This Meethi Seviyan recipe is one of those unique sweet dishes which is made with whole wheat vermicelli (seviyan), milk, sugar, ghee, nuts and raisins. It is a dry variation, which is also popular as a dessert, during Eid festivities. There’s absolutely no fuss in making this vegetarian dish. Simply simmer the seviyan with the remaining ingredients until it becomes tender and thoroughly cooked. Enhance its richness by adding more nuts and dry fruits to it.
About Meethi Seviyan Recipe
Seviyan is a type of thin vermicelli made from whole wheat flour, semolina, rice flour, cornstarch, millet flours or all-purpose flour. You can call it a type of pasta, but it is extremely thin with long strands.
Seviyan is popular in Indian subcontinent and many dishes are made with it. Below I have shared a few recipes that I make with this vermicelli.
The Hindi word ‘Meethi’ means sweet and hence the name of this dish. It is a sweet dry vermicelli preparation made with milk, sugar and also includes some nuts and raisins.
I feel a wave of nostalgia whenever I prepare this Meethi Seviyan, as it reminds me of the sweet memories from childhood when my mother used to make it with milk. We often enjoyed it as a delightful evening snack, but it can also be served as a dessert after meals.
In this Sweet Vermicelli recipe, I’ve opted for milk, but you can alternatively cook the seviyan with water or a plant based milk.
I’ve used pre-roasted thin whole wheat vermicelli, further frying it in ghee for an even browning. Feel free to add your choice of nuts and dry fruits.
To enhance the flavor of Meethi Seviyan, I’ve included milk powder, which adds richness to the dessert. However, omitting the milk powder is also an option if preferred.
This dry variation of Sweet Vermicelli is a quick dessert sweet that can be prepared in under 20 minutes, making it perfect for Eid celebrations and other festive occasions.
Besides this recipe, there are several other sweet dishes featuring seviyan that I enjoy, including the following:
- Sheer Khurma – A creamy and rich pudding like dessert made with thin vermicelli, dates, milk, flavoring and plenty of nuts.
- Semiya Kesari – South Indian dry vermicelli preparation made with saffron or edible orange/yellow color, sugar, ghee, nuts and dry fruits.
- Vermicelli Payasam – Delicious sweet made with vermicelli, milk, ghee, cashews, raisins from South Indian cuisine.
- Seviyan Kheer – Classic North Indian sweet made with thin vermicelli, ghee, nuts and milk.
How to make Meethi Seviyan
Preparation
1. Firstly, keep all the ingredients ready for the seviyan. Break the seviyan into small strands and set aside.
2. Chop the nuts and place aside. You can keep the raisins as is and no need to chop them.
Make Meethi Seviyan
3. Heat a pan and add 1 tablespoon ghee.
4. Let the ghee melt. Then, add 1 cup broken seviyan.
5. On low to medium heat, with frequent stirrings, roast the seviyan until the strands becomes golden.
Since I used pre roasted seviyan, I didn’t have to roast it much. However, if you use seviyan which is not roasted, then you will need to roast for some more time.
6. Next, add all the chopped nuts and raisins.
7. Stir and mix nicely.
8. Lower the heat and pour 2 cups milk. Instead of milk, you can also add water.
9. Stir and mix very well. Then, continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring at times.
10. Next, add ¼ cup sugar.
Note that I have used milk powder, which is also sweet, hence I have included ¼ cup sugar. But if you skip milk powder, consider add more sugar according to your taste.
11. Keep stirring the mixture.
12. Add ¼ cup milk powder. If you do not have milk powder, then skip it.
13. Mix again.
14. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder and stir well.
15. The mixture will start thickening and the seviyan will also begin to absorb milk. When all the milk has been absorbed, turn off the heat.
16. Serve Meethi Seviyan hot, warm or chilled. You can even garnish with some slivered or sliced nuts while serving.
Expert Tips
- As I used pre roasted seviyan, I didn’t have to roast it much. However, if you are using seviyan which is not roasted, you will have to roast it for more time, till the strands becomes golden.
- Let the seviyan absorb the milk and turn dry. Or else, the dish would taste more like a kheer. For a more kheer like consistency, add more milk.
- You can turn off the heat as soon as the milk is absorbed by the seviyan. Otherwise, the vermicelli will taste dry.
- You can cook the seviyan in water, instead of milk. Alternatively use a plant based milk.
- Skip the milk powder, if you don’t have it.
- You can add your choice of nuts and dry fruits. Add more, if you wish to.
- This recipe can easily be scaled to make a larger batch.
More Sweet Recipes To Try!
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Meethi Seviyan Recipe (Sweet Vermicelli)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 cup vermicelli – broken, (seviyan)
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ cup sugar or add as per taste
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder
- ¼ cup milk powder – optional, *check point no 1 in notes
- 10 to 12 raisins – seedless
- 4 to 5 almonds – sliced thinly
- 4 to 5 pistachios – sliced thinly
- 4 to 5 cashews – sliced thinly
Instructions
Preparation
- Firstly keep all the ingredients ready for making meethi seviyan. Break the seviyan into smaller strands and set aside.
- Chop the nuts and set them aside.
Making Meethi Seviyan
- Heat a pan and then add the ghee.
- Let the ghee melt and then add the broken seviyan.
- On a low to medium heat, with frequent stirrings roast the seviyan until they become golden. Since I used pre roasted seviyan, I didn't have to roast the seviyan much. However, if you use seviyan which is not roasted, then you will need to roast for some more time.
- Add all the chopped nuts and raisins. Stir them nicely.
- Lower the heat and pour the milk. Instead of milk you can also add water or a plant based milk.
- Stir and mix very well. Then continue to stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Now add sugar. Keep stirring the mixture.
- Add milk powder. If you do not have milk powder, then just skip it. Mix again.
- Sprinkle the cardamom powder and stir well.
- The mixture will start thickening and the seviyan will also begin to absorb milk. When all the milk has been absorbed, turn off the heat.
- Serve Meethi Seviyan hot or warm or chilled. You can even garnish with some sliced nuts while serving.
Notes
- Milk powder is sweet, hence I have added ¼ cup sugar in the recipe. However, if you choose not to add milk powder, consider adding more sugar according to your taste preferences.
- You could double or triple the recipe if you need more quantity.
- Allow the seviyan to absorb the milk and become dry. Otherwise it would taste more like kheer.
- If you like a consistency a bit like seviyan kheer then add more milk.
- Nuts and dry fruits of your choice can be added. If you like it more, adjust quantities accordingly.
- Once the milk is absorbed by the seviyan turn off the stovetop otherwise the vermicelli would taste dry.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Meethi Seviyan recipe from the archives was first published on February 2016. It has been updated and republished on March 2024.
Hi again!
I have said “hi again”, as I had almost completed my email message, but then had to stop; and of course, when I returned to send it, it vanished into thin air!
I was looking for a recipe to make sweet, dry Vermicelli. Your recipe seems easy enough, so I may prepare it over this weekend.
I would like to attempt making Bajri laddoos! Growing up in Mumbai, India, we had relatives settled in the State of Gujarat. Our long departed aunty, used to make these laddoos. It is my understanding, that aunty, and now her daughter, most probably learned to make them from the Gujarati neighbours living alongside.
If anyone has a simple enough recipe, adapted for those who control their diabetes with diet and medication, please forward the recipe to me. Attempting to make them would be a dream come true. After all, one of the very last times I devoured one of these laddoos, was about 40+ years ago.
I am now living in London, UK with my own family. My dear wife, of English origin, from the north of England, really enjoys cooking Indian dishes for me, as well as the usual Sunday, and different foods for the special seasons in the year. All of our family, love travelling down to Bandra West, Mumbai, where many of our extended families reside! And Indian snacks are a must, not to mention the milk rich ice-creams.
So, somebody, please forward the recipe for Bajri laddoos! And if there is an Indian sweet shop, in or near North East London, that have genuine Gujarati sweets, namely, Bajri laddoos, please forward the details to me. Thank you.
Best regards,
Everett Perry
thanks a lot everett. sometimes the message or comment while typing does disappear if we click some other button or link.
bajra ladoos are not difficult to make. i hope you get the diabetic friendly recipe of bajra ladoo soon. had i known a diabetic friendly version, i would have shared it.
Hi Amit,
Welcome to Pune! Your recipe is a lot like the recipe that Parsees use to make their meethi sev , except we make sugar syrup and add it to the sev.
I have never tried making sev with milk, I will this diwali.
Whole wheat sev is easily available in a lot of stores in Pune but the best is of course the Haathi Chaap Sev ( it’s a brand my dadi used and we do too) ; it’s easily available in all the Dorabjee stores.
Wishing you and yours a bright & prosperous Diwali.
Much Love,
Gazal
thank you gazal. i know about haathi chaap sev brand. my mom would also use the same. i will check in dorabjee stores. last couple of times i had checked, it was not there. they said it is out of stock. will try again. thanks for letting me know.
Hey!!!
M big fan of urs!!!
Simply love ur recipes..
Thanks Akansha for your kind words.
Hi Dassana, Just going through your site…instead of milk powder. Can I add almond powder…
Thanks in anticipation
Welcome Monisha. Yes you can add almond powder.
Your recipes are nice & easy to cook.I always follow your ideas and your way of cooking.
Thanks Ziya for your positive feedback.