Treat your loved ones with these 5 sweet vermicelli dishes on Eid-al-Fitr

Ramadan, also known as Ramazan or Ramzan, begins today! It is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by people belonging to the Muslim community all around the world.

It is considered to be the holy month of fasting and praying, and of engaging in humtarian activities such as feeding the underprivileged.

The celebration is all about the breaking of the dawn-to-dusk fast and is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal (the 10th month). It comes approximately 11 days earlier than the one the previous year when following the Gregorian (solar) calendar.

This year, Ramadan begins on April 13 and ends on May 12. This annual observance is regarded as one of the five pillars of Islam. It lasts between one sighting of the crescent moon and the next. It is said that Ramadan is the commemoration of Prophet Muhammad's first revelation.

During this fast, people have their first meal before the sunrise known as Sehri (also called Suhoor) and the other meal is Iftar, which is served after sunset.

Eid al-Fitr, which comes after the holy month of Ramadan, is also called 'Meethi Eid', and the signature dish of the celebration is sweet vermicelli or 'Meethi sewai'.

The celebration often comprises a wide gamut of sweet delicacies such as sheer khurma, khub ka meetha, and khalja pheni. Muslims across the world offer their prayers to the almighty and then prepare for a lavish Eid feast featuring scrumptious delicacies and drinks.

If you are planning to treat your family members with sweet delicacies, we have got you covered! Ex Radisson Chef l Dahiya has suggested five types of sewai dishes that one can relish on the auspicious occasion of Eid-al-Fitr:

* Milk (high fat) 2 litres* Clarified butter (ghee) 200 gms* Dry dates (kharak), cut lengthwise 250 gms* Cashews 250 gms cut in half* Almonds 200 gms thinly sliced* Pistachios 200 gms thinly sliced* Raisins (kishmish) 200 gms* Cardamom powder 1/2 Tsp* Cardamom seeds - 2 Tbsp* Thin vermicelli (sewai) - 100 gms

Dry roast the vermicelli till it is reddish pink in a kadhai (wok) and let it cool. Fry all the dry fruits (cashews, almonds, pistachios, and raisins). Don't fry dry dates just cut them lengthwise after deseeding them. Save the ghee (clarified butter) after frying to be used as this will lend flavour to the dish. Take out the seeds of cardamom and keep them aside. Also, keep some cardamom powder ready. Boil the milk. Take 5 tablespoon ghee in a pan and fry the cardamom seeds. Pour this mixture on the hot milk.Then add all the fried dry fruits and keep the gas flame low. Add raisins in the last. Add the vermicelli and switch off the gas. At last, sugar is to be added. Tip in the sugar and stir. Add cardamom powder and mix it well. Sheer Khurma is ready to be served!

* 1 cup Semiya (Vermicelli) , (Fine Banarsi Sewai)* 1 cup Khoya (Mawa)* 1 cup Sugar* 1 cup Milk* 1-1/2 cup Water* Ghee, as needed* 1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder (Elaichi)* 1 cup Phool Makhana (Lotus Seeds), chopped* 1/4 cup Badam (Almond), slivered, 1/4 for garnish* 1 tablespoon Whole cashews, slivered, 1/4 for garnish* 1 tablespoon Raisins, 1/4 for garnish* 2 tablespoons Dry coconut (copra)

To begin making the Kimami Sewai recipe, heat a pan on a low flame and roast dry sewai till it turns dark brown. Keep it aside and make sure to avoid over-roasting the delicate Sewai.

In the same pan, heat ghee and fry the makhana (fox nuts) till it gets crunchy. Fry the fox nuts for five to six minutes on low medium heat. After that, add dry fruits to the pan and saute it for about two minutes. At last, add coconut as it burns quickly, be very careful while frying it. Fry all the products together and keep them aside.

In a deep pan, add sugar, khoya, milk, water and mix it well. Put it on the flame and keep stirring till the first boil. Slow down the flame to cook the sugar syrup till it gets thicker and you feel heavy while stirring.

Then add half a cup of water or milk to the thick syrup and give another boil. Add roasted sewai, dry fruits makhana coconut mixture and cook on a slow flame for about five minutes and switch off. Sprinkle green cardamom powder for fragrance and mix well. Cover the lid and leave for 10 minutes. Switch off the heat, give it a mix and garnish with almonds, cashews, and raisins. Your Kimai Sewai is ready!

* 1/2 cup vermicelli (sewai)* 2 cups of milk* Half can of condensed milk (around 1/2 cup) or sugar to taste* Few almonds and raisins (or any dry fruits of your choice* 2-3 green cardamom pods (peel & crush the seeds to powder consistency)* 1 tbsp of ghee/clarified butter* 200gms fresh-cut fruits* Few strands of saffron (optional)

Heat ghee in a vessel and once hot, roast the vermicelli on medium flame. Keep stirring to ensure they don't stick. Once they turn slightly golden, remove them on a plate and keep them aside.In another vessel, bring milk to a boil and then add the condensed milk and crushed cardamom seeds and stir. (Note:- if you are using only sugar and no condensed milk then add the sugar after vermicelli has cooked i.e. along with the dry fruits mentioned).Once it starts bubbling, add the roasted vermicelli and let it simmer on low-medium heat for 10 minutes. In the meanwhile, blanch the almonds, peel the skin and chop into small pieces. Add these along with few raisins to the boiling milk and vermicelli.Allow simmering. Add some saffron threads, stir and simmer again. Refrigerate for an hour then top it with fresh fruits and serve cold. Your chilled pudding is ready to be served!

* 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)* 1 cup of broken vermicelli (seviyan)* 2 cups of milk or 500 ml milk* 1/4 cup sugar or add as per taste* 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder* 1/4 cup milk powder* 10-12 raisins* 4 to 5 almonds sliced thinly* 4 to 5 pistachios sliced thinly* 4 to 5 cashews sliced thinly

For the preparations, keep all the ingredients ready for making dry sewai. Break the sewiyan and keep aside. Chop the dry fruits and place them aside. Then heat a pan and add one tbsp ghee. Let the ghee melt and then add one cup of the broken sewiyan.

On a low to medium flame, with frequent stirring roast the sewiyan till it becomes golden. Add all the chopped dry fruits and raisins. Stir them nicely. Lower the flame and pour two cups of milk. Instead of milk, you can also add water. Stir and mix very well. Then continue to stir for two to three minutes.

Now add one-fourth cup of sugar. Keep stirring the mixture. Add one-fourth cup of milk powder. If you do not have milk powder, then just skip it. Mix again. Sprinkle half teaspoon cardamom powder and stir well. The mixture will start thickening and the sewiyan will also begin to absorb milk. When all the milk has been absorbed, switch off the gas.

Serve meethi sewiyan, hot or warm or chilled. You can even garnish with some sliced dry fruits while serving.

* Vermicelli - 1 cup (100 grams)* Sugar - 1/2 cup (100 grams)* Ghee - 2 tbsp* Almonds - 8 to 10* Cashews - 8 to 10* Mango juice- 100ml* Mango sliced

Heat a pan and then add one tbsp ghee. Let the ghee melt and then add one cup of the broken sewiyan. Then roast the sewiyan till they become golden. Add all the chopped dry fruits and raisins. Stir them nicely. Lower the flame and pour one cup of mango juice. Stir and mix very well. Then continue to stir for two to three minutes.

Now add one-fourth cup of sugar. Keep stirring the mixture. The mixture will start thickening and the sewiyan will also begin to absorb the juice. When all the juice has been absorbed, switch off the gas. Serve meethi sewiyan hot or warm or chilled. You can even garnish with some sliced dry fruits and fresh mango while serving.

Since Eid-al-Fitr falls during the peak of summer, people also love a glass of rose sharbat to complement their meal. Feast and indulge in your favourite delicacies for this Eid and stay safe.

( With inputs from ANI )

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