Seviyaan (Vermicelli Milk Pudding)

A simple but deliciously sweet milk pudding, made with roasted vermicelli and cooked until a soft custard consistency. A popular dessert in Pakistan and India, and often eaten first thing in the morning on the Muslim festival of Eid. Enjoy this dish warm or chilled. I have a saucepan I use just for making sweet dishes, like custard, rice pudding and seviyaan - spicy food tends to permeate cooking equipment, and the same pans I use for making meals would not be appropriate for making desserts in.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 3  cups milk
• 1  cup  vermicelli, roasted (seviyaan)
• 1⁄2-1  teaspoon ghee (optional)
• 1 -1 1⁄2 cup raw sugar (can use regular white sugar)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1  tablespoon pistachios, chopped

Directions

1. Wash a saucepan with cold water and shake out the excess.
2. Place pan over medium flame and heat the milk, stirring often until it is near boiling (should take 10 minutes). Scrape the walls and base of the pan while heating, to prevent the milk sticking.
3. Lower heat to med-low, and cook uncovered, stirring every 5-10 minutes until the milk is reduced by about 1/3 (this should take about 1 hour).
4. Add the roasted vermicelli into the reduced hot milk. The vermicelli can be broken into smaller pieces first to make it easier to handle. Roasted vermicelli should be available in packets from Indian or Pakistani grocery stores.
5. The vermicelli will soften after 2-3 minutes. Add the ghee (optional) and mix it through. Continue to cook seviyaan over med-low a further 5 minutes.
6. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. You may want to add 1 cup first and taste the seviyaan after the sugar dissolves fully to see if you want the dessert to be any sweeter.
7. Stir through the cardamom powder, then let the seviyaan thicken over med-low heat for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture sticking.
8. Serve warm in individual bowls garnished with pistachio nuts. If chilling, cover with plastic wrap that is in contact with the surface of the pudding, let cool almost to room temperature and then chill several hours in the fridge.