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Desserts & mithai

Meethi Sewaiyan Recipe

میٹھی سویاں بنانے کا طریقہ

Dry meethi sewaiyan: fine vermicelli roasted in ghee with cardamom, then steamed in a light syrup until each strand is soft, separate and glossy.
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Illustration of Meethi Sewaiyan

Prep

5 min

Cook

20 min

Total

25 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Easy

Spice

Mild

Meethi sewaiyan are the dry, zarda-style vermicelli made on Eid morning alongside or instead of sheer khurma, and on any morning when someone wants something sweet in 20 minutes. The vermicelli is roasted golden in ghee, then cooked in just enough sugared water to be absorbed, and finished on dum so the strands stay separate. Getting the water right is the only trick.

Ingredients

6 servings

For 6 servings

Measures

To finish

Method

  1. Heat the ghee in a wide pan on low-medium heat and fry the cardamom and cloves for a few seconds.

  2. Add the vermicelli and almonds and fry, stirring all the time, until the vermicelli is an even golden brown.

    ⏱ 4 min

  3. Pour in the water with the food colour if using; it will hiss. Bring to the boil and cook on medium heat until about half the water is absorbed.

    ⏱ 4 min

  4. Add the sugar and stir gently with a fork. Cook until the syrup is almost absorbed and the vermicelli looks glossy.

    ⏱ 3 min

  5. Sprinkle the kewra, cover tightly and leave on the lowest heat for dum until the strands are soft and dry.

    ⏱ 7 min

  6. Loosen with a fork, dish out and top with pistachios, coconut and crumbled khoya.

Tips for the best result

  • Use roughly 3 parts water to 4 parts vermicelli by volume; fine vermicelli needs less, thicker needs a little more.
  • Stir with a fork, not a spoon, once the water goes in so the strands stay long.

Common mistakes

  • Adding too much water. The vermicelli turns into a sticky lump instead of separate strands.
  • Under-roasting. Pale vermicelli tastes floury and goes soft too quickly.

How to serve

Serve warm on Eid morning or with tea, on their own or with a spoon of cream.

Storing and reheating

Keeps 3 days in the fridge. Warm in a covered pan with a sprinkle of water.

Nutrition and cost

Worked out from the ingredients, not measured in a lab. Treat both as a rough guide.

Per serving Estimate

Calories
265kcal
Protein
4g
Fat
11g
Carbs
38g
Fibre
1.4g
Sodium
0mg

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), public domain values for the raw ingredients (100% of the recipe by weight had data). Deep-frying oil is counted at 20%; bones and water lost in cooking are not subtracted, so bone-in and fried dishes can read high. Not medical advice. Method

Cost per servingEstimate

≈ Rs 2

Whole dish ≈ Rs 14 · 29% of ingredients by weight priced

From the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics weekly SPI, week ended 29 Oct 2026. Spices, herbs and some vegetables are not in the SPI and are left out unless you add your price, so the real cost is a little higher. How this works

Meethi Sewaiyan: questions people ask

What is the difference between meethi sewaiyan and sheer khurma?

Meethi sewaiyan are dry, cooked in water and sugar until absorbed. Sheer khurma is vermicelli and dates cooked in plenty of milk and served almost like a drink.

Why are my sewaiyan sticky?

There was too much water or they were stirred too much. Use less water next time and fluff with a fork after the dum.

Serve it with, and similar recipes

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Read this recipe in Urdu: میٹھی سویاں بنانے کا طریقہ

https://handi.danixsoft.com/recipes/meethi-sewaiyan · Handi, DanixSoft