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    Home » Paayasam/Kheer » Semiya Payasam | Semi-Homemade Vermicelli Kheer with Evaporated and Condensed Milk

    Semiya Payasam | Semi-Homemade Vermicelli Kheer with Evaporated and Condensed Milk

    Posted on June 20, 2020 · Last Updated on June 20, 2020 · By Srividhya G · 20 Comments

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    close up shot seviyan kheer served in steel bowl with text overlay for pinterest

    Quick and easy recipe for rich and creamy vermicelli kheer or semiya payasam for those sweet tooth cravings! A perfect recipe for festivals and party gatherings.

    Check out how to make this popular semiya kheer with condensed milk and evaporated milk with step-wise pictures.

    hand holding close up shot of semiya payasam served in a silverware placed on a wooden tray

    Indian festive menu is incomplete without a kheer or pudding. In Tamil, we call kheer as payasam, and we make payasam as offering to God on all auspicious days. I continue the same ritual here in the US as well, and I always tend to make some quick and easy kheers on festivals when it falls on weekdays.

    This semiya kheer, poha kheer/aval payasam, and Instant Pot rice kheer are my go-to options.

    Jump to:
    • Roasted or unroasted vermicelli-
    • Main ingredients for vermicelli kheer | A semi-homemade kheer
    • Is this similar to sheer khurma?
    • Semiya payasam recipe with detailed step-wise pictures-
    • Recipe Notes-
    • Other Kheer Recipes-
    • 📖 Recipe

    So what’s makes this semiya kheer special?

    ✔ It’s effortless to make and delicious.

    ✔ A semi-homemade kheer. You don’t need to stir the milk continuously and reduce it, yet it is creamy and rich. Thanks to the evaporated milk and condensed milk.

    ✔ Nut-free, but you can easily do a sheer khurma makeover.

    ✔ You can make this kheer in less than 30 minutes.

    Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty details of this kheer.

    Roasted or unroasted vermicelli-

    Ok, the purist might say and even vouch only for roasted vermicelli. But I have tried this kheer with both roasted and unroasted vermicelli, and it has come out well. Roasted vermicelli adds a deep flavor, and they are non-sticky, but unroasted ones are equally delicious.

    For this recipe, I used unroasted semiya and no clumps, and it was perfect, as you can see in the picture. So I would say use whatever you have in hand.

    unroasted semiya

    These days roasted vermicelli is readily available in the stores if you find that go for it. When you can’t source, especially during these challenging COVID times, use the available ones.

    If you are fond of roasted semiya, then take the necessary measure, and roast it in ghee for 2 to three minutes till it turns light brown.

    Main ingredients for vermicelli kheer | A semi-homemade kheer

    Milk – I used reduced-fat milk. But wait, I am using evaporated milk also. So that takes care of the creamy and rich flavor.

    Evaporated milk – I used one can (12 oz) of evaporated milk, and it is shelf-stable canned milk with 60% of the water content removed. Evaporated milk is nothing but unsweetened condensed milk.

    Sweet condensed milk – I used half of one 14oz can and did not add any extra sugar or sweetener.

    Flavor enhancers – I used cardamom and saffron strands to enhance the flavor of this kheer. I soaked these two in the ¼ cup of warm milk and let the flavors infuse well. You can use either cardamom or saffron or other flavors like rose syrup or almond essence etc.

    I used five cardamoms for this recipe. It might sound a lot, but trust me, folks, it adds so much flavor, and you need that amount. So go for it.

    If you notice, you need five ingredients to prepare this kheer – milk, sweet condensed milk, evaporated milk, vermicelli, and a flavor enhancer like cardamom or saffron.

    semiya payasam served in a silverware placed on a wooden tray

    Is this similar to sheer khurma?

    Not exactly. For sheer khurma, we use thin vermicelli as well as a lot of nuts. But you can convert this into sheer khurma easily. Even with regular vermicelli, you can prepare it, but we can’t call it authentic.

    Let me tell you how to convert this into a not-so-authentic sheer khurma. Add a drop of rose essence, but that’s completely optional. Roast 2 tbsps of cashews, almonds, pistachios, walnuts (nuts of your choice), raisins, and finely chopped dates in 2 tbsps of ghee and add it to the kheer.

    Ok, now let me share how I made this semiya payasam with detailed step-wise pictures.

    Semiya payasam recipe with detailed step-wise pictures-

    • Heat a heavy bottom vessel and add the ¾ cup of regular milk. 

    boil the milk

    • Bring the milk to a boil. Just be careful during this step. You don’t need to bring it to a full boil. As it becomes frothy and when you see the bubbles, you can add the vermicelli. 

    adding vermicelli to boiling milk

    • Before adding vermicelli, take about ¼ cup of the boiling milk in a bowl, and add the saffron strands and crushed cardamom. Set it aside. 

    adding cardamom and saffron

    • Reduce the heat, add the vermicelli, and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes or until the vermicelli is half-cooked. Make sure to stir in-between. 

    cooked vermicelli

    • Now add the evaporated milk and condensed milk.

    adding the evaporated milk and condensed milk

    • Mix well and make sure the condensed milk dissolves completely.
    • Let it simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Make sure to stir in-between. 
    • Now add the saffron and cardamom soaked milk and mix. Just cook for 2 minutes and turn off the heat.

    adding the cardamom and saffron

    Serve warm, or you can allow it cool and refrigerate and serve chilled.

    close up shot of semiya payasam served in a silverware placed on a wooden tray

    Recipe Notes-

    • You can use both roasted or non-roasted vermicelli for this kheer. I have tried both, and we didn’t have any issues. If you can get roasted vermicelli, go for it. Or you can roast the vermicelli for 2 minutes over medium heat for about 2 minutes. It adds a depth to the flavor. But for this recipe, I did not roast the vermicelli.
    • As I included 7 oz of sweetened condensed milk, I did not add any additional sugar. Adjust the sweetness as per your preference. You can reduce the condensed milk and add sugar like in my poha kheer too. This kheer is slightly on the sweeter side.
    • Traditionally for kheer, we add roasted nuts and raisins, but I kept it nut-free. As we are not adding any ghee, you can serve this kheer cold. But feel free to add roasted nuts and raisins. You can freshly roast them in ghee and add it to the flavor.
    • You can easily convert this recipe into a sheer khurma by roasting 2 tbsps of cashews, almonds, pistachios, walnuts (nuts of your choice), and raisins plus chopped dates in 2 tbsps of ghee and add it to the kheer. I know it’s not authentic but shared a quick makeover idea. 
    • The kheer might thicken as it cools down. You can add more milk or evaporated milk to thin it down and serve.

    close up shot of semiya payasam served in a silverware placed on a wooden tray

    Other Kheer Recipes-

    • Sago kheer
    • Mango phirni
    • Gasagase payasa | Poppy seeds kheer
    • No-cook tender coconut kheer
    • Instant Pot rice and walnut kheer
    • Hayagreeva maddi
    • Mixed nuts kheer
    • Carrot kheer

    PS: Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates. If you try this semiya payasam recipe, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it asap.  Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas!

    📖 Recipe

    square image of seviyan kheer placed in stainless steel bowls
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Semiya Payasam | Semi-Homemade Vermicelli Kheer with Evaporated and Condensed Milk

    Quick and easy recipe for rich and creamy vermicelli kheer or semiya payasam for those sweet tooth cravings! A perfect recipe for festivals and party gatherings.
    Prep Time3 minutes mins
    Cook Time22 minutes mins
    Total Time25 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 274kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Equipment

    • Saucepan or kadai

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup vermicelli roasted or unroasted, please see the post above for the details.
    • ¾ cup reduced-fat milk I used 2% reduced-fat milk
    • 7 oz sweet condensed milk half of one 14 oz can
    • 12 oz evaporated milk; one 12 oz can
    • 5 green cardamoms or to taste crushed roughly. If using powder add 1.5 to 2 tsps of cardamom powder
    • ⅛ tsp saffron strands one fat pinch of saffron would do

    Instructions

    • Heat a heavy bottom vessel and add the ¾ cup of regular milk.
    • Bring the milk to a boil. Just be careful during this step. You don't need to bring it to a full boil. As it becomes frothy and when you see the bubbles, you can add the vermicelli.
    • Before adding vermicelli, take about ¼ cup of the boiling milk in a bowl, and add the saffron strands and crushed cardamom. Set it aside.
    • Reduce the heat, add the vermicelli, and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes or until the vermicelli is half-cooked. Make sure to stir in-between.
    • Now add the evaporated milk and condensed milk.
    • Mix well and make sure the condensed milk dissolves completely.
    • Let it simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Make sure to stir in-between.
    • Now add the saffron and cardamom soaked milk and mix. Just cook for 2 minutes and turn off the heat.
    • Serve warm, or you can allow it cool and refrigerate and serve chilled.

    Notes

    • You can use both roasted or non-roasted vermicelli for this kheer. I have tried both, and we didn't have any issues. If you can get roasted vermicelli, go for it. Or you can roast the vermicelli for 2 minutes over medium heat for about 2 minutes. It adds a depth to the flavor. But for this recipe, I did not roast the vermicelli.
    • As I included 7 oz of sweetened condensed milk, I did not add any additional sugar. Adjust the sweetness as per your preference. You can reduce the condensed milk and add sugar like in my poha kheer too. This kheer is slightly on the sweeter side.
    • Traditionally for kheer, we add roasted nuts and raisins, but I kept it nut-free. As we are not adding any ghee, you can serve this kheer cold. But feel free to add roasted nuts and raisins. You can freshly roast them in ghee and add it to the flavor.
    • You can easily convert this recipe into a sheer khurma by roasting 2 tbsps of cashews, almonds, pistachios, walnuts (nuts of your choice), and raisins plus chopped dates in 2 tbsps of ghee and add it to the kheer. I know it's not authentic but shared a quick makeover idea.
    • The kheer might thicken as it cools down. You can add more milk or evaporated milk to thin it down and serve.
    •  

    Nutrition

    Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 360mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 287mg | Iron: 1mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

    Update Notes: First posted in 2014. Updated the recipe with new pics, and recipe cards in 2020.

    247 shares
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    Filed Under: Festivals, Paayasam/Kheer Tagged With: easy recipes, under 30 minutes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      December 07, 2014 at 3:32 pm

      Such a creamy kheer! Looks awesome :)

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        December 07, 2014 at 4:16 pm

        Thanks sandhya

        Reply
    2. Pavani says

      December 01, 2014 at 7:02 pm

      What a rich and creamy kheer. Looks yummy!!

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        December 01, 2014 at 7:15 pm

        Thanks a lot

        Reply
    3. manjulabharathkumar says

      November 30, 2014 at 1:04 pm

      such an rich and delicious kheer :) looks tempting !!

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        November 30, 2014 at 2:37 pm

        Thanks :-)

        Reply
    4. Traditionally Modern Food says

      November 26, 2014 at 8:12 pm

      Evaporated milk is great addition to Kheer:-)

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        November 29, 2014 at 8:54 pm

        I know.. Its a huge time saver

        Reply
    5. snehadatar says

      November 26, 2014 at 3:35 am

      A yummy Kheer love it.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        November 29, 2014 at 8:57 pm

        :-) :-)

        Reply
    6. Priya says

      November 25, 2014 at 1:49 pm

      Love condensed milk addition in kheer, rich looking kheer..inviting.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        November 29, 2014 at 8:58 pm

        Thanks Priya

        Reply
    7. Srivalli says

      November 25, 2014 at 1:07 am

      That’s a delicious Kheer!…

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        November 29, 2014 at 8:59 pm

        Thanks Valli

        Reply
    8. Sowmya says

      November 24, 2014 at 7:45 pm

      very festive and delicious!!

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        November 29, 2014 at 8:59 pm

        Thanks :-)

        Reply
    9. Varada says

      November 24, 2014 at 4:12 pm

      Kheer is such a delicious and popular dessert! Evaporated and condensed milk definitely reduce the time needed to make it. Nice one.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        November 29, 2014 at 9:00 pm

        Yeah especially on weekday mornings, its a life saver

        Reply
    10. Aruna Panangipally says

      November 24, 2014 at 1:03 am

      I love the color of your payasam. :-)

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        November 29, 2014 at 9:01 pm

        Thanks Aruna. Evaporated milk did the trick :-)

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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