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Kimami seviyan
Dry saffron vermicelli
قوامی سویاں: Lucknow's dry Eid vermicelli, roasted in ghee, glazed in saffron syrup and heaped with khoya and nuts
IndianOn Eid ul-Fitr morning in Lucknow, after namaz, every Awadhi household sets out kimami seviyan, the dry, glossy cousin of the milky sheer khurma. Hair-thin vermicelli is roasted in ghee until deep golden, then cooked in a kimam (sugar syrup) scented with saffron, cardamom and kewra until each strand is separate, shiny and just tender. It is finished with crumbled khoya, fried dry coconut, almonds, pistachios, chironji and raisins, and often topped with silver leaf. The texture is chewy and buttery rather than soupy, more like a sweet pulao of noodles. Serve it warm in small plates to guests, with sheer khurma or a cup of tea. The common mistake is adding too much syrup or water, which turns the seviyan soft and lumpy; it should look dry with every strand coated. Chef's tip: use the finest unroasted seviyan from a Muslim bazaar if you can and roast them yourself in ghee; ready-roasted ones give a flatter taste.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the seviyan
- 7 oz very fine vermicelli (seviyan)broken into 5 cm pieces
- 4 tbsp ghee
For the kimam (syrup)
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 pinch saffron strandssoaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
- ½ tsp kewra water
To finish
- 2 ⅞ oz khoya (mawa)crumbled
- 15 almondsslivered
- 15 pistachiosslivered
- 2 tbsp dry coconutthin slivers
- 1 tbsp chironji seeds (optional)
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 1 edible silver leaf (vark) (optional)check it is vegetarian
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 4 tbsp ghee in a wide, heavy pan over a medium-low heat. Fry 15 almonds, 15 pistachios, 2 tbsp dry coconut, 1 tbsp chironji seeds and 1 tbsp raisins for 1–2 minutes until the almonds turn light golden. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
2 minStep 2: Add 7 oz very fine vermicelli (seviyan) to the same ghee and roast on a low heat, stirring all the time, for 6–8 minutes until evenly deep golden and fragrant. Common mistake: roasting on a high heat; thin seviyan burn in seconds.
8 minStep 3: In another pan, dissolve 5 ½ oz sugar in 1 cup water over a medium heat and boil for 3 minutes into a thin syrup. Add the soaked 1 pinch saffron strands and ½ tsp ground green cardamom.
5 minStep 4: Pour the hot syrup over the seviyan, stir once, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 6–8 minutes until all the syrup is absorbed and the strands are soft but separate.
8 minStep 5: Uncover, sprinkle with ½ tsp kewra water and fluff gently with a fork. Cook for 2 minutes more on low so it dries a little.
2 minStep 6: Fold in half the 1 ⅜ oz khoya (mawa) and half the fried nuts. Pile onto a plate and top with the rest of the 1 ⅜ oz khoya (mawa), the remaining nuts and 1 edible silver leaf (vark). Serve warm.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kimami seviyan take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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