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The pageant of Eid evokes nostalgia. Faculty days had been harking back to gathering across the desk with my mates, ready for the feast that will comply with the quick throughout Ramadan.
A desk creaking underneath the load of iftar (the fast-breaking night meal) would sign the top of the day’s quick. Hours of abstaining from food and drinks would make my mates hungry sufficient to devour every part in entrance of them, I might suppose. However I’d watch in awe as they elegantly took some khajoor (dates), adopted by recent fruits after which meaty snacks, and the likes. The iftar would then be washed down with a drink of roohafza (a refreshing drink made with basil seeds, fruits, herbs and flowers).
However amongst many different delicacies set earlier than us, one dish reigned supreme — ‘seviyan’, a vermicelli pudding made with ghee, rice vermicelli noodles, milk, spices, and a sweetener. Whereas it’s a widespread visitor on the iftar feast, my good friend Thousif Raza explains it’s its fancier cousin ‘sheer khurma’ that makes an look on Eid. “Sheer khurma is made with further khoya (thickened milk) and dry fruits — a richer model of the seviyan.”
However however, the creamy concoctions are match for kings. As soon as ready for royalty, the dish displays regional sensibilities, with every diaspora including to it what they deem finest.
The origins of the vermicelli, one of many principal elements in seviyan, are hidden by the passage of time. Translating to ‘little worms’, these skinny rice noodles have been part of diets way back to the 1660s. And, every delicacies has embraced a special type of it in its dishes.
An ironic colored historical past
Impartial shades with hints of yellow is how a culinary aficionado would describe the vermicelli. In Italy, the vermicelli options in each candy and savoury dishes. When blended with tomatoes, garlic and anchovies, it makes for excellent spaghetti, whereas a 14th-century recipe highlighted the way it blended properly with wheat flour, almonds, eggs and sugar.
A 1770 American cookbook ‘The Artwork of Cookery’ spoke of how the vermicelli made a superb meal when blended properly with egg yolks and flour.
Asian delicacies embraced vermicelli and its many varieties proper because the Qin dynasty relationship again to 221 BCE; whether or not as mi fen (rice noodles), or mung bean vermicelli (cellophane or glass noodles), or misua (wheat-based vermicelli).
Coming to the Indian variations of vermicelli, native lore tells us that the one means maybe that vermicelli made its means into the subcontinent is thru commerce networks extending between the Center East and India. In truth, in Egypt, the strategy of frying vermicelli (she’reya) in butter or oil was prevalent. As soon as fried, water could be added to the fried noodles and it might be cooked with rice. A hearty meal!
An article within the Deccan Herald explores the origins of the candy dish. Hand rolling of seviyan, which was as soon as a conventional occupation, gained recognition in the course of the time of the Mughal rule. In truth, it’s stated that Emperor Humayun ignited the love for seviyan within the courtroom by reintroducing the Persian kurma as dum ki seviyan. However, it was Emperor Shah Jahan who was instrumental within the dish changing into its present model with spices, ghee and dry fruits. An anecdote typically informed is how the Emperor requested a particular sunset-coloured varq (an edible foil garnishing) to accompany the seviyan. This custom lasted till the time of Bahadur Shah Zafar who would put together his seviyan by hand.
As soon as the ingredient entered India, it was native palate preferences that gave start to the various vermicelli-based dishes that now exist.
The ‘Oxford Companion to Meals’ by Alan Davidson and Tom Jaine, says the next about seviyan: The Sanskrit identify for noodles is sevika, which can derive from an unrecorded phrase which means thread related with the foundation siv, which refers to stitching. Sev are crisp fried noodles ready from besan (chickpea) flour. Seviyan (additionally seviya, sivayya, shavayi) normally refers to a candy dish of vermicelli noodles.
When you enter India, you might be sure to get a whiff of the aromas of a number of scrumptious preparations which characteristic vermicelli because the hero ingredient. Often known as shavige, semiya and sevalu, vermicelli in India takes on new avatars as we go from South to North and East to West.
No breakfast in South India is full with out an order for semiya upma (a dish made with a combination of vermicelli and greens), whereas within the North the fuss-free namkeen seviyan (savoury vermicelli) has many followers.
However South or North, everybody concedes that there isn’t any rival for the seviyan kheer (a vermicelli pudding made with ghee, rice vermicelli noodles, milk, spices, and a sweetener). And that brings us again to our Eid story.
Historical past sprinkled with a splash of sweetness
Vermicelli’s entry into India was marked by each area placing its personal spin on the dish. Within the West, including saffron and chopped nuts to the vermicelli is a standard follow whereas within the North, that is substituted with khoya. Within the South, coconut milk is added to get a thick consistency whereas these in Odisha and West Bengal choose including rosewater.
The best way vermicelli is cooked relies upon upon the festive event too. As an example, throughout Raksha Bandhan, some folks put together meethe java (vermicelli pudding). The “auspicious” brief noodles used within the dish are a model of the thinner, longer seviyan.
Coming to the beloved summer time drink, falooda options thicker glutinous strands of vermicelli dunked right into a syrup and served with ice cream. The dessert traces again to faloodeh of Persian delicacies the place the vermicelli could be created from frozen cornstarch, blended with rose water, lime juice and pistachios.
Inside seviyan too, there are completely different varieties. I recall Eid feasts with mates, the place half of the group most well-liked the flowy model of the dessert (which resembled a kheer cooked with milk), and the opposite half would argue that the dry model (vermicelli candy made by frying the noodles in ghee, including syrup and nuts) was extra scrumptious. I belonged to the previous!
No matter your desire for seviyan, it suffices to say that the dish is not only a meal, however an emotion for a lot of.
So, right here’s a recipe for seviyan by chef Sanjeev Kapoor that you may check out this festive season.
Elements (serves 4):
10 g vermicelli (seviyan)
3 tbsp pure ghee
1 tsp inexperienced cardamom powder
1/2 cup sugar
Methodology:
Step 1: Warmth ghee in a kadai.
Step 2: Break the vermicelli roughly and sauté it within the ghee until it turns golden.
Step 3: Add one and a half cups of water and inexperienced cardamom powder, and simmer it until the water will get absorbed.
Step 4: Add sugar, combine properly, and prepare dinner until the sugar will get dissolved.
Step 5: Serve sizzling.
(Edited by Pranita Bhat)
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