New Delhi: Muslims all across India and the world are celebrating Eid-al-Fitr on May 3. The day marks the end of Ramadan or Ramzan when Muslims fast for a month-long that is for 29 or 30 days. The holy month holds significance in the Islamic faith and its celebration is hard to miss for everyone, especially foodies.
Foodies gulp on sweet dishes apart from biriyani and haleem. The variety of sweet dishes relished on this day to mark the end of a month of fasting.
“Right from sheer khurma, seviyan muzaffar, kheer, phirni, shahi tukda, balushahi, to falooda, anjeer ka halwa or khajoor ka halwa, a lavish spread is prepared on the day. Seviyan and its variations, in fact, hold a special relevance and there is even a story behind it. It is believed that during Eid celebrations, emperor Shah Jahan ordered a special sunset coloured varq (edible coating) to go along with their offering of seviyan. It was a tradition that continued till the time of emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, who is said to have hand rolled his own seviyan from soft wheat dough during the fasting days. Since then, this dish has travelled around the world,” says Anand Panwar, executive pastry chef, Roseate Hotels & Resorts. Mango seviyan, coconut seviyan and kimami seviyan are some of the variations.
To make the dish at home, certain tips need to be kept in mind. “Seviyan shouldn’t be overcooked as it loses the texture and crunch that it should ideally have. The sugar content should be balanced as high sugar can rob the dish of its flavour. Some people add a lot of nuts in the dessert to make it rich, which changes the taste, and as a result, the real essence is lost,” says Panwar.
Meanwhile, for chef Sadaf Hussain, sheer khurma is an ideal Eid special sweet dish. “There are memories associated with khurma. This is the first item we eat after offering namaz on Eid. It’s essentially seviyan mixed in milk and khoya. It has a very rich, rustic, robust and desi flavour to it. We must use Banarasi seviyan for the best flavours. They are thin, light and melt in the mouth. Try adding some kewra water to it for aroma and sweetness,” stated Hussain.
Another most authentic dish of Eid is phirni. When making at home, keep a check on the proportion of milk to the rice. “You have to continuously stir the pot so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the utensil. Likewise, for shahi tukda, you have to see how golden you need the bread to be, how high, medium or slow the flame should be for the desired colour, and how hard or consistent the sugar syrup needs to be,” says Zebi Zubair, chef at Knosh, famous for her Banarasi Kimami Seviyan Kheer.
Garima Bhargava, a food blogger shares how you can make Shahi Seviyan at home easily. Let’s take a look at the recipe below:
Ingredients
- 150gm seviyan
- 1/2 cup cashews – grounded
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 litre full cream milk
- 6 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp custard powder
- 1/2 cup milk powder
- Kesar- few strands
Method:
- Add 2tbsp ghee on a pan, and roast seviyan for 4-5 mins on low heat
- Add 2tbsp powdered sugar
- Transfer 2/3rd seviyan in a bowl and press it around the bowl. It should look a thin layer of seviyan.
- Boil the milk with added milk powder for 3-4 mins.
- Add kesar and cashew powder for the flavours
- To make it thick, dissolve custard powder in a bowl and add it to the milk pan on a low heat.
- Add 4tbsp powdered sugar.
- Pour the consistent paste over the layer of seviyan.
- Add another layer of seviyan with dry fruits topped on it. Keep it in the fridge for three hours and enjoy!