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Pheni (layered fried vermicelli nests in sweet milk)
Crisp layered nests of fried dough, softened in hot sweet milk for sehri
In Lahore and Karachi during Ramadan, sweet shops stack golden nests of pheni in towers, and families buy them to eat at sehri, the meal before dawn. The fine, brittle strands are crumbled into a bowl and drenched with hot sweetened milk, which softens them in a minute into something like a silky vermicelli pudding; it keeps you full through the fasting day. Shop pheni is pulled into hair-thin threads by skilled hands, so at home this recipe uses the layered method: thin sheets of dough are brushed with a ghee and rice-flour paste, rolled and sliced, and the paste makes the layers fan out into fine flaky rings when fried. They are crisp, buttery and delicate. It is naturally egg-free: the dough is just flour, ghee and water, and the rice-flour paste keeps the layers separate. Chef's tip: fry the nests in oil that is only moderately hot, about 160°C; oil that is too hot is the common mistake that browns the outside while the inner layers stay soft and doughy.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour
- 1 oz gheemelted
- ½ cup waterapproximately
- 1 pinch salt
For the layering paste
- 1 ⅜ oz gheesoft
- 1 oz rice flour
For frying
- 3 ¼ cups neutral oilfor deep-frying
To serve
- 3 ¼ cups full-fat milk
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ oz pistachios (optional)chopped
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Rub 1 oz ghee into 9 oz plain flour and 1 pinch salt with your fingertips, then add ½ cup water a little at a time and knead for 8 minutes into a smooth, firm dough.
8 minStep 2: Cover and rest the dough for 30 minutes so it rolls out very thin without shrinking back.
30 minStep 3: Beat 1 ⅜ oz ghee and 1 oz rice flour together into a smooth, spreadable paste.
Step 4: Divide the dough into 4 and roll each piece into a very thin sheet, about 25 cm across, thin enough to almost see through.
Step 5: Spread a thin layer of paste over one sheet, lay a second sheet on top, and repeat until all 4 are stacked, spreading paste on top of the last one.
Step 6: Roll the stack up tightly into a log and cut it into 8 slices with a sharp knife.
Step 7: Lay each slice cut-side up and press it gently with a rolling pin into a 8–10 cm round, so the spiral layers just begin to show.
Step 8: Heat 3 ¼ cups neutral oil in a kadai to 325°F over a medium heat. Fry 2 rounds at a time, spooning oil over them, for 4–5 minutes, until the layers open out into fine flaky threads and turn crisp and pale gold.
20 minStep 9: Drain on kitchen paper and cool completely. They keep for a week in an airtight tin.
Step 10: To serve, bring 3 ¼ cups full-fat milk to the boil with 2 ⅞ oz sugar and ½ tsp ground cardamom and simmer for 3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves.
5 minStep 11: Crumble a pheni nest into each bowl, pour over the hot milk and leave for 2 minutes to soften. Top with ½ oz pistachios if using and eat warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pheni (layered fried vermicelli nests in sweet milk) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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