Vermicelli Kheer known as "Shevayachi Kheer" in Goa. My Mom usually prepares this Kheer on some special occasions like birthdays or when some special guests arrives or on any festivals. This week my hubby and little one went to Goa for Ganesh Chaturthi. They visited my Mom. When I called home, my Mom told me over the phone that she has prepared "Shevayachi Kheer" along with several other delicacies. Before asking anything else she said "My Dear Son-in-law and Grand-daughter has visited us. So I prepared this Kheer to celebrate."
There is a folk story in the GSB community of Goa. It is called "Javoiyachi Kheer". "Javoi" means Son-in-law. Javoiyachi means for Son-in-laws. There is a custom in Goa where the newly married daughter, her husband and all the in-laws gets invited to the newly married girls maternal home. On this special day the Vermicelli Kheer gets prepared. So once a newly married girl was invited to her maternal home along with her family. The Kheer was what everyone loved. But the Son-in-law refused to have the Kheer which was specially made for him. He just did not want it. Later people told him that the Kheer was awesome and he was feeling like eating the Kheer. But he did not know how to ask his Mom-in-law to serve him some Kheer. So he decided to stay at his in-laws place overnight and the rest of the relatives went back home. At night everyone went to bed. The Son-in-law went to the kitchen in the darkness in search of some left-over Kheer. There was some noise in kitchen and people feared thieves. They came in darkness and caught hold of the Son-in-law and spanked him with big sticks thinking that he was a thief. Later when someone put on the lights they saw that it was their loving Son-in-law with a katori of Kheer and burst out laughing when he told that he wanted some Kheer :) So if my hubby refuses to eat Kheer I always tell him that story how a Son-in-law got beaten up :D
In India, happiness is always celebrated with something sweet. In 90% of places in India, people make various types of Kheer to celebrate festivals and special occasions. When I got married my Mom told me to always add a pinch of elaichi or cardamom powder to the sweet dishes. When elaichi powder is added to sweet dishes it means we made the dish to celebrate happiness. Sometimes sweet dishes are prepared on days like "Shrad" or death anniversaries. We should never add elaichi powder to those sweet dishes.
Today is Ganesh Chaturthi. I made this Kheer as a sweet dish to celebrate the festival. Just like my Mom I have made it a point to make a sweet dish on special occasions to celebrate happiness. My little innocent angel still does not know what Kheer is. I told her that it is special ice-cream prepared by me. She ate it whole-heartedly. I have to sometimes cheat my 4 year old to eat healthy things. When she grows up and reads this blogpost she will actually try to catch hold of me :)
1 cup vermicelli
2 tablespoon desi or home-made ghee to roast vermicelli + 1/2 tablespoon ghee for frying the raisins
10 cashew nuts
10 raisins
5-8 almonds
7-8 tablespoon sugar
1 tsp cardamom / elaichi powder
A few strands of keshar/saffron
2 cardamom / elaichi pods
2 and 1/2 cup milk / 1/2 ltr packet milk
1 cup water
Procedure:
Cut the nuts length wise and soak the nuts in warm water for 30 Min's. If you forget to soak, then just roast these in the kadai or deep bottomed pan for 5 Min's after cutting them lengthwise.
Heat a non-stick kadai for 5 Min's. Add ghee and roast the vermicelli till it turns light brown or slightly golden.
Keep this aside and let it cool down.
In the same kadai, add 1/2 tablespoon ghee. When it gets heated add the raisins. The raisins will quickly get puffed up. To this add the roasted vermicelli and mix with the raisins.
Now add 1/2 to 3/4 cup water and let the vermicelli get boiled. After it gets boiled, add milk. Add sugar and the roasted dry fruits. Let it simmer for 20 Min's.
Keep stirring occasionally to ensure that the Kheer does not stick to the pan. Let the Kheer get thickened. Simmer till the milk gets reduced to 3/4 the original quantity.
Add the cardamom powder. Crush the cardamom pods and add this to the kheer. Garnish with few strands of keshar/saffron.
Note: Adjust the sugar according to your taste.
This Kheer made with 1/2 litre nilk serves 4 people.
