Semiya Kesari is delicious semiya sweet made without milk. Unlike semiya payasam or kheer, you can make this kesari in 20 minutes without milk. This semiya sweet is a good option when you want make quick sweet for pooja or sudden guests!
Semiya or vermicelli is used very widely in Indian cooking. Semiya upma, kheer, pakoda are few dishes you will fond in south India. Along with these recipes this kesari is also a very popular one. This is a traditional semiya sweet made with vermicelli in India.
I often make this semiya kesari when I want to make sweet for quick Friday pooja or for sudden guests or when we crave something sweet. This kesari with semiya takes just 20 minutes to make and tastes very delicious. This is also known as vermicelli halwa in some places.
Serve semiya kesari hot or warm as dessert. It turns out a bit dry on cooling, so preferably serve it warm.
Why Should You Make This Recipe?
Semiya kesari is a quick alternative to the popular rava kesari recipe. Instead of rava you just need to use semiya or vermicelli.
Kesari is a popular south Indian sweet made with semolina, ghee and sugar. It is more like sweet pudding or halwa with gooey consistency. There are many variations with kesari recipe. You can check
- pineapple kesari
- Kesari bath
- mango kesari recipes.
In this semiya kesari I have used regular vermicelli used for upma. Also we like our kesari a bit dry so I have added less water. For more gooey texture do add 1/2 cup more water.
You can use any type of semiya like ragi semiya, whole wheat semiya or rice vermicelli to make semiya kesari. Read on to know the details.
How To Make Semiya Kesari Step by Step
1. Heat 2 teaspoons ghee in a pan.Fry the nuts until golden,remove the nuts alone,let the ghee be in the pan itself.
2,Roast semiya in the ghee until fragrant. Take care not to burn.
3.Add saffron soaked milk+water to the roasted semiya and let it cook till all the water is absorbed and semiya is soft and completely cooked.
4.Once all the water is absorbed,add sugar and mix well.Once the sugar starts to melt,add ghee and mix well.
5.Once the ghee starts to separate,add cardamon powder,fried nuts.
6.Mix well and serve hot.
Semiya Kesari Variations
With Ragi Semiya
The recipe for this kesari with ragi semiya remains the same but you should soak the semiya first and roast it very well. Also add water according to the package instructions.
With Milk
To make richer semiya kesari you can make it with milk instead of water. Just replace water with milk or you can also use half water half milk.
In Pressure Cooker
Yes you can easily make semiya kesari in pressure cooker. Just use a pressure cooker base and follow the recipe till roasting the semiya. Once the semiya is roasted, add sugar and water. Cover and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. Once the pressure settles, open and check the consistency. If the kesari is runny, just stir and cook it in medium flame for 2-3 minutes.
Using Condensed Milk
Yes, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of condensed milk in this recipe. Just add along with sugar and mix. Reduce sugar by 3-4 tablespoons.
How To Store and Reheat This Dish?
This kesari keeps well two days in refrigerator. Store in a dry airtight container. To reheat it you can gently stri with 2 teaspoons ghee or milk or water.You can also microwave for 2-3 minutes.
Top Tips For Best Semiya Kesari
Roasting the semiya in ghee well- This step is very crucial for making best semiya kesari. If not roasted properly, the kesari will be chewy and sticky.
Water Quantity– Use water according to the variety of the semiya you use. Usually for wheat semiya you will have to more water and for rice semiya very less water comparatively.
Ghee– Homemade desi ghee or any top quality store bought ghee. I have made this with less ghee but add more for rich and glossy semiya keari.
More South Indian Sweets
Semiya Kesari Recipe

Semiya kesari recipe| easy sweet recipes
1 CUP = 250 ml
Ingredients
- 1 cup vermicelli/semiya
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon saffron soaked in 1/8 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 3 teaspoons broken nuts+raisins
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons ghee in a pan.Fry the nuts until golden,remove the nuta slone,let the ghee be in the pan itself.
- Roast semiya in the ghee until fragrant. Take care not to burn.
- Add saffron soaked milk+water to the roasted semiya and let it cook till all the water is absorbed and semiya is soft and completely cooked.
- Once all the water is absorbed,add sugar and mix well.Once the sugar starts to melt,add ghee and mix well.
- Once the ghee starts to separate,add cardamon powder,fried nuts,
- Mix well and serve hot.
Notes
2.If using non roasted semiya,roast it till becomes nicely fragrant and add more water to cook.
3.As mentioned you can increase sugar by 1/4 cup
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
I love adding saffron to things. A little really does go a long way.
Priya says
Looks so delicious!
gayathri says
kesari looks yummy