Seviyan - Sweet Asian Vermicelli (Toasted)

"There are many, many versions of Seviyan (& spelling), you will find it differs from house to house & of course there are regional variations. Seviyan is the name of the toasted vermicelli used to make sweets aswell as savoury dishes in countries such as Pakistan & India. It is eaten throughout the year but comes into it's own during Ramadan. This is great fro Suhor (the morning meal before dawn) or as a desset after Iftar (the evening meal). I also like to make this a little drier & reduce the sugar somewhat. Recently I discovered that it's fun to swap the almonds & pistachios for a handful of prepared 'tropical fruit & nut mix' like you find in the health food shops & supermarkets). Seviyan is easy to find in most Asian supermarkets as well as the international isle in your regular supermarket - where it'll be sold as Pakistani Vermicelli. I most recently bought mine from Tesco in the UK - 2 packs for 50p"
 
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photo by Jonathan Melendez photo by Jonathan Melendez
photo by Jonathan Melendez
photo by Jonathan Melendez photo by Jonathan Melendez
photo by Jonathan Melendez photo by Jonathan Melendez
Ready In:
40mins
Ingredients:
7
Serves:
4
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ingredients

  • 4 -5 tablespoons sunflower oil (you can use vegetable or canola too)
  • 7 ounces toasted vermicelli (Seviyan)
  • 2 cups whole milk (I use semi skimmed)
  • 12 cup sugar (you can reduce the amount to a 1/4 cup)
  • 8 -10 whole green cardamom pods
  • 4 tablespoons slivered almonds
  • 20 shelled and sliced pistachios
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directions

  • Place oil in a medium sauce pan, break the vermicelli into inch-long pieces (I find it easy to lay on a chopping board & slice with a large chefs knife) and add to the pan.
  • Cook the vermicelli over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the vermicelli has browned to a walnut colour - about 5 minutes, add the milk and almonds.
  • Gently bash the cardamom pods with a rolling pin or bottom of a heavy pan to release the seeds. Add the seeds to the cooking pan & add the sugar.
  • Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes over medium heat. The vermicelli will begin to soak up the milk. Check every 5 minutes to see how much milk has been absorbed & be careful to stir occasionally.
  • When the milk is almost completely absorbed, turn the heat as low as will go & cook with the lid off for around 10 minutes or until the noodles are separated.
  • Serve warm in small bowls topped with the pistachios. To make this a creamy dessert, you can also spoon over a little single cream or evaporated milk!
  • (If using the mixed fruit & nut add half of it at the time when the almonds are added & the remainder to decorate like the pistachios).

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Reviews

  1. I've never heard of/or have made this recipe before and so it was nice to try something new. I'm so glad I gave it a try because it was I normally wouldn't have made it before. I highly recommend it!
     
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ABOVE: My eldest, Talha with his 'Zaar Star! I'm 29 years old and have been cooking since I was old enough to wield a wooden spoon! My Mum is a fantastic cook and both my Grandmas were great cooks too. I've also had the pleasure of working in two commercial kitchens - one which I ran and the other I was second chef of. You can find me lurking in the NA*ME (North Africa / Middle East) Forum where I am a host: http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewforum.zsp?f=59 and also in the Cooking for Kids Forum where I am co-host: http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewforum.zsp?f=34 <style>body { background: url(http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww141/Um_Safia/seamless%20tiles/seamlesstile1.jpg);background-repeat: repeat; }</style> I am fortunate enough to have 2 children of my own now and enjoy cooking with my eldest who is almost 8 years old. My daughter is almost 3 & has now started joining me in the kitchen & 'helping'. She likes to stand on a chair next to me, give instructions & stir. We eat food from all over the world but my husband prefers it like 'mama used to make' or in his case ''like yemma makes it'' as he is Algerian! We are currently living in the UK after living in Algeria for a while. You will notice that I have posted quite a few Algerian classics. If I had the time and the money, I would spend all day every day trying new recipes! My husband has a 'recipe score' which is this: 1: "Add it to your recipe book - I loved it and wanna eat this again soon!" 2: "Interesting....I will enjoy eating this again." 3: "I cleared my plate but don't expect me to eat this again...ever." However, I rate 'Zaar recipes the by the 'Zaar standard, so don't worry. Oh and fyi, I have a problem being negative so will probably NEVER give a rating less that 4*!!! Other than cooking, I love anything arty-crafty and enjoy painting when I get the chance, which is rarely these days. 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