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Home » Desserts

Seviyan ( Sweet Vermicelli)

Published: Mar 8, 2022 · Modified: Mar 1, 2023 by Amira · This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

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Sweet vermicelli is an easy dessert known throughout the Middle East. In India it is called Seviyan. A 15 minute dessert with few ingredients.
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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.

A white bowl with sweet vermicelli  garnished with nuts.

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.

Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why You'll Love It
  • 📝 Ingredients
  • 🥄 Instructions
  • 💡 Expert Tips
  • 👩‍🍳 Variations
  • 🧺 Storage
  • 💬 FAQs
  • 📣 More Recipes From the Blog
  • Seviyan (Sweet Vermicelli)
  • 🧕 Story Behind The Recipe

❤️ 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.

Recipe ingredients on a marble table.

📋 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.

A collage showing how to brown vermicelli.
  1. In a heavy bottom pan over medium heat melt butter or ghee.
  2. Add vermicelli.
  3. Keep stirring until they turn golden brown.
A step by step collage showing how to cook seviyan.
  1. 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.
  2. 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

How to make this recipe vegan?

Use oil or vegan butter instead of ghee and simply use any plant based milk such as coconut milk.

Do you use wheat or rice vermicelli?

This recipe is mostly popular with wheat flour vermicelli, I've never tried it with rice vermicelli before.

Two bowls of Seviya one with milk and the other without.
Sweet Seviyan recipe is an easy way to put a sweet dish on the table

📣 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.

I hope you'll like this recipe and please if you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #amiraspantry — I love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter!
Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for the FREE Amira's Pantry newsletter delivered to your inbox with lots of tips and surprises! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram for all the latest updates.

If you like this recipe do not forget to give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and attach a photo of your finished dish. It is always a pleasure of mine to see your photos and check your own take of the recipe. Thank you.

A bird's eye image of a white bowl of Seviyan.

Seviyan (Sweet Vermicelli)

Sweet vermicelli is an easy dessert known throughout the Middle East. In India it is called Seviyan. A 15 minute dessert with few ingredients.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian, Middle East, Middle Eastern, South Asian
Diet: Halal
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 218kcal
Author: Amira

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

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 126IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
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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.

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About Amira

I’m overjoyed that you have stopped by! My hope is to introduce you to new flavors, creative ways and fresh takes on favorites. To help you create food with style that will bring everyone around your kitchen table. From weeknight dinners for crazy busy days to desserts with the “wow” factor, and classic comforts from the Mediterranean. One thing in common, they are all recipes that have been tried and tested by family and friends.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dinah

    February 07, 2021 at 7:49 pm

    How is the milk version of this made? My parents used to make it for us during Ramadan. The Egyptian style. Thanks ❤️

    Reply
    • Amira

      February 13, 2021 at 5:20 pm

      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.

      Reply
  2. Molly

    December 08, 2016 at 6:36 pm

    What is this dish called in Iraqi Arabic?

    Reply
    • Amira

      December 12, 2016 at 8:19 pm

      Molly, thanks for stopping by and checking my recipes. In Arabic this is called حلاوة الشعرية العراقية
      I hope this will help.

      Reply
      • Molly

        December 13, 2016 at 3:05 am

        No - I don't read the Arabic alphabet . . . yet 🙂 Can you transliterate it into Roman letters?

        Reply
        • Amira

          December 13, 2016 at 1:33 pm

          I am so sorry, I thought you wanted it in pure Arabic. It is called Halawet el she'reyaa. Hope that will help.

          Reply
          • Molly

            December 13, 2016 at 7:21 pm

            Yes, thank you!!

  3. Marie

    May 13, 2014 at 7:47 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Amira

      May 14, 2014 at 10:40 pm

      I'm honored that you have chosen one of my recipes as a first 🙂 Thanks Marie and glad you liked it.

      Reply
  4. Noor

    April 08, 2014 at 10:00 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Amira

      April 08, 2014 at 4:43 pm

      It is a very easy and frugal dessert. I sometimes do this in Ramadan when I am short of desserts :).

      Reply
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Hey Y'all, I'm Amira.
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I send warm greetings from sunny Colorado. This blog combines weeknight dinners for crazy busy days to desserts with the “wow” factor, and classic comforts from the Mediterranean.
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