fry till lightly golden. Do not discolor or burn them.

4. Pour the hot water to the semiya. Add a pinch of crushed saffron strands and ⅛ teaspoon cardamom powder. You can add cardamom powder with sugar too later. Bring the water to a boil on high flame. When it begins to boil, reduce the flame to medium and cook till fully cooked. If your semiya is undercooked and all of the water has evaporated you may add more water.

5. Add sugar and stir. Sugar melts and releases moisture. Let it cook till all the moisture evaporates. Do not overcook, semiya kesari becomes rubbery and sticky. Make sure you add sugar only when the semiya is cooked fully else semiya becomes hard.

Turn off and serve hot or warm. Semiya kesari turns lumpy as it cools down.

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