Sago, Vermicelli & Carrot Kheer for 100000 Page Hits!! ~ Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye?

Yes!! Ruchik Randhap has had over 1 Lakh page views!! Thank you dear readers for making this happen! You, You and You have made it possible! Not only this, I am also glad to note that Ruchik Randhap's readership has increased significantly on Facebook too!!

Life is all about celebrating the little moments that make us happy & living worthwhile, so yes, small milestones like this are what I like to celebrate and what's better than going the typical Indian way & saying "Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye"? (shall we celebrate with some sweets?)

Oh yes, we must! And what's better than starting the upcoming festive season with something sweet and less guilty? (Yeah, according to me sweets are never guilt free). A Kheer or Payasam as it is called in South India is probably a one of the healthier ways of getting your sweet tooth satiated. This particular Kheer has the goodness of Milk, Sago (Tapioca Pearls) & Carrots that create magic with all the flavours they bring in! Toss in some roasted Cashew Nuts & Raisins and you have a yummy desert in a bowl - perfect for royalty!

While you can add as much sweetness to this dish as you desire, I would recommend to go easy on the sugar as in my opinion a Kheer should always be delicately sweet or you won't be able to go beyond a few spoonfuls. This is especially because milk that forms the base of Kheer often tends to leave a strong aftertaste. Also, the Carrots in this Kheer adds to the sweetness anyway as Carrots are naturally sweet. A delicately flavoured Kheer or Payasam is always the perfect way to end a grand meal. 

Sago, Vermicelli & Carrot Kheer
(Printable Recipe)
Serves 4-5
Adapted from: Spice Your Life

You Need:

• 1/2 litre whole milk
• 3 tsp Sago/Sabudana/Tapioca Pearls
• 50gm Vermicelli/Semiya/Sevai
• 50gm grated Carrots
• 50-75gm Sugar (or as per taste)
• 1 cardamom powdered
• 3 tsp ghee
• 30gm cashewnuts
• 15gm raisins (kishmish)

Method:
1. Wash & soak the Sago for 1/2 hour. In a pan, cook the Sago with enough water to cover it (about 1 cup)
2. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan and roast the nuts to golden and remove. Add the raisins and fry them just until they swell up a bit and remove. Add Vermicelli & roast slightly, remove it & then add the grated carrots to the same ghee and roast it on a slow flame. Keep aside
3. In the same pan, heat the milk & bring it to a boil, simmer until it thickens. Add the cooked Sago along with the water, roasted Semiya and Carrots to the milk and cook till everything is done halfway
4. Add the sugar and simmer for another 10minutes. Add the roasted cashewnuts & raisins, bring the mixture to a boil and switch off the flame.
5. Serve hot (recommended)

Note:
When you cook the Sago, its colour will change from white to translucent and the mixture will look a lot like egg whites.
The Kheer has a tendency to thicken when it cools down, so re-heat it on a very slow flame and add a little warm milk to bring it to the desired consistency before serving.

Sending this to Sameena Prathap's event Diwali Sweet Recipes