Seviyan Recipe (Sweet Vermicelli)
Updated: February 17, 2023, By Swasthi
Make this easy Seviyan Recipe under 15 mins. Seviyan is the Hindi and Urdu word for Vermicelli. This sweet vermicelli is a simple pudding made with thin wheat seviyan, cardamoms, sugar, ghee, nuts, raisins and milk or water. This basic dish is more known by the name “Meethi Seviyan” meaning “Sweet Vermicelli”.
Meethi Seviyan
This basic Meethi Seviyan is so quick, simple to make and can be easily tweaked to a rich dessert by cooking the dish in milk or condensed milk.
Vermicelli is known by different names such as seviyan, semiya, sevai and semai. It is a common ingredient used in the Asian households to cook savory and sweet dishes.
A pudding like dish is made in numerous variations. Sometimes they are cooked with milk and is known as Kheer or Payasam. A similar version is made during the month of Ramadan and is known as Sheer Khurma.
The recipe I share here is usually made during Eid & is served as an after-meal dessert. It is the lighter version of the kheer as it is cooked in sugar syrup instead of milk.
However if you prefer you may cook the seviyan in milk or even garnish with mawa/ khoya (milk solids) to bring in some richness.
Meethi Seviyan is flavored with ground cardamoms and rose water or kewra water. Lastly garnished with different kinds of nuts. The method to make this is similar to the South Indian Semiya Kesari but Meethi Seviyan tastes completely different due to the kind of seviyan used.
Meethi seviyan is made with thin whole wheat vermicelli which gives it a unique nutty flavor. For convenience you may use thick vermicelli but definitely it tastes different.
Ensure you use the quantity of milk or water as mentioned on the pack. There are different kinds of seviyan available in the market. Each may require different amount of liquid – water or milk to cook.
Here I have used preroasted vermicelli. If you are using unroasted ones then do fry them in ghee well until they turn deep golden in color. Ensure they are not over roasted as the flavor changes.
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Photo Guide
How to make Meethi Seviyan (Stepwise photos)
Preparation
1. Pour 3 to 4 tablespoons ghee to a pan and heat it. Fry 1/4 cup chopped nuts and keep them aside to garnish. If you want you may also use raisins.
2. When it melts, add seviyan. I used 150 grams pack when broken it comes up to 3 cups.
3. Fry them in ghee until well coated and lightly golden. I used roasted vermicelli so I did not fry for long.
4. Meanwhile add sugar to a pot. I used half cup but you can use up to 3/4 cup. We prefer not too sweet so I used less.
5. Pour 1½ cups water or milk along with rose water or kewra water (optional).
6. Allow the sugar to dissolve completely and bring it to a rolling boil.
Make Meethi Seviyan
7. Pour the sugar syrup to the fried seviyan.
8. Add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
9. Cook until the water is absorbed fully. The sweet seviyan should be non-sticky at this stage but moist. It turns non-sticky and fluffy after it cools down.
10. Do not cover it. Add some chopped & fried nuts. Lastly if you have mawa you can add 4 tbsps of it now. It is optional.
When it cools down a bit, fluff it up with a fork. Serve sweet vermicelli warm or hot.
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Recipe Card
Seviyan Recipe (Sweet Vermicelli)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 150 grams Seviyan (thin vermicelli, about 3 cups broken)
- ½ to ¾ cup sugar prefer organic
- 3 to 4 tablespoons ghee (refer notes)
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder or elaichi powder
- 1½ cups milk or water (Refer notes)
- 4 tablespoons nuts cashews, almonds, pistachios
- 1 teaspoon rose water or kewra water (optional)
- 3 tablespoons mawa /khoya optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pot and fry the vermicelli until golden.
- Wheat vermicelli are very delicate and break quickly so be gentle while stirring. If using roasted seviyan, then just fry for few seconds.
- In another pot, add sugar and pour water or milk. Bring it to a boil and dissolve the sugar completely.
How to make Meethi Seviyan
- When the sugar syrup comes to a rolling boil, then pour it to the roasted vermicelli.
- Stir gently and allow to cook until the water/ milk has absorbed completely.
- Then add cardamom powder and kewra water.
- When the seviyan is cooked completely it will begin to leave the sides. If you have mawa add it at this stage.
- Turn off and let it cool a bit. Do not cover. When the temperature comes down, fluff it up with a fork.
- Garnish meethi seviyan with nuts and serve hot or warm.
Notes
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
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About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Hi Swasthi,
Is there any substitute for sugar that is more healthy?
Hi Syamini,
I haven’t tried but jaggery powder should work. I have another recipe that uses milk and dates. You may check that here – sheer khurma. You may omit the sugar and add more dates there.
Thanks Swasthi
It was my first time making this and my mum said it was the perfect texture, not sticky/mushy at all! I only used a quarter cup of sugar which gave a very mild sweetness and some fried sultanas and nuts through it. It was perfect for us as we like low sweetness. Thank you very much!
You are welcome Naseem. That’s really nice to know. Thank you for sharing back
My husband can’t eat milk. Wanted to make something sweet for his birthday and found this recipe. Thank you it turned out exactly like in the pictures and was delicious.
Happy to know KR. Thanks for trying.
Can I use rice vermicelli? Should I use the same amount of water?
I have never made with rice vermicelli. We use wheat seviyan. You may try with the same amount of water as mentioned on the pack.
Seviyan turned out beautifully. Half cup was plenty enough for our taste. Thank you
Glad to know Reva. Thank you
Hi swasthi,
Is milk healthy or not according to you. Can you plz share some info
Hi Hima
According to me commercial milk is okay to consume in moderation – 1 cup per day per person in all forms – milk, yogurt, desserts etc. I focus more on vegetarian foods high in bioavailable calcium and protein like soaked almonds, sesame seeds, spinach, dry fruits, chana and other lentils.
As you noticed I try my best to avoid milk in many foods & use it only if the recipe cannot be made without it. Too much of the commercial milk is very bad for the body as it can cause a hormonal imbalance and lead to thyroid and other related metabolic disorders.
Thanks for following the blog.
🙂
Thank you so much Swasthi. It is so nice of you to give so much info. Does even organic milk cause health issues as it does not have antibiotics.
Do you make yogurt or use store bought when needed since you dont use much.
75 % of the diary we consume is in the form of yogurt or buttermilk. So I make it 2 to 3 times in a week. To get thick curd I follow this recipe. I simmer the milk for about 15 mins. I feel the taste of the homemade curd is much superior than the store bought.
🙂
Hi swasthi,
I would like to know if milk.is good for health or not? You don’t use milk much.