Semiya payasam cupcakes

Amidst the many inventive culinary wonders, here's a brand new discovery—set your oven to bake the ever famous vermicelli payasam, a specialty dessert in Kerala, and turn them to cupcakes!

Ingredients
½ cup semiya (vermicelli)
1 cup maida
¼ cup condensed milk
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp powdered cardamom
½ cup + 2 tbsp milk (room temperature)
½ cup oil
2 tbsp cashew nuts

Preparation
Preheat the oven in convection mode at 180c
Powder the sugar and keep aside
Take ½ cup semiya and grind to a fine powder, and set aside
As a general rule in cake-making, take all the dry ingredients first (maida, powdered semiya, powdered sugar, baking powder, powdered cardamom and soda) in a bowl. Sieve them and keep aside
Whisk the condensed milk and oil together
Now add the milk and dry ingredients little by little to this mixture and mix well using a whisk. Make sure there are no lumps
Do not beat the mixture. Fold it gently
Check the consistency of batter. If it is very thick, add 2 tbsp milk. The batter should fall like a ribbon
Now fill the cupcake moulds with the prepared batter and pat it well to break the air bubbles
Garnish with fried cashews
Bake the cake at 180c for 25-30 minutes
If needed, bake for a couple of minutes more
Let the cake cool for 20 minutes
Baked Semia payasam cupcakes are ready


(The author is a food blogger who blogs @www.hottavasandovens.blogspot.in)