This week marks the beginning of the month-long fast before Eid. Daily fasts end with an iftar menu, and sweet dishes or kheer with sevai (vermicelli) are a must. Apart from the classic sheer khurma, loaded with ghee and dry fruits, there are several variations such as dry sevai, pudding and a mango-infused season special. Delhi-based chef Anil Dahiya shares four recipes with sevai.
Sheer khurma
Ingredients
2 litres high fat milk
200 gms ghee
250 gms dry dates, cut lengthwise
250 gms cashews, cut in half
200 gms almonds, thinly sliced
200 gms pistachios, thinly sliced
200 gms raisins
Half tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp cardamom seeds
100 gms thin sevai (vermicelli)
Method:
Place a kadhai on low flame and dry roast the vermicelli till it turns reddish pink. Remove from the kadhai and let it cool.
In the same kadhai, add a teaspoon of ghee and fry the cashews, almonds, pistachios and raisins. Remove the lightly browned dry fruits and keep aside. Let the ghee remain.
Now, lightly fry the cardamom seeds.
In a heavy bottomed vessel, boil the milk on high flame. Once it comes to a rolling boil, add the fried cardamom seeds and the remaining ghee.
Next, add all the fried dry fruits. Reduce the flame to slow. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Now, add the raisins. Stir for 30 seconds. Add the roasted vermicelli and turn off the flame.
Tip in the sugar and stir.
Add cardamom powder, mix well and serve.
Sevai pudding
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sevai (vermicelli)
2 cups milk
Half a can of condensed milk, optional
1/2 cup sugar (can adjust quantity to suit taste)
Few almonds and raisins or any dry fruits of your choice
2-3 green cardamom pods, crush the seeds to powder consistency
1 tbsp of ghee
200 gms fresh-cut fruits
Few strands of saffron, optional
Method:
On a medium flame, place a heavy-bottomed vessel and melt the ghee. Now, roast the vermicelli.
Keep stirring to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Once it turns slightly golden, remove from the heat, place on a plate and keep aside.
In another vessel, boil the milk. Stir in the condensed milk, crushed cardamom seeds and stir. (If you are using only sugar and no condensed milk, then add the sugar after vermicelli has been cooked in milk).
Once it starts bubbling, add the roasted vermicelli and let it simmer on low to medium heat for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, blanch the almonds, peel the skin and chop into small pieces. Add almonds and few raisins to the boiling milk and vermicelli.
Let it simmer for a few minutes. Add some saffron threads, stir and simmer again. Let it cool. Next, refrigerate for an hour.
Garnish with fresh fruits and serve cold.
Dry Sewai
Ingredients:
1 tbsp ghee
1 cup broken sevai (vermicelli)
500 ml milk
1/4 cup sugar or add as per taste
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 cup milk powder, optional
10-12 raisins
4 to 5 almonds, thinly sliced
4 to 5 pistachios, thinly sliced
4 to 5 cashews, thinly sliced
Method:
Heat a pan and melt the ghee. On a low to medium flame, roast the sevai till it turns golden.
Add all the chopped dry fruits and raisins. Stir well. Lower the flame and pour two cups of milk. Instead of milk, you can also add water. Stir and mix very well. Then continue to stir for two to three minutes.
Now add one-fourth cup of sugar. Continue to stir. Add milk powder. If you do not have milk powder, then skip this step. Mix again.
Sprinkle half teaspoon cardamom powder and stir well. The mixture will start thickening and the sevai will also begin to absorb the milk.
When all the milk has been absorbed, turn off the flame.
Serve meethi sewiyan, hot or warm or chilled. You can even garnish with some sliced dry fruits while serving.
Mango Sewai
Ingredients:
1 cup vermicelli, broken
1 cup sugar, can adjust quantity as needed
2 tbsp ghee
8-10 almonds, chopped
8-10 cashews, chopped
8 raisins
100 ml mango juice
Fresh mango slices for serving
Method:
Heat a pan, add one tbsp ghee and let it melt. Add vermicelli. Roast till it turns golden.
Mix in the dry fruits and raisins. Lower the flame and pour in the mango juice. Stir for two minutes and combine well.
Now add one-fourth cup of sugar. Keep stirring. The mixture will start thickening and the sevai will also begin to absorb the juice. When all the juice has been absorbed, turn off the flame.
Serve warm or chilled garnished with fresh mango slices.
