Sewai (Vermicelli pudding)

Sewai is a type of vermicelli which is used for making both sweet and savoury dishes. However, in Fiji, sewai invariably refers to the sweet, delicately spiced milky pudding. To make this dish, you need to use sewai. Substituting it with angel hair pasta or any other fine noodle doesn't work quite as well. Sewai (labelled as vermicelli or roasted vermicelli) can be bought from most Indian grocery stores.

Ingredients

• • 1 tbsp ghee

  • 3 cloves

  • 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick

  • 1/3 cup raw cashews or blanched almonds

  • 100 g sewai

  • 3-4 cups milk

  • 1/3 cup sugar, or to taste

  • 1/3 cup sultanas

  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamon

Method

• 1. Melt ghee in a pan over moderate heat. Add the cloves, cinnamon and nuts and sewai fry until both the nuts and sewai are a nice golden brown. Keep stirring so that it toasts evenly.Don't let it get too brown. If your sewai is pre-roasted, wait until the nuts are just starting to brown before adding the sewai to the pan.

  2. Add the milk and sugar and bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes and when the sewai starts to soften, add the sultanas and continue simmering until the sewai is cooked. Add the cardamon powder and remove from heat.

  3. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• 1. Sewai doesn't take very long to cook. Most, especially the pre-roasted ones, will cook in minutes. You may need to adjust the quantity of milk depending on the sewai and your thick or runny you like your pudding.

  2. You can substitute up to one cup of milk with water.

  3. Sewai thickens as it cools.So if you make it ahead of time, or if you have leftovers, add some more milk and reheat gently.