Kimami Sewai are vermicelli aka sewai that are roasted with clarified butter and cooked in a sweet syrup with aromatic rose flavored with mawa (or koha, a kind of condensed milk pudding from the Indian subcontinent) and lots of dried fruit.
The word “kimami” means “sweet and fragrant” and “sewai” means “vermicelli”.
It is one of the most popular classic desserts in Asian subcontinents, also considered the heart of the Eid festival (end of Ramadan).
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
- Seasonality: Eid al-Fitr, All seasons
Ingredients
- 7 oz rice vermicelli
- as needed clarified butter
- 1.75 oz dried fruit (cashews, pistachios, walnuts)
- as needed raisins
- 1.75 oz mawa (or condensed or powdered milk)
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup milk
- 5.8 oz sugar
- 3 cardamom
- 2 cloves
- 1 packet saffron
- 1 tablespoon rose water
- 1 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)
Preparation
Prepare the syrup by bringing all ingredients to a boil until the mixture solidifies.
In a wok, melt the clarified butter and add the dried fruit and soaked raisins.
Set aside.
Add broken vermicelli to more clarified butter, sauté for a few minutes, then add the reserved dried fruit, syrup, and mawa (or condensed-powder milk).
Cook for about 10 minutes.
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Can kimami sewai be considered similar to kheer?
Yes, Kheer and Kimami Sewai (or Seviyan) are similar because both are Indian sweets made with milk and vermicelli, but they have some important differences:
In common:
They use vermicelli (sewai/seviyan) – although kheer can also use other grains like rice
Milk base with sugar or jaggery
Flavored with cardamom, dried fruits, and sometimes rose water or kewra.
Served as a dessert, often on festive or religious occasions.
Kimami Sewai is a richer, denser variant of kheer, often served during Eid.
This is the version of kheer with oat flakes, which you can also find in the video recipe above:
