Recently, I sat at a party with a bowlful of golden seviyaan, and each bite reminded me of the dish that my mother cooked for us. I was always a foodie, but never a seviyaan (vermicelli) fan – until my mother asked me how I could claim to be foodie and not like seviyaan. She eventually convinced me to try this sweet dish and one Eid I found myself tasting it. Since then I have been a die-hard fan of seviyaan.

My mother made one of the best versions of this Mughlai dish that I have ever tasted. Regretfully, I never managed to get the recipe from her and when she died, so did the recipe. Hence, on tasting the seviyaan (which I later found out was made by Iffat, a fellow guest at the party and a close friend), I jumped at the chance to get a recipe that might finally allow me to make seviyaan just the way my mother made it.

Fried seviyaan (bhuni seviyaan) and sheer khurma are Eid favourites. These two Mughlai dishes are always associated with childhood memories of Eid and I have to admit I’m no different.

Eid feast is never complete without a few varieties of seviyaan

According to Gaitri Pagrachi in his book Sugar and Spice, Sweets and Treats from Around the world describes seviyaan and sewian “as a Guyanese comfort food at its soothing best and despite its particular association with the Muslim holiday of Eid, it is a great favourite with the young and old of all religions and races. It is Mughul in origin and ... comes in various consistencies, from a fairly liquid dessert that is served in bowls, to the cake and fried type, which is always considered more special than the runnier version. Although it bears a superficial resemblance to the Jewish ‘lokshen kugel’ (noodle pudding), sewian is creamier and more fragrantly spiced and is cooked entirely on the stove.”

The seviyaan recipe I share with you today comes from my dear friend Iffat’s kitchen, and the sheer khurma recipe is an old favourite, and is my mother’s recipe. Both are delicious, quick and make a good treat for Eid mornings.

Fried Seviyaan

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)

150 to 200 grams vermicelli, crushed roughly
½ cup oil
1 cup water
8 to 10 green cardamoms
Sugar to taste
Raisins, almonds, pistachios to taste

Method Heat oil over medium flame, add (roughly) crushed vermicelli and stir for a few minutes. Add cardamoms and stir until they release aroma (a minute or so), pour water and sugar and stir. Add raisins, and cook covered on low to medium flame for 5 to 10 minutes. If the fry seviyaan appear dry and stick to the pan, add a little water. Cover and cook on low flame for another minute. Your fried seviyyan are ready, enjoy.

Sheer Khurma

Ingredients

8 cups or 2kg full crème milk
100 grams vermicelli
4 oz condensed milk
8 oz sugar
10 to 12 green cardamoms
10 to 12 dates (cut lengthwise)
½ cup (pistachios, almonds, cashews, raisins)
Pinch of salt

Method

Bring the milk to boil, add vermicelli and keep stirring, simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, adding sugar, condensed milk, cardamom, salt and dates. Let simmer for 20 minutes to half-an-hour, reducing the milk quantity. Add dry fruit, cook for a few more minutes. Pour into serving bowl, garnish and serve hot or cold.

Published in Dawn, EOS, June 18th, 2017