> Meethi Sewai / sweet pudding vermicelli ,although a common name now,but is the most awaited dish after Ramzaan. Usually this sweet is included in Eid’s menu and had with a grand feast. Believe me, this dish is so rich in its taste that just its aroma is enough to arouse your taste buds. This easy ,quick recipe not only soothes your sweet tooth but brings a unique flavor in your menu.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Sevai (long thin)(vermicelli) – 1 cup
2. Pistachios (pista) blanched – ¹⁄₂ cup
3. Almonds(badam) sliced or silvered – ¹⁄₂ cup
4. Raisins (kishmish) – ¹⁄₄ cup
5. Milk (Whole) – 1 cup
6. Sugar Syrup – 1 cup
7. Cardamom powder (elaichi) – 1 tsp
8. Saffron( kesar)- 5-8 strands
9. Clarified butter ( ghee)– 2 tbsp
10. Milk solids(khoya/mawa) – 2 tbsp (optional) For how to make mawa at home click here

METHOD:
|Preparation time : 10 mins | Cooking time : 20 mins | Serves 2-3 persons at a time |
1. Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan.Then add the pistachios in it.Let it boil for 30-45 seconds.
2. When you see the skin of pistachios has started wrinkling ,turn off the heat and strain them through a strainer.Wash them in cold water once. Peel them off and slice them for garnishing. You will notice that they have turned greener.
3. Similarly repeating the above steps you may blanch the almonds too. But here I used my sliced almonds I got from the store. Now-a-days you can get even blanched almonds from the store. But restricting to the the freshness its always better to blanch them just before use.
4. Now take a wok and heat ghee in it. Once it is melted add the sevai in it.
5. Roast them for a minute till they get the golden brown color and then strain them in a strainer.Since they do not absorb any ghee, you are left with ghee in the wok. You may strain the ghee in another container or do like what I did. Yes, I used just 1 tbsp ghee and let it rest in the wok.
6. Now add the milk and sugar syrup. For the sugar syrup ,we have taken equal quantities of water and sugar and boiled them i.e. half cup sugar and half cup water.Once it is cooled add it to the milk and boil them together.
7. Once the milk mix starts boiling add the roasted sevai in it. Stir and toast them carefully in the wok such that they don’t break, since they are long and thin.
8. Continue stirring for 2 mins. Soon the milk will be absorbed by the sevai. At this point add the pistachios,almonds and raisins in it.At this point you can smell the aromatic air that would have surround you now.

1. Stir them such that all the ingredients are well mixed. Now add the cardamon powder and saffron strands in it.
   
2. Turn off the heat and now grate the khoya or mash it with your hands on the sevai and mix it well.
   
3. Serve them hot and enjoy this sweet delicacy of Afghan imbibed with richness and royalty!!