The festive vibe has taken over the world again and we cannot be merrier. Eid festivities have begun in full swing. In India, Eid ul-Fitr is being celebrated today. Eid marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. No Eid gathering is ever complete without a lavish Eid spread. From rich meaty delicacies like haleem, nihari, korma, a quintessential Eid spread is a foodie's dream come true. But what truly is an indispensable part of Eid celebrations, is a bowlful of meethi sewai. Did you know Eid ul-Fitr is also called 'Meethi Eid'. Meethi means 'sweet' in Urdu and Hindi. It is called so because the signature dish of the celebration is meethi sewai or sweet vermicelli.
There are two kinds of sewai preparations that dominate the Eid celebrations, both of which are sweet, made out of same base ingredients but distinctly different in terms of the end product. We are talking about sheer khurma and the delicious kimami sevaiyan.
Sheer khurma, is made of 'sheer' or milk and vermicelli. Sewai is cooked in thickened milk with dates (or khurma). The thick and creamy milk pudding is then topped with nuts. The kimami sewai on the other hand is a drier preparation and loaded with ghee and dry fruits, including raisins and other nuts, along with fragrant spices such as elaichi or green cardamom and saffron. Kimami refers to a fragrant and sweet mix, in which the sewai is cooked for a long period of time. Boiled vermicelli is cooked in desi ghee until it turns beautiful brown. Cooking in ghee also makes meethi sewai richer and denser.
(Also Read: Eid 2019: What Makes Haleem The Most Revered Delicacy Of Eid ul-Fitr)
Apart from Eid ul-Fitr, meethi kimami sewai is also prepared across other festive occasions such as Rakshabandhan. Here's a delicious recipe of meethi sewai or kimami sewai by NDTV Food that you can try at home this Eid.
Eid Mubarak!