Kimami sewai aka Kimami sewaiyan is one of the most popular classic desserts in the subcontinents of Asia. It is a traditional dessert which is also considered as the heart of Eid festival. The celebration of Eid-ul-fitr without Kimami seviyan or sheer khurma is next to impossible. This eid ki seviyan is rich, fragrant, utterly scrumptious and easy to make. In this preparation, ghee roasted vermicelli aka sewai is cooked in flavoured sweet syrup with mawa and lots of dry fruits. This iconic dessert has been bringing smile on everyone’s faces from years during the festive season with its warmth, comfort and tempting look. It can be served as a dessert after meal or simply as a sweet snack.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Kimami sewai (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
What is kimami sewai?
The word ‘kimami’ means ‘sweet and fragrant’ and ‘sewai’ means ‘vermicelli’. In short, it refers as sweet and flavoured vermicelli pudding which is also popular as kimami seviyan, kimami sewaiyan, mawa kimami sewai, shahi kimami sewai, lucknowi kimami sewai, banarasi kimami sewai, eid ki meethi seviyan, eid ki seviyan, eid sevai recipe, dry seviyan recipe etc. Kimami sewai is a super-rich, delicious, dry seviyan recipe prepared with lot of ghee, dry fruits and mawa on special occasions like Eid festival, shab-e-barat etc.
Though I don’t belong to a Muslim family but since my nursery days, I am having this delight every year. All the thanks go to my best friend (Shanaz’s) mom who used to prepare world’s best kimami sewai aka kimami seviyan every year on the festival of Eid. I still remember how I used to wait for the extra tiffin box that she used to carry for me after Eid during my school days. Those are the golden moments of my life which always makes me feel nostalgic.
Honestly, I have attempted this a couple of times to exactly replicate the same kimami sewaiyan prepared by Shanaz’s mom (Khala) but was not 100% successful. But on my third attempt, I have cracked it and prepared kimami seviyan exactly like her which drove me to my childhood memories.
My husband and daughter just loved it and couldn’t stop to devour. They thoroughly admired my cooking. Now, it has become a tradition to prepare kimami sewai recipe on eid ul fitr in our house due to my husband’s demand.
When I had prepared the kimami seviyan for the first time, it was fabulous in taste but was sticky in texture. The primary rule to prepare the eid ki seviyan is the sewai aka vermicelli has to be cooked perfectly but should be fluffy and non-sticky too like pulao rice.
I have learnt from the mistakes and now with practice, I got expertise in preparing it. So, I must say it’s a super easy recipe if your proportion of seviyan aka vermicelli and sugar syrup is correct. Except this factor, kimami sewai is a fuss free and quick recipe. It can be prepared in larger quantity investing same time and effort which makes it a perfect festive dessert recipe.
As it is a festive dessert, so it requires little bit of preparation in gathering all the ingredients before cooking, like so many varieties of dry fruits and mawa which we cannot find in our kitchen regularly. So, I always shop few days before planning to prepare kimami seviyan.
Kimami sewai recipe step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instruction’ section of the recipe. If you follow each step of my recipe precisely then you will get perfectly cooked but non-sticky and juicy kimami seviyan. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share few interesting facts about sewai aka vermicelli and the recipe.
Types of Seviyan (Vermicelli)
- There are many different types of Seviyan (Vermicelli) available in market. One type is roasted, and other type is non-roasted.
- Among these two categories, there are further sub varieties of Seviyan (Vermicelli) available with different thickness.
- One is very thin in texture which is considered as size zero and other types moderately thin and thick. Each type is equally delicious, but the cooking time is different.
Reason behind the popularity of kimami sewai
- Kimami sewai hardly takes 30 minutes to get cooked without any hassle. For this reason, it is a great option for busy festive days and sudden guests.
- It is a very popular dessert for the Eid festive season. Usually during festivals, we need to prepare multiple numbers of desserts. Such an easy to make but super delicious and rich dessert helps a lot to reach the goal.
- It can be prepared one day before the festival in advance. The sewai absorbs the flavour of the syrup completely and becomes more fragrant.
Tips to prepare perfect Kimami sewai
- Always use the fine variety of semiyan for the recipe. It will give you the best texture.
- Break the sewai aka vermicelli into small pieces before frying or else it will be difficult to fry them evenly. I always prefer to break the vermicelli inside the sealed packet for lesser mess.
- You can roast the Seviyan (Vermicelli) in any edible Oil like Olive Oil, vegetable Oil, Sunflower Oil or butter. But clarified butter (Ghee) goes best with the recipe. It gives perfect aroma to the dish.
- Stir continuously during the time of frying the sewai aka vermicelli or else few may get burnt and few others may not get fried evenly.
- Always use heavy bottom non-stick pan to prepare kimami sewai recipe or else it may stick to the bottom during the time of slow cooking.
- Use both milk and water for the sugar syrup. Addition of only milk may give sticky texture to the dish and usage of only water reduces the taste and richness of the dish.
- Add the flavouring agents like cardamom, saffron streaks, rose water or kewra water into the syrup for the better aroma.
- Always cook the kimami Seviyan on medium low or low flame or else the kheer may stick to the bottom of the pan and wouldn’t get cooked properly.
- Don’t skip mawa from the recipe. It balances the sweetness of the dish and provides richness.
- Use dry fruits of your own choice for additional flavour, taste and bite.
How to make kimami sewai?
To prepare the shahi kimami sewai, first chop the nuts and keep them aside. Break the sewai aka vermicelli into small pieces and keep them.
To prepare the sugar syrup, take a pan and add water, milk into it. Add sugar into the pan and put the pan on high flame. Add cardamoms, cloves, few saffron steaks for flavouring of the syrup. Stir the syrup on regular intervals to melt the sugar completely. Add orange food colour into the syrup and give a nice stir. Addition of food colour is completely optional. If you don’t like, you can skip it. Once the sugar syrup starts boiling, put the flame in low and add rose water or kewra water into it for the perfect aroma. Mix the sugar syrup nicely and switch off the flame. Cover the pan to resist the syrup from getting evaporated.
Now take a heavy bottom non-stick pan and add 2 tablespoons of ghee into it. Once the ghee melts, add the chopped nuts and raisin into the pan and fry them over low flame for 3-4 minutes until a nice nutty aroma comes up. Then transfer the dry fruits into a separate plate and keep it aside for later use.
In the same pan, add 2 more tablespoons of ghee and allow it to melt. Add the broken vermicelli aka sewai into the pan and fry them in low flame for 7-8 minutes till golden brown. Stir them continuously for frying them evenly.
Then pour the sugar syrup into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in medium flame until the sewai aka vermicelli turns soft and the syrup gets absorbed completely.
Add fried dry fruits and mawa into the pan and close the lid of the pan but don’t stir it. Cook it in lowest flame for another 10 minutes. Then take off the lid of the pan and give a nice stir. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
Many festive dessert recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check few of them like
Seviyan kheer
Carrot kheer
Kesar Phirni
Chawal ki kheer
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
- 200 grams fine Sewai (Vermicelli)
- 2 tablespoons Cashew, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Pistachio, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Almond, chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons Raisin
- ½ cup Mawa (Milk solids), broken into small pieces
- 4 tablespoons Ghee
For sugar syrup
- 1 cup Water
- ¾ cup Milk
- 1 cup Sugar
- 3 Cardamoms (Elaichi)
- 2 Cloves (Laung)
- 5-6 Saffron streaks (Kesar)
- 1 teaspoon Rose water
- 1 teaspoon liquid Orange food colour (Optional)
Instructions:
- First chop the nuts and keep them aside on a separate plate.
- Break the sewai aka vermicelli into small pieces and keep them aside too.
- To prepare the sugar syrup, take a pan and add 1 cup water, ¾ cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 3 cardamoms, 2 cloves one by one into it.
- Put the pan on high flame and add few saffron steaks into the pan and give a nice stir.
- Stir the syrup on regular intervals to melt the sugar completely.
- Add orange food colour into the syrup and give a nice stir. Addition of food colour is completely optional if you don’t like you can skip it.
- Once the sugar syrup starts boiling, put the flame in low and add 1 teaspoon rose water into the pan. Mix the sugar syrup nicely and switch off the flame. Cover the pan to resist the syrup to evaporate.
- Take a heavy bottom non-stick pan and add 2 tablespoons of ghee into it.
- Once the ghee melts completely, add the chopped nuts and raisin into the pan and fry them over low flame for 4-5 minutes until a nice nutty aroma comes up.
- Transfer the dry fruits into a separate plate and keep it aside for later use.
- In the same pan, add another 2 tablespoons of ghee and allow it to melt.
- Add the broken vermicelli aka sewai into the pan and fry them in low flame for 7-8 minutes till golden brown. Stir them continuously for even frying.
- Pour the hot sugar syrup into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in medium flame until the sewai aka vermicelli turns soft and absorbs the excess moisture.
- Add the fried dry fruits and mawa pieces into the pan but don’t stir it.
- Cover the pan and cook it in lowest flame for another 9-10 minutes until the sewai completely get cooked.
- Take off the lid of the pan and give a nice stir. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
Serving Instruction
Serve the kimami sewai into serving bowls or on serving plates. Serve it at room temperature as dessert or as evening snack. Enjoy the classic dessert with your family and friends on the festival of Eid.
Ingredients
- 200 grams fine Sewai (Vermicelli)
- 2 tablespoons Cashew, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Pistachio, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Almond, chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons Raisin
- ½ cup Mawa (Milk solids), broken into small pieces
- 4 tablespoons Ghee
For sugar syrup
- 1 cup Water
- ¾ cup Milk
- 1 cup Sugar
- 3 Cardamoms (Elaichi)
- 2 Cloves (Laung)
- 5-6 Saffron streaks (Kesar)
- 1 teaspoon Rose water
- 1 teaspoon liquid Orange food colour (Optional)
Instructions
- First chop the nuts and keep them aside on a separate plate.
- Break the sewai aka vermicelli into small pieces and keep them aside too.
- To prepare the sugar syrup, take a pan and add 1 cup water, ¾ cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 3 cardamoms, 2 cloves one by one into it.
- Put the pan on high flame and add few saffron steaks into the pan and give a nice stir.
- Stir the syrup on regular intervals to melt the sugar completely.
- Add orange food colour into the syrup and give a nice stir. Addition of food colour is completely optional if you don’t like you can skip it.
- Once the sugar syrup starts boiling, put the flame in low and add 1 teaspoon rose water into the pan. Mix the sugar syrup nicely and switch off the flame. Cover the pan to resist the syrup to evaporate.
- Take a heavy bottom non-stick pan and add 2 tablespoons of ghee into it.
- Once the ghee melts completely, add the chopped nuts and raisin into the pan and fry them over low flame for 4-5 minutes until a nice nutty aroma comes up.
- Transfer the dry fruits into a separate plate and keep it aside for later use.
- In the same pan, add another 2 tablespoons of ghee and allow it to melt.
- Add the broken vermicelli aka sewai into the pan and fry them in low flame for 7-8 minutes till golden brown. Stir them continuously for even frying.
- Pour the hot sugar syrup into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in medium flame until the sewai aka vermicelli turns soft and absorbs the excess moisture.
- Add the fried dry fruits and mawa pieces into the pan but don’t stir it.
- Cover the pan and cook it in lowest flame for another 9-10 minutes until the sewai completely get cooked.
- Take off the lid of the pan and give a nice stir. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
3 comments
[…] Kimami sewai Seviyan kheer Carrot kheer Kesar Phirni […]
Tried your recipe it turned out to be great .thank you
Thanks for your feedback.