Sev
vermicelli fried in ghee and sweetened with raisins, almonds and cardamom for birthday mornings
Allergens in Sev: milk, gluten, tree nuts.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 150g, broken into 3cm lengths Vermicelliwheat seviyan, not rice noodles
- 4 tbsp Ghee
- 120g Sugar
- 350ml Water
- 3 tbsp Raisins
- 3 tbsp, slivered Almonds
- 2 tbsp, slivered Pistachiosoptional
- 6 pods, seeds crushed Cardamom
- a scraping Nutmegoptional
- 1 tsp Rose Wateroptional
- a good pinch Saffronsoaked in 1 tbsp warm wateroptional
- a pinch Salt
Cookware
stovetop
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes so they plump rather than burn in the ghee.
- Have the water measured and hot before you start roasting. Cold water hitting hot vermicelli makes it clump.
- Sev is eaten at Parsi birthdays and on Navroze morning, usually with dahi alongside.
Method
- Melt the ghee over medium-low heat and fry the almonds and pistachios for 1 minute until they just colour. Lift them out.
- Fry the drained raisins in the same ghee for 30 seconds, until they swell. Lift them out too.They puff and then burn very quickly. Watch them, do not walk away.
- Add the broken vermicelli and roast, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes until it is an even reddish brown and smells nutty.Even colour is everything. Stir continuously and keep the heat moderate. The strands at the edge catch first.
- Pour in the hot water with the pinch of salt. It will hiss violently. Stir once.
- Cover and cook on low 6 minutes, until the vermicelli is soft and almost all the water has gone.
- Add the sugar and stir. The mixture will loosen again as the sugar melts.The sugar goes in after the vermicelli is soft. Add it early and the strands stay hard.
- Cook uncovered 6-8 minutes, stirring gently, until the syrup has been absorbed and the sev is glossy and just moist.
- Stir in the crushed cardamom, nutmeg, saffron water and rose water, then fold back the nuts and raisins.
- Rest covered 5 minutes off the heat and serve warm, with plain yogurt on the side.
Storage
Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Reheat in a pan with a tablespoon of milk or water and a knob of ghee to bring the gloss back; microwaving dries it out.
Nutrition Low estimate
One serving of Sev (110 g) is about 508 calories, or 461 calories per 100 g.
Low protein: 9 g a serving, 7% of the calories
| Per serving110 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 508 kcal | 461 kcal |
| Protein | 9.2 g | 8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 71.5 g | 65 g |
| of which sugars | 39.4 g | 36 g |
| Fibre | 3.8 g | 3 g |
| Fat | 22.3 g | 20 g |
| of which saturated | 8.9 g | 8 g |
| of which unsaturated | 12.2 g | 11 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for vermicelli. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Vegetarian Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Parsi recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.