Seviyan Kheer (Vermicelli Kheer North Indian Style)
Seviyan kheer also known as vermicelli kheer is a must at any festival at our place. This creamy seviyan kheer is a North Indian sweet made with wheat vermicelli, milk, sugar, dry fruits and flavored with spices. This incredibly easy recipe of semiya kheer comes together in 20 minutes and makes for an excellent dessert or sweet that can be eaten as is or served with a North Indian meal.
About Seviyan Kheer Recipe
The Hindi word Seviyan means vermicelli in the English language and called Semiya in South India. Kheer is a pudding like dish made with milk but not as thick as the western puddings and has a flowing consistency.
There are many varieties of vermicelli aka semiya available in the market. In the North Indian recipe of seviyan kheer, typically and almost always whole wheat vermicelli is used.
These are fine thin strands of vermicelli and not thicker ones. But if the finer ones are not available to you, then you can use the thicker ones.
The North Indian version differs from the South Indian version of Semiya Payasam in some ways. E.g. the dry fruits are always fried in ghee and this adds a different dimension of flavor to the payasam.
Moreover, the South Indian versions of payasam are sometimes made with coconut milk and also rice vermicelli. The preparation method is also different.
I share a recipe that is made during festivals or special occasions in my home. Generally, when we make seviyan kheer, we only add cardamom powder.
But in this recipe, I have used cloves and saffron strands. Both are optional and can be skipped. But both the cloves and saffron do add their subtle fragrance to the kheer.
For the semiya aka vermicelli, I have used whole wheat thin vermicelli. As far as nuts and dry fruits are concerned you can add your choice of nuts and dry fruits. I have added almond slivers, chopped cashews and golden raisins.
There was a tradition in my home to make whole wheat vermicelli from scratch when we were younger. Good old days!!!
You can serve semiya kheer hot or warm or chilled. Leftover kheer can be refrigerated and served later.
How to make Seviyan Kheer
Roasting vermicelli
1: Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a heavy kadai or pan.
2. Add 3 cloves. Fry for 2 to 3 seconds. Including cloves is optional.
3. Add 1 cup broken seviyan or vermicelli or semiya. If the vermicelli strands are very long then break them with your hands prior to roasting.
Feel free to use seviyan made with whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour – whatever is available to use. But I recommend using thin strands of whole wheat vermicelli.
4. Stir and continuously roast seviyan on low to medium-low heat. Stir often while roasting semiya for even browning.
5. Roast on a medium flame till the seviyan strands turn golden brown.
Making vermicelli kheer
6: Pour 4 cups of whole milk (1 litre) into the pan. Milk can be chilled, hot or at room temperature. For thicker kheer, add less milk.
7. Mix very well.
8. Simmer milk on a low to medium-low heat. Stir occasionally so that the milk or seviyan does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
9. Let the milk come to a boil.
10. Once the milk comes to a boil, then add 7 to 8 tablespoons sugar or as required according to your preferred sweetness.
11. Mix very well so that all the sugar dissolves.
12. Next add 10 to 12 saffron strands. Mix and stir.
13. Next add 1 tablespoons of sliced almonds and 1 tablespoon chopped cashews. Mix well. You can also add nuts like sliced pistachios, pine nuts at this step.
14. Then add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (ground cardamom).
15. Mix well.
16. Also add some dried rose petals. This step is optional. Skip if you do not have dried rose petals.
17. Mix well.
18. Cook the vermicelli kheer mixture for 3 to 4 minutes more till the vermicelli gets cooked and the milk thickens.
When the vermicelli has softened and cooked well, the kheer will also thicken and look creamy. Do scrape the sides of the kadai where milk solids will be collected and add them to the kheer.
Note that on cooling the semiya kheer will thicken more.
19. Switch off the heat and then add 1 tablespoon golden raisins. Mix again. Check the taste of kheer and if required you can add some more sugar.
20. Serve the vermicelli kheer hot, warm or chilled. You can garnish with some chopped nuts or dried rose petals while serving.
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. The kheer will thicken after cooling. While reheating add a splash of milk to loosen the consistency and heat the kheer in a pan.
More Similar Recipes
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Seviyan Kheer (Vermicelli Kheer North Indian Style)
Ingredients
For roasting
- 1 tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
- 3 cloves – optional
- 1 cup seviyan (broken vermicelli or semiya)
For making vermicelli kheer
- 1 litre whole milk or 4 cups milk
- 7 to 8 tablespoons sugar – add more or less for your preferred sweetness
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (ground cardamom)
- 1 tablespoon almond slivers or almond slices
- 1 tablespoon chopped cashews – chopped (optional)
- 4 to 5 dried rose petals – optional
- 10 to 12 saffron strands – optional
- 1 tablespoon golden raisins
Instructions
Roasting vermicelli
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a heavy kadai or pan. Add 3 cloves. Fry for 2 to 3 seconds. Addition of cloves is optional.
- Add the broken seviyan or vermicelli.
- Stir and continuously roast seviyan on a low to medium-low heat.
- Roast till the seviyan strands turn golden brown.
Making vermicelli kheer
- Reduce the flame to its lowest and slowly pour milk in the pan. Mix very well.
- Simmer milk on a low to medium-low heat. Stir ocassionally so that the milk or seviyan does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Let the milk come to a boil on a low to medium-low heat. Once the milk comes to a boil, then add 7 to 8 tablespoons sugar or as per taste.
- Mix very well so that all the sugar dissolves.
- Next add 10 to 12 saffron strands. Mix and stir.
- Next add 1 tablespoons of sliced almonds and 1 tablespoon chopped cashews. Mix well.
- Then add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
- Also add 4 to 5 dried rose petals. This step is optional. Skip if you do not have dried rose petals.
- Cook the vermicelli kheer mixture for 4 to 5 minutes more till the seviyan gets cooked and the milk thickens. When the seviyan has softened and cooked well, the kheer will also thicken and look creamy.
- Switch off heat and then 1 tablespoons of golden raisins. Mix again. Check the taste of semiya kheer and if required you can add some more sugar.
- Serve the seviyan kheer hot, warm or chilled. You can garnish with some chopped nuts or dried rose petals while serving. Do note that on cooling the kheer will thicken.
- Refrigerate any leftovers and try to eat within 1 to 2 days. On refrigeration the kheer will thicken. Either you can enjoy it cold or heat it in a pan with a splash of milk to loosen the consistency.
Nutrition
This Seviyan Kheer recipe from the blog archives was first published in July 2012. It has been updated and republished on July 2021.
Perfect … exactly Marathi style.and words
thanks.
Thank you so much for making the recipe sound so easy. Had it sounded difficult, I wouldn’t even try on Eid’s morning before getting ready.
Just prepared it and it not only looks great but tastes heavenly too!
Prepared the breakfast, chaat with all assorted chutneys, khattay aaloo, puri paratha and now getting ready ????
thanks asma for sharing this feedback. thats a lovely & tasty spread you have made. hope you had a great time.
Hello,
Lovely recipes and im trying all your recipes each day..hv come out so delicious.I have a doubt,can i use Rice vermicelli instead of Wheat vermicell ?? As i hv unexpected guest coming over tomorrow and finding it difficult to find out the wheat sevaiyaan..Pls help
Thanks Tomcy. Yes you can use rice vermicelli to make this seviyan kheer.
pls show me how to prepare sweet rice along with dry fruits and custard along with the fruits
Thanks
i have shared custard with fruits recipe. you can read the recipe method here – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/fruit-custard-mixed-fruit-custard/
the recipe of sweet rice i will add in some time.
I tried it and turned out very well.loved it.
thanks sneha for positive feedback 🙂
so nice
perfect site with perfect recipes i love it. Plz keep providing us ur recipes .
delicious! I found these noodles on sale & wasn’t sure what to do with them – delicious! I didn’t have the spices, so I used some ‘allspice’. Family loves it, will make again & again. thanks from Canada 🙂
welcome julie. good to know this. thanks for sharing your positive feedback.
nice
Wow Dassana! Great recipe. I just made this at 11 pm on a whim and it turned out splendid. I was a bit worried about the sugar being less,but everyone said it was perfect!
Side note: we avoid desi ghee, but I just had to use it , so I made some using unsalted butter before making this dish.
Just one help needed for next time. Could you weigh out your 1 cup of saviyan and let me know the grams equivalent which you use. I used a complete 150 g packet and it was much thicker than in your photos.
Many thanks for this!
thanks jimmy. sure i will update the amount of 1 cup seviyan/vermicelli in the post itself. but i am sure its not 150 gms. it should be around 50 to 80 gms, i think. if the kheer becomes thick, then just add some more hot milk and sugar. the consistency can easily be adjusted as well as the sweetness. you can also add some more cardamom powder and dry fruits to go with the changed consistency.
I love this Kheer! So does my husband…I usually make it the same way as you do!!! 🙂
thanks aparna for sharing your feedback on kheer.
thanks sapna
Hey thanks & photographs are not bad they indeed help.
thanks gaurav
I am going to try this tomorrow i have seviyan at home since days and did not know what to do with them thanks
do give the feedback barkha.
I have always prepared Kheer through the ready made packets available and thought i can never make kheer all the way by myself until i saw your recipe. We had Eid holidays and thought will give it a go i made it exactly as per your instructions – just avoided the cloves and put in brown sugar. IT WAS YUMMY AND UNBELIEVABLE that i could make such heavenly kheer. Will make this when ever i have guest, thanks so much for sharing your wonderful and easy to make recipes with us. God Bless
thanks a lot barkkha…. you made my day 🙂
Simple and easy explanation of all recepies… thank u so much..
Specially it will help for those girlss who are just married..
Thank u again…
welcome shweta. i agree with you.
Please believe me…this is great recipe helped me….before many time I made this dish but after reading your recipe and adding some more ingredients….it made much better than before…thank you so much…
thanks gurdev and glad to know the recipe helped you in making a great kheer.
thanks di your recipe really works…i have try it and my seviyan become really tasty …:D
thanks eli for making the seviyan recipe.
I just make this for Eid dessert. Very delicious and easy to prepare!!
thanks 🙂
Hi ,this sounds great,was thinking of making it and your recipe came up!!
Just wanted to know what brand of vermacilli did you use?
i don’t remember the brand name. the vermicelli was pre roasted and of the fine variety made from whole wheat flour. they come in these long brown paper wrapped packets. you should be able to get if you live in india. you can also make the same kheer with a slight thicker variety. but just remember to add extra milk as the thicker ones make the kheer pasty and thick.
i realy like the idea of clove and u ‘r mesurment is perfect.next time try orange zest or pinch of cinnamon at the end instead of clove .some teenagers liked it for variation.thanks for sending the reciepes.
thanks hemlata. also thanks for the other suggestions.
Gorgeous shots! And what a dish. Yum!
thanks russell.
it is a nice kheer thank you for nice receip………….
welcome mangesh
Hi Dasana,
Your vermicelli kheer looks heavenly! I’ve never tried making it but now I’m so hungry for it. Your photos are beautiful:)
thanks nancy 🙂
The Kheer looks delicious. Makes it perfect timing for Ramzan and Eid to follow. Beautiful!
Dassana,
I usually make it with Bambino Wheat Sev and after some time it becomes too dry and whenever I have to serve I had to add more milk in it to get the kheer consistency. How can I get the consistency at the beginning without adding too much milk later?
the kheer made with bambino vermicelli becomes thick. thats why i don’t but bambino as they are thick vermicelli. i would suggest to add less vermicelli and more milk so that when the vermicelli gets cooked it does not thicken on account of it being less and milk being more.
Wow dassana, amazing shots….it sure blends with the weather…oh those thin vermicili, how I long to have that….I used to get thin ones while living in Mercara, Coorg and now in Kerala it is not available…like you I also dont like thick vermicili….
I reached you during blog hop, nice place to hook up.
I love your photography skill and recipe too.
I’m following you…Do visit mine in your free time.
Take care.
thanks rashida. i will visit your space.
lovely pics with the differant mood to your photography 🙂 …. I made this vermicelli kheer today for raksha bandhan, we also make this every year on this day dont know why but I am also following what is told to me :)! I loved the 2 wooden spoons inbetween the bowls and the other pic with uncooked vermicelli , a great eye catcher combo….
thanks anamika… a different mood than my usual white and bright food photographs.
Beautiful photos!
thanks CS
Kheer looks lovely and the pics are amazing..:)) Loved the composition and colour combination..
Reva
thanks reva.
looks festive and must have tasted well ! seasons greetings 🙂
same to your priya.
one of my favourite fabulously done
I love vermicelli and it’s interesting to see this used in sweet dish (I’m more used to Asian savory dishes with vermicelli). Your photos are stunning beauty!
i like your recipe its simple n easy
thanks sonam.
This seems like the fine vermicelli. Is it? The other kind gives you a slightly thicker kheer as the mixture gets starchy. This one is better, but I like both .. I guess it is the sweet tooth.
it is fine vermicelli radha. the slightly thicker ones make the kheer thick and i don’t like its taste or texture. i prefer the thin ones.. basically it is an individual preference or taste.
I actually like these pictures… I like the dark and mysterious look, also the seviyans gloden color seems to be enhanced coz of the dark back ground. I’m glad to see the you’ve made the vegan version… it is one of my favourite kheers… I would love to try it sometime…
thanks anisha.
dassana, from the moment i saw the pics i felt something was different…i was trying to guess whethr u have clicked the first shot on a stone.. but i kept moving my computer screen to adjust the light… then i read abt your experiment.. the black colour with the fried semiya gives a great looks.. the orangish black combination is lovely..
normally ur pics are very bright so i thought something wrong with my screen and tried changing angles!!! anyways the pics are good .. but i think i prefer ur brighter pics( just my personal choice) .. but i love the way u have used black andf the arrangemnet and props!!1
the kheer also looks yummy.. this makes me want to try spme sweet..
nothing wrong with your screen renu. i was smiling when i read you moving the screen.
u r right. my pics are usually bright and sometimes over exposed. i do like bright pics. but then i also love dark and moody images. it is black chunri that i have used on top of a black paper. i don’t have much props or wooden backgrounds, so i really have to think creatively when taking pics. it is like necessity is the mother of invention 🙂
also i have underexposed the pics this time. black backgrounds give you that advantage of underexposing which do not look good with white backgrounds. i also work with RAW format which gives me a lot of free hand and ease to get the creative look i want. this is simply not possible with JPG format.
i did try with white and brown backgrounds but the kheer was looking flat and not at all good. in fact brown was better than white. i am also learning so much about food photography and i experiment a lot. sometimes i really fail. i don’t get the look i want. i had just shot methi mushroom and i did not like the final pics at all. but still i will post 🙂
ok.. i know og the JPG format.. raw format i will have to google… i am learning sooooo much from u dassana and also from the pother blog.. i have to make so many changes in my blog….
thanks renu. we all learn so much in this vast world of blogging and the internet. you will find many good resources on the RAW format on google search.
very nice kheer for an auspicious occasion like rakhi
yes suhani, it is a nice kheer 🙂
for sweet sweet recipe thanks.
welcome shamim.
Thanks for this all time great dish.
My son used to call it the ‘Jhadu’ ( broomstick) kheer cause the vermicilli resembles the strands of an indian broom.
Proves that a kheer by any name is a Joy!
Kheer looks fantastic. so yummy