Vermicelli "halwa" that is not too heavy ...
I used some of the sevainya I’ve saved up from my Id
shopping at Jama Masjid in the Indian capital. But it will be no different
if I’d bought some other vermicelli,
including the “Bambino” brand—plain or pre-roasted.
If the vermicelli is not pre-roasted, roast it for five minutes on a hot hardbottom/ non-stick pan. Set aside.
In the same pan, add the ghee, and dry fruits/nuts, till the nuts turn golden, and raisins plump up. Transfer to a bowl.
Meanwhile, bring the water to boil in a sauce pan, add cardamom powder and sugar. Let boil for three to five minutes.
Put the vermicelli in the pan hardbottom/nonstick pan that is now coated with ghee, stir for a couple of minutes. Add the boiled water with sugar and cardamom/saffron, stirring as you do this.
After two to five minutes, depending on the power of your gas burner, the water will have been absorbed, and the sevainya, cooked well.
Transfer this to a serving bowl, garnish with the dry fruits and nuts.
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| Semiya |
Vermicelli/semiya/sevainya— is cooked in milk, sweetened,
garnished with nuts, and served as “payasam” or “kheer”. But in many homes in
North India, they skip the milk, and make it in water, much like the
“halwa”/kesari(minus the colour), and garnish it. Unlike the milk version, this
is not semi-liquid,, the water is completely absorbed by the vermicelli.
It is easy to make, and very quick to. Above all, the rich
roasted flavor and taste of the vermicelli/semiya/sevainya, dominate because
they are not adulterated with milk, but merely enhanced by the crunch and taste
of the nuts and dry fruits in the
garnish.
My late father-in-law, a Punjabi, described the simple rava upma I made for him the first time as "namkeen halwa". Going by that this is sweet "semiya upma".
My late father-in-law, a Punjabi, described the simple rava upma I made for him the first time as "namkeen halwa". Going by that this is sweet "semiya upma".
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| Sevainya on Id eve. See the Jama Masjid deep in the background? |
Total time taken: Less than 10 minutes if the vermicelli is
pre-roasted, and the water is heated on another burner, simultaneously.
Ingredients, enough
to serve 4 people.
Vermicelli-1 cup
Water-1 cup
Sugar-2 tablespoons
Ghee/Clarified butter—1 tablespoon
A few blanched almonds/raisins/cashew (one or two or all of
them)
Cardamom powder-of 2/ A few strands of saffron (optional)
Method
If the vermicelli is not pre-roasted, roast it for five minutes on a hot hardbottom/ non-stick pan. Set aside.
 |
| Roast the dry fruits/nuts in ghee |
In the same pan, add the ghee, and dry fruits/nuts, till the nuts turn golden, and raisins plump up. Transfer to a bowl.
Meanwhile, bring the water to boil in a sauce pan, add cardamom powder and sugar. Let boil for three to five minutes.
Put the vermicelli in the pan hardbottom/nonstick pan that is now coated with ghee, stir for a couple of minutes. Add the boiled water with sugar and cardamom/saffron, stirring as you do this.
After two to five minutes, depending on the power of your gas burner, the water will have been absorbed, and the sevainya, cooked well.
Transfer this to a serving bowl, garnish with the dry fruits and nuts.
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