Vegetables available in abundance in this season are made use of the most, benefiting not only the consumer, but also the farmers who grow them. Fresh and seasonal produce is like nectar to the body. One such vegetable is Pumpkin. Did you know, a cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin provides more than 200% of daily required vitamin A.
A fiber-rich vegetable, it can keep you fuller for longer with fewer calories ingested. A cup of cooked mashed pumpkin also provides more potassium than banana, which is beneficial for our muscles and balancing our blood pressure, for someone on a normal diet.
Pumpkins can be seen everywhere in the market at the moment, at its best quality and also price. The beautiful looking pile of sweet pumpkins piled up, beckoned me at the store. I simply had to get them and make the most of them. Recently in my blog I shared recipes with PUMPKIN – Pumpkin jam, Eggless Whole Wheat Pumpkin Raisins Cake, Pumpkin Kala Chana Gravy , Pumpkin Rava Halwa , Pumpkin Poori, Pumpkin Coconut Fudge , Pumpkin Jaggery Halwa, Pumpkin Tomato Soup .
Kheer (kheeri, payesh, payasam or phirni) is a sweet dish and a type of wet pudding popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice, although rice may be substituted with one of the following: daals, bulgur wheat, millet, tapioca, vermicelli, or sweet corn. It is typically flavoured with desiccated coconut, cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashews, pistachios, almonds, or other dry fruits and nuts. It is typically served as a Dessert.
Seviyan kheer also known as vermicelli kheer is a must at any festival. This creamy seviyan kheer is a North Indian sweet made with wheat vermicelli, milk, sugar, dry fruits and flavored with spices. This incredibly easy recipe of semiya kheer comes together in 20 minutes and makes for an excellent dessert or sweet that can be eaten as Meetha or Dessert.
Traditionally, in seviyan kheer, we only add cardamom powder. But in this recipe, I have used cinnamon stick. It is optional and can be skipped. For the semiya aka vermicelli, I have used whole wheat thin vermicelli. As far as nuts and dry fruits are concerned you can add your choice of nuts and dry fruits. I garnished with sliced pistachios & golden chocolate balls.
This Pumpkin Vermicelli Kheer is a twist to the traditional Vermicelli Kheer. The addition of steamed pumpkin puree gives a beautiful color and a healthy touch to this kheer.
Ingredients:
Pumpkin – 300 gms (deseeded, peeled and cubed)
Thin vermicelli – 1 cup
Milk – 4 cups
Sugar – 1/2 cup
Cinnamon stick – 1 inch
Sliced pistachios & golden chocolate balls for garnishing
Ghee – 2 tbsp
A pinch of salt
Method :
- Cut the pumpkin, remove the peel and the inner seeds and cut into small pieces.
- Place the pumpkin pieces in a steamer basket in a pot. Add water to the pot so it reaches to the bottom of the steamer basket and steam the pumpkin pieces until completely cooked through; a paring knife will pierce the flesh easily and it will take about 15 minutes. During the steaming, add more water to the pot if necessary.
- Now mashed steam pumpkin with the help of fork or potato masher. You should have 1 cup pumpkin puree.
- Heat ghee on medium heat in a pan. Continue to stir and roast vermicelli until it turns golden brown.
- Now add milk, cinnamon stick and let it boil.
- Cook for 10 minutes on low flame (don’t over).
- In a another pan add steamed puree pumpkin with 1/2 cup of sugar.
- Cook mixture for 5 minutes on low heat till sugar dissolve completely.
- Add this prepared pumpkin sugar mixture with prepared kheer with milk.
- Cook for 10 minutes and then garnish with chopped dry fruits (discard cinnamon stick before serving)
- Serve hot or cold :).
Tip –
You can use Cinnamon powder (1/4 tsp) as well.
Mad About Cooking 