Muzaffar Seviyan (Sweet Vermicelli With Cardamom)

Recipe from Sumayya Usmani

Adapted by Julia Moskin

Updated July 8, 2020

Muzaffar Seviyan (Sweet Vermicelli With Cardamom)
Suzy Allman for The New York Times
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(61)
Comments
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Desserts made with seviyan — toasted vermicelli noodles — are popular all over South Asia. Sumayya Usmani, who writes the food blog My Tamarind Kitchen, remembers eating this particular dish, Muzaffar Seviyan, every year in Pakistan, where she grew up, to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the feasting holiday that signifies the end of Ramadan. Toasting the broken noodles in butter until they smell nutty is the key to the dish’s depth; the next layer of flavor comes from cooking them in spice-scented milk or syrup; finally, nuts and dried fruit provide crunch and chew. —Julia Moskin

Featured in: Celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the End of Ramadan, With Sweet, Traditional Treats

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 4 to 5green cardamom pods
  • ½teaspoon saffron
  • 2tablespoons ghee, clarified butter or high-fat butter
  • ½cup chopped pistachios, plus 1 tablespoon whole pistachios
  • 6ounces vermicelli noodles, broken into 1-inch pieces (about 1½ cups)
  • 1cup sugar
  • 2tablespoons sweetened or unsweetened flaked coconut, for serving
  • 1tablespoon raisins, for serving
  • 1tablespoon slivered almonds, for serving
  • 1cup khoya (thickened milk solids) or heavy cream, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

354 calories; 18 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 28 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 11 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Crush cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle or the side of a chef’s knife and remove seeds (discard husks).

  2. Step 2

    Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove 1 tablespoon of boiling water and use it to steep the saffron. Keep remaining water hot.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the ghee in a wok or large skillet over medium-high. Add chopped pistachios and cardamom seeds and stir-fry until the cardamom is fragrant and the pistachios begin to lightly brown, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and add vermicelli. Cook, stirring constantly, until vermicelli is browned and toasted, 3 to 4 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Reduce heat to medium low and add boiling water and steeped saffron. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vermicelli is tender and all the water is absorbed, about 8 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Stir in sugar until dissolved and cook 2 minutes more. Serve warm topped with the coconut, raisins, almonds, whole pistachios and khoya.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
61 user ratings
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Comments

Weslie

served it last night at a dinner party and everyone loved it. i did not have saffron so added a mix of ginger and sugar to the liquid mix. to make it richer still, i used half water and half whole milk for cooking the vermicelli. i also added dried apricot pieces and currents instead of raisins. we do not keep raisins in the house due to the danger to dogs. i used heavy cream also.

Pat

Wheat or rice vermicelli?

Usha

This is what we call payasam in South India. It is prepared on special occasions such as religious days or for weddings etc

Laura

Wonderful dish. I added the raisins, coconut, almonds while cooking. I substituted coconut cream for the dairy, and used only half a cup. Also cut the sugar by half. Tasted great.

Amy

This is a real winner. Not just another dessert, and perfect for accompanying South Asian food. I added a touch of rose water, which seemed to fit perfectly.

jenniesb

Can you provide some guidance on where to find "khoya"/which brand?

Khurram

You can make khoya at home by taking full cream milk (ideally non-homogenized), bringing it to a boi, adding a bit of lemon or lime juice to curdle the milk, cooking it until most of the liquid has evaporated, adding sugar just before the end. The result should be a sweet, mostly solid, yummy concoction.

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Credits

Adapted from Sumayya Usmani

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