Seviyan

Seviyan refers to a sweet made using vermicelli with milk popular in the Middle East and Asian countries - India and Pakistan. They are prepared to celebrate or mark festive occasions such as Id Ul Fitr and Diwali.

 



Ingredients Used and Popular Methods of Preparation of Seviyan

Seviyan recipe makes use of vermicelli, ghee or clarified butter, milk, condensed milk, water, sugar, raisins, cardamom and nuts as the main ingredients. Into a pan containing heated ghee, nuts and raisins are added and fried slightly. Thereafter vermicelli is added, roasted till light brown and then kept aside. Milk is heated in a pan allowed to reduce to almost three fourth being simmered on low heat.

To this condensed milk, sugar and cardamom are added, boiled on low heat for 3-4 minutes and allowed to cool slightly to follow the addition of vermicelli. When so, the vermicelli is added and allowed to boil over low heat for 4-5 minutes until cooked. The reason why the milk is cooled a little before the addition of vermicelli is that vermicelli strands tend to stick to each other and form lumps when boiled on high heat for long.

 


Serving and Eating Seviyan

Seviyan kheer or Seviyan can be served hot or cold. The raisins and nuts can be included in the recipe in the end as well by roasting them in ghee and adding over the dish as a garnish.

 


Popular Seviyan recipe Variations

Seviyan recipe can be made with variations such as adding saffron strands in the end to infuse flavor. The inclusion of condensed milk is optional and mawa or solidified milk can be included in its place either. Dried fruits and nuts can include deseeded dates, dried figs pistachio nuts and almonds. Coconut silvers can be used to garnish too. The seviyan used can be either thin or medium thick. The dried fruits in the seviyan recipe can also be alternated with cheaper ingredients such as blanched and roasted pumpkin seeds. Seviyan can be served in a cup and had with a spoon or drank up as well.

 



Miscellaneous Facts

Seviyan has a special place in Muslim households during ID Ul Fitr. People greet each other with pleasantries and sweets on the occasion and seviyan is a compulsory dish prepared.
Hindus too prepare seviyan on occasions such as Holi and Diwali. It is also prepared to celebrate special events such as naming ceremony, marriage, etc.