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No Eid is complete without a bowl of comforting seviyan: sweet vermicelli roasted in ghee, and simmered in sweetened milk. A classic sub-continental sweet, seviyan, alongside its sister dish, sheer khurma, is found in Muslim homes across the sub-continent during Eid.

About the Recipe

One of the first desserts most Pakistani blogs share is seviyan. While incredibly simple, it’s a beautiful and comforting sweet that rounds out every table on Eid. What’s great about it is that because every household does it differently, there is no wrong way to prepare it. There are dozens of variations between household to household — from how long you decide to simmer the vermicelli in milk to the choice of dry fruit.

The recipe shared below is my mother’s. My mother’s family is originally from Ludhiana in Eastern Punjab, India, and they migrated to Jhelum in Pakistan during Partition. My mother spent most of her life between Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Most of her family recipes are quite simple, a reflection of her childhood and upbringing. She was one of eight, and grew up without help. Her mother, my nani jan, did not have the bandwidth for time consuming, layered recipes; and yet, so many of her recipes hit all the right notes, just like this one!

This seviyan recipe can be used as a basic template for the dish. It only utilizes the core set of ingredients: cardamom pods, ghee, seviyan (vermicelli), whole milk, and sugar. You can add additional layers to give the dish more depth like saffron for aroma and color, or raisins for garnish. Some households prefer to simmer their milk for a long time to make the vermicelli soft. My mother and I prefer them to have some bite so here, in this recipe you will find that I don’t let them cook for that long, 10 to 20 minutes depending on the pot you are using and the stove.

Difference Between Seviyan and Sheer Khurma

Both sweets are prepared with vermicelli, and are popular during Eid. Seviyan is generally much simper, using just ghee, milk and sugar while sheer khurma is richer, incorporating dates, and a variety of other dried fruits.

Ingredients

Ghee: Clarified butter, which you can make at home, find online or in any South Asian grocery store. If you don’t have ghee, you can use vegetable oil but it will undermine the overall flavor and richness of the dessert.

Whole green cardamom pods: These infuse seviyan with a lovely aroma. You can discard them before serving to guests. Please don’t substitute them with black cardamom. If you don’t have them on hand, just omit.

1 packet seviyan (about 5 ounces or 150 grams): You can buy packaged seviyan online or at any South Asian grocery store. Don’t confuse them with the Asian vermicelli prepared with rice.

Full-fat milk: Stick to full-fat milk for a creamier consistency.

Sugar: Regular granulated sugar

Toasted slivered almonds: While optional, they provide the seviyan with the perfect nutty texture.

How to Make It

Melt ghee over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Once it begins to shimmer, add cracked cardamom pods, and fry until fragrant. Place the vermicelli in the pot, breaking it as needed. Brown it over medium heat, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Slowly pour milk into the pot. Cover, and bring to a boil. Remove the lid, and lower to a simmer. Add sugar and stir until it dissolves.

Let the seviyan simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture begins to thicken, and you are close to the desired consistency, remove from heat. Remove and discard the cardamom pods. Pour seviyan into serving bowl, and let it set at room temperature. Garnish with sliced almonds or your choice of nuts or dried fruit.

Tips to Make Seviyan

• Use the times given here as a suggestion rather than law! Heat varies considerably based on the type of pot, and stove you use.
• Use a wide heavy-bottomed pot to make it easier for you to roast the seviyan in ghee, and give the milk enough room to boil and simmer.
• It’s okay to break the seviyan in half as you fold them into the pot, and roast them.
• Watch out for the consistency once the milk begins to simmer. If your pot is prone to heating quickly, it’s okay to remove from heat even if the consistency feels thin after 15 minutes. The dish thickens considerably once you let it set at room temperature.  

Easy Seviyan Recipe (Sweet Vermicelli)

No Eid is complete without a bowl of comforting seviyan: sweet vermicelli roasted in ghee, and simmered in sweetened milk.

Ingredients  

• ¼ cup ghee
• 6 green cardamom pods cracked
• 1 packet of seviyan (about 5 ounces or 150 grams)
• ½ gallon (2 liters) whole milk
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 to 4 tablespoons slivered almonds

Method 

1. Melt ghee over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Once it begins to shimmer, add cracked cardamom pods, and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Place the vermicelli in the pot, breaking it as needed. Brown it over medium heat, about 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Slowly pour milk into the pot. Cover, and bring to a boil.

4. Remove the lid, and lower to a simmer. Add sugar and stir until it dissolves.

5. Let the seviyan simmer on medium to medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture begins to thicken, and you are close to the desired consistency, remove from heat. Remove and discard the cardamom pods.

6. Pour seviyan into serving bowl, and let it set at room temperature. Garnish with slivered almonds or your choice of nuts or dried fruit. Refrigerate after serving.