Ingredients:

• 3 cups – water
• 2 cups – boiled Milk
• 1 cup – crushed vermicelli
• 1 cup – Sugar
• 2 tbsps – Ghee
• 4 tbsps – sliced Cashewnuts
• 2 tbsp – golden Raisins
• 1 tbsp – all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp – Cardamom power
• 2 pinches Saffron (soaked in 1 tsp. warm Milk or water)

Method:

1. Fry the nuts and raisins separately in ghee until the nuts turn golden brown and the raisins become puffy.
2. Remove them from the pan.
3. Add crushed vermicelli to the ghee and fry until golden brown.
4. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a 2 quart saucepan.
5. Add fried vermicelli and cook for 10 mins. or until the vermicelli becomes very soft.
6. Add nuts, raisins and sugar. Stir.
7. Mix the all-purpose flour in 2 tbsps. of water and pour it into the payasam.
8. Stir well to thicken it. Remove from the heat.
9. Boil the milk for 10 mins and pour it into the payasam.
10. Add cardamom powder and saffron.
11. Stir. Cool before serving.
12. This payasam is thin enough to drink.