Vermicelli Payasam. (Semiya Payasam)

Vermicilli Payaasam:(Semiya paayasam)
Payaasam is one of the easy recipes that gets done in auspicious days. My mom used to make it during our birthdays. Paayasam also gets appreciated by the kids and adults equally.
Requires (for four persons):
Milk : 2 1/2 cups
Vermicelli: 1/2 cup.
Sugar : 1 cup
Cardamom : 1/4 teaspoon
Raisins, Cashew nuts : a handful.

Procedure:
Roast vermicelli in ghee and keep it aside.
Pour milk in a thick bottomed vessel, When the milk boils lower the flame and add vermicelli and sugar. Add cardamom powder.
Let the milk simmer down and become thick, by then vermicelli would have been cooked well.
As the milk reaches the required consistency, take it off from the stove.
Roast cashew and raisin in ghee until you get the aroma, garnish on top of the payaasam. Payasam is ready to be served.

Vegetable Noodles (Indian version)

This version of vegetable noodles is a very effortless, less time consuming(Particularly if you have precooked veggies), healthy dish which suits indian taste buds.
Requires:(serves 4)
Noodles: 3 cakes
onion medium size 1
tomato medium size 1
chopped veggies cooked soft- beans, carrot, peas half cup
Bell pepper, mushroom optional.
chilli powder -half teaspoon (reduce if you are using pepper)
salt to taste
Method:
Cook and drain noodles and keep it aside.
In a kadai add little oil and season with mustard seeds and curry leaves(you can skip the seasoning if you dont want a strong indian flavour), saute onions, bell pepper, mushroom and tomatoes.
When well sauted, add cooked veggies, chilli powder, and required salt.
Add drained noodles, mix well.

Omapodi.

Omapodi.(Ajwain spiced fried snack)
Omapodi is one of the dishes you can make in a jiffy. I remember my mom making them and keeping them stored in air tight container, as a surprise when we return from school. A rainy weekend, tea, Omapodi and family gossip time make a heavenly combination.
What you need:
Omam (Caromseeds/ajwain)- 1 tbsp
Gram flour(chickpea/besan flour)- 1 and a half cups.
Rice flour- half cup.
Chilli powder - half teaspoon.
Salt - to taste.
Preparation:
Soak Omam in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes. grind Omam with water, strain and keep the water. In a vessel mix gram flour, rice flour, chilli powder and salt. Add the omam spiced water and add more water little by little to a soft dough. Take oil in a kadai for deep frying and keep it on the stove. When the oil is hot (but not smoking),take a portion of a dough in a Murukku press and press the dough in to the oil. When they are adequately fried take them out and place in a kitchen tissue to absorb excess oil.
Crispy, yummy omapodi is now ready!!. This can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days.