An ingredient very dear to many Indian households, seviyan or vermicelli reminds Indians of warm, comforting bowls of both sweet and savoury dishes. Be it the festive aroma of meethi seviyan during Eid or the savoury delight of namkeen seviyan on any other day, this one simple ingredient has the power to elevate a meal into something special. The presence of store-bought seviyan is fine, but the preparation from scratch gives it that authenticity, one more reason to enjoy the dish. This may seem like a process that is going to take forever, but the end really justifies the means because homemade seviyan taste so much better and last up to a year if stored properly. Today we will learn how to cook jave or seviyan at home, home-style, and also the process to make it meethi or namkeen.
How to Make Jave or Seviyan from Scratch
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup refined flour (maida)
- 1/8 cup semolina (sooji)
- Water, as needed
Method:
Combine refined flour and semolina in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add water, simultaneously mixing with your hand, to make hard dough. Water should be added little by little, kneading the dough at the same time. Consistence should be of neither hard nor soft dough. Now, apply a lid over the dough and rest it for 15 to 20 minutes. This resting time will make the dough a little soft, due to which it will become easy to form the seviyan at a later stage.
Combine the dough until everything binds together, then pinch a small amount of the dough. Cover the remaining dough with a moist kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
Now, by using the palm of your hand, roll the small ball of dough into long ropes, almost like threads. The thinner you roll them, the better. Sprinkle the seviyan with some dry flour so that they do not stick to each other, and put them on a plate.
This step consumes a little time and requires patience because the seviyan need to be rolled very thinly. If done properly, the seviyan remain very thin and hence cook uniformly, giving a wonderful texture.
Once all the seviyan are rolled out, it's time to dry them. Spread these seviyan out on a big tray, plate, or flat container and let them sit under a fan. Keep it away from direct sunlight because it can cause uneven drying.
Depending on the weather, it will require between 2 to 3 hours for the seviyan to reach a point of being bone-dry. In colder temperatures, a little longer will be necessary. They must really be quite dehydrated. If not, they will ruin the sweet and sour taste you are aiming for.
Pre-dry the seviyan before storing. Heat a pan properly in low-medium flame. Once heated, add the dried seviyan. Roast them softly, stirring constantly in order to prevent overbrowning.
The color will start changing and the seviyan will turn light brown, and you'll get a nice aroma.
Once the seviyan are roasted, take them out on a plate to cool. Store in an air-tight container.
If roasted on a low flame and stored well, the seviyan will be good for a year, if not more.
Meethi Seviyan Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup homemade seviyan
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 2 cups milk
- Nuts (almonds, pistach
Method:
In a pan heat the ghee and then roast the homemade seviyan until a golden brown color appears in it. Add milk to it and bring to a boil by stirring it occasionally.
In that, when the seviyan gets soft, add sugar and cardamom powder to it. Continue to cook until the whole mixture starts to get thick.
Garnish with chopped nuts and the meethi seviyan is ready to be served.
Namkeen Seviyan
Ingredients
- 1 cup homemade seviyan
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 tomato finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tbsp red chili powder
- To Garnish: Chopped fresh coriander
Method:
Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin; once it crackles, add onions and fry until golden. Add tomatoes, turmeric, and red chilli powder, and cook the tomatoes until soft. Add the homemade seviyan and roast for sometime. Add water and salt and cook until the seviyan is well cooked and all the water is absorbed by the seviyan. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve hot.