Alma Bax Yummy and cool Eid food will definitely make you feel special. The best part about eating out is that you don’t have to make any effort to make it look good. You can just go for plain yet yummy food that can be easily relished. Right from the way the food is prepared to the utensils used, everything is perfect.
I am a nonvegetarian and I am blessed to have a meat-eating friend in my life. I love the delectable taste of mutton, chicken and fish, but I know that for many people, eating meat can be a tough experience. It is a challenge for them to take meat cooked with spices, herbs and other ingredients in their mouth. I understand that they cannot digest or assimilate the animal protein in the same way that a meat-eating person can. I know that the process of digestion is different for every person, even though the rate of digestion is the same for everyone.
Choose one of the biggest festivals of the year, the eid. From the clothes you’ll wear, to the food you’ll eat, and the decoration of the house, you will be following a strict diet, when the whole world is rejoicing. But, if you’re not careful, this diet can have a serious impact on the way you look and your health. To make sure you don’t end up in the hospital, it’s important to follow some simple rules.
During Ramzan, Bakrid, and other important events, Eid ki seviyan/semiya (vermicelli) is a popular traditional dish. The preparation of this meethi seviyan for Eid is not complete without it (sweet vermicelli). Eid is a culinary festival that brings together family and friends. When Eid is celebrated in India, you may observe a variety of wonderful cuisine all around the market place (particularly near mosques or Muslim communities) during the evening hours, and the fragrance will be tempting to us. People purchase a lot of food from these marketplaces for iftari (breaking the fast at home or at the mosque) or just to eat with their families.
This dish requires a particular seviyan, which must be extremely thin and orange or amber in color (not the ordinary vermicelli). This seviyan has a thick soup-like texture rather than being thick and dry. Both roasted and unroasted vermicelli are available in stores. I used toasted vermicelli in this dish, which I roasted again in ghee to improve the flavor. During Eid, I sampled a wide range of seviyan dishes made by my grandma, aunts, and other relatives. My mother and grandmother used to prepare seviyan (together with biryani) in a large vessel not only for us, but also for relatives, friends, neighbors, and the destitute, when I was a kid. When the males return from namaz (eid ki namaz), eid ki seviyan is given in a dish to them. It is also offered to all visitors who come to meet us at home. Eid is a time for pleasure, happiness, and togetherness, and this seviyan is a delicious way to contribute to the festivities.
Time to prepare: 5 minutes
Time to cook: 30 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. ghee
- 10 cashew nuts
- 2 tbsp almonds
- 1 tbsp. or more raisins
- 23 gms (1/2 cup) roasted seviyan
- 500 mL (2 cups) milk
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar (as per the sweetness required)
- 1/4 teaspoon plus a sprinkle of green cardamom powder
Method
- In this recipe, I used ready-to-eat roasted vermicilli. Despite the fact that the vermicilli had previously been roasted, I roasted them again to improve the flavor. 1 tsp ghee, 1 tsp vermicelli, 1 tsp ghee, 1 tsp ghee, 1 tsp ghee, 1 tsp ghee (seviyan). Roast for a few minutes over a low heat, until the vermicelli is gently toasted and imbued with the ghee flavor. The ghee is absorbed by the vermicelli, and the color changes. It will just take 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the stove and place the toasted vermicelli in a dish or platter.
- Using a kitchen tissue or towel, clean or wipe the vessel. Add the remaining ghee to the pot and heat it up. Add all the nuts and raisins after the ghee is heated (except almonds). When the raisins swell and the color changes, turn off the heat and transfer to a dish with all of the ghee. Keep a few dried fruits and nuts on hand for garnishing.
- In the same pot, bring the milk to a boil. Mix in the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon green cardamom. Continue to whisk over a low to medium heat until the sugar has melted.
- Cook until the raw taste of the milk has faded and the milk has decreased and thickened somewhat. It will take between 10 and 12 minutes.
- To keep the milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan, keep stirring it in between. Continue scraping the dry milk that has accumulated on the pan’s sides.
- Lastly, sprinkle in the remaining green cardamom powder (a pinch). Cook for approximately 2 minutes after thoroughly mixing.
- To the thickened milk, add the toasted vermicelli, dried fruit, and nuts (along with the ghee). Mix thoroughly.
- Cook for a few minutes on low heat, until the vermicelli is done (the thin vermicelli cooks quickly – check by pushing with your fingers or tasting and seeing). It will take about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Turn off the heat as soon as the seviyan has thickened to the appropriate consistency. Close the lid and let aside for approximately 5 minutes, or serve right away if you like.
- Garnish with the remaining dried fruits and nuts just before serving.
Notes
- There are two types of vermicelli available in stores: roasted and unroasted. The images below depict how they appear. The darker one has been roasted, whereas the lighter one has not.
- To make bigger batches, just double the amounts of all the components and adjust the sugar to taste.
- Warm or at room temperature, serve the seviyan.
- Instead of green cardamom powder, you may add 4 gently crushed green cardamoms to the milk while it’s boiling.
- You may add 2 green cardamoms to the seviyan while roasting it in ghee to integrate the ghee and cardamom flavors into the seviyan.
- When the seviyan (vermicelli) is added to the milk, it seems like more seviyan (vermicelli) is required, but once cooked, the seviyan thickens and gets even thicker as it cools. As a result, use caution while mixing seviyan with milk.
Wishing you a happy Eid. May this Eid bring you all the best and cheer your day up. For Eid Mubarak is a day for self- indulgence but also a day when you have to keep yourself under check for the sake of self-control.. Read more about eid ki sewai and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Seviyan made of?
Seviyan is a type of pastry that is made with flour, butter and sugar.
Is Sewai good for health?
Sewai is a type of seaweed that has been used for centuries in the traditional Japanese diet. Its high in iodine, which can help with thyroid and metabolism issues.
Do Muslims eat kheer?
Muslims do not eat kheer.
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