Seviyan, also called sweet vermicelli or vermicelli pudding, is a simple yet delicious dessert that is widely served in the Middle East during festive occasions like Eid. This traditional dessert is made with easy pantry ingredients and cooks on your stove top in 15 minutes.
Next time try this easy milk pudding recipe.
Sweet vermicelli is a warm cozy dessert reminiscent of festive times with my family. Vermicelli is cooked with butter, sugar, water, and your favorite seasonings and flavorings. Top this with your favorite nut assortment, dry fruits or even shredded coconut.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
- A traditional dish served in many parts of the world.
- A 15 minute dessert made with easy pantry ingredients.
- Able to change up the flavor by adding your favorite seasonings and spices to the dessert.
- Easy to prepare dessert.
For me, sweet vermicelli is a nostalgic dessert that brings back many sweet memories from my childhood. This is a quick and easy to make dessert.
📝 Ingredients
Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📋 Ingredient Notes
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- Thin vermicelli noodles: long like spaghetti are made from maida flour, which is a white flour made from wheat. It is ok to use roasted vermicelli as well.
- Ghee or butter: used as a flavoring as well as to brown the vermicelli.
- Sugar: gives the sweetness to the dessert.
- Ground cinnamon: a common spice to give flavor to the sweet vermicelli.
- Vanilla extract: adds a vanilla flavor to the dessert.
- Cardamom powder: found in many Indian dishes gives a nice earthy flavor.
- Rose or Orange blossom water: a floral or citrus flavoring added to give an extra delicious flavor in many desserts.
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a heavy bottom pan over medium heat melt butter or ghee.
- Add vermicelli.
- Keep stirring until they turn golden brown.
- Add water, sugar and flavoring of choice and stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil then reduce heat until vermicelli is tender and cooked.
- Serve as is or with warm milk garnished with nuts and coconut flakes.
💡 Expert Tips
- It is easier to find regular vermicelli here than the roasted ones. If you can get the roasted one then skip the roasting step but add ghee for flavor.
- Some people like to cook the vermicelli in whole milk instead of water, but I find it easier to cook in water first, then add milk when serving.
- You can serve this vermicelli as is or hot cereal style by adding some warm milk in each serving bowl according to each person's liking.
👩🍳 Variations
- You can use milk instead of water if you choose.
- You can use oil instead of ghee.
- Brown sugar or honey can be used in place of white sugar.
- Top with your favorite dried fruits or assorted nuts.
- Some people use cardamom powder or even cardamom pods for flavor.
🧺 Storage
Store leftover sweet vermicelli in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Check the smell and appearance before eating especially if it has milk.
💬 FAQs
Use oil or vegan butter instead of ghee and simply use any plant based milk such as coconut milk.
This recipe is mostly popular with wheat flour vermicelli, I've never tried it with rice vermicelli before.
📣 More Recipes From the Blog
- This creamy shaabiyat dessert made with puff pastry cups is a family favorite.
- Um Ali, or Ali's mother is an Egyptian dessert you do not want to miss.
- Here is an easy pomegranate dessert made with very simple ingredients.
- Qatayef is a popular Middle Eastern dessert that is often consumed during Ramadan. Fluffy small pancakes filled with cream then drizzled with syrup or honey. Here is another popular version of qatayef filled with nuts and then fried until golden brown.
More Vermicelli Recipes
- Got more vermicelli? try this delicious and easy to follow Lebanese rice recipe, perfect side dish for any Middle Eastern meal. Garnish with fresh herbs or toasted pine nuts to boost flavors.
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Seviyan (Sweet Vermicelli)
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry vermicelli noodles
- 1 Tablespoon ghee or butter
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup sugar or to taste
To flavor:
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- rose water or orange blossom water to your liking
Optional garnish:
- Chopped mixed nuts pistachios, almonds and cashews
- Coconut flakes
- Raisins
Instructions
- In a pot over medium heat melt ghee, then add vermicelli.
- Keep stirring until they turn golden brown.
- Add water, sugar and flavoring of choice and stir to dissolve sugar.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat until vermicelli is tender and cooked.
- Serve as is or with warm milk garnished with nuts, coconut flakes.
Notes
- It is easier to find regular vermicelli here than the roasted ones. If you can get the roasted one then skip the roasting step but add ghee for flavor.
- You can use oil instead of ghee.
- Some people like to cook the vermicelli in milk instead of water, but I find it easier to cook in water first, then add milk when serving.
- You can serve this vermicelli as is or hot cereal style by adding some warm milk in each serving bowl according to each person's liking.
Nutrition
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First published Apr 2, 2014 . Last updated March 9, 2022 with important tips, clear step by step instructions and readability.
🧕 Story Behind The Recipe
I was born in Saudi Arabia, stayed there for a couple of years and returned to Egypt when I was just 2 years old. Many years later when I was almost 9 my dad went back for work and we stayed back. We used to spend the summer vacations there for many years so I have many sweet memories of being there with lots of friends from different countries - a thing I have never experienced in Egypt. I had friends from India, Pakistan, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq.. you name it. I had friends who did not know how to speak Arabic or English yet we communicated very well!!! I've had friends from many cultures and religions yet we got along .I think kids should teach adults how to live together in harmony.
Many of these sweet memories are related to food. During the month of Ramadan and Eid many dishes were exchanged between the families so we've got an amazing opportunity to have other cuisines in our home. A very simple yet delicious dessert that is widely spread in Iraq and Saudi Arabia is this sweet vermicelli.
Dinah
How is the milk version of this made? My parents used to make it for us during Ramadan. The Egyptian style. Thanks ❤️
Amira
Hello Dinah,You reminded me of that delicious version with milk.. I miss that. So for the milk version you brown a cup of vermicelli in a couple of tablespoons of butter or oil if you prefer to. Turn heat off and add a half cup of hot milk then cover so the noodles absorb the milk and get tender for like 15 minutes. Pour in another half cup of milk bring everything to a light boil, add sugar and a little vanilla. Turn heat off and enjoy.
Molly
What is this dish called in Iraqi Arabic?
Amira
Molly, thanks for stopping by and checking my recipes. In Arabic this is called حلاوة الشعرية العراقية
I hope this will help.
Molly
No - I don't read the Arabic alphabet . . . yet 🙂 Can you transliterate it into Roman letters?
Amira
I am so sorry, I thought you wanted it in pure Arabic. It is called Halawet el she'reyaa. Hope that will help.
Molly
Yes, thank you!!
Marie
I had to have a go Amira. It looked so delicious!
And it really is, tasty and sweet.
Thanks for sharing such nice and easy recipes. To be true, it's the first time I am trying recipes from a blog I follow! Big change!
Amira
I'm honored that you have chosen one of my recipes as a first 🙂 Thanks Marie and glad you liked it.
Noor
Every Ramadan my mother in law (Saudi) makes a dish kind of like this. It is simple though with just sugar. She makes it not bc it is the best, but bc it reminds of her of her grandma that used to be poor and made it every Ramadan.
Amira
It is a very easy and frugal dessert. I sometimes do this in Ramadan when I am short of desserts :).