Pheni is the thin silky sewiyan kheer which is made during Karwachauth and tastes so delicious!
Pheni or the silky sewiyan is typically found in the market near karwachauth. It’s pre-fried in ghee and is sold at the halwai shops in cute round pieces. You put them in boiling milk and switch off the gas and enjoy it after a while as a light kheer. A perfect easy to make dessert. Since its quick to make, this is often eaten as a part of morning sargi for Karwachauth. I have always loved it and used to make mum buy loads of it at the time of Karwachauth and relish for months post that once a week.
As a pleasant surprise I also found them at a Telugu wedding in Bangalore recently. They were served as a mid meal sweet and served with hot badaam milk and a boondi ladoo, so you crush the ladoo for the sweetness and pour the milk on it which cooks it. So interesting to see cultures have similar stuff.
Its amazing how the vermicelli is used in different ways in India. Make some amazing kheer out of it, or make the savory vermicelli upma out of it! Super tasty 🙂
Vermicelli is actually prepared by using whole wheat flour or maida, extruded and then dried. Traditionally it was dried in the sun but now it is dried commercially. Honestly, I am not very sure how nutritious vermicelli is unless it is made from whole wheat. But it is definitely okay to indulge in it once a while, especially when its for a festival and it is a dessert 🙂
Another form of vermicelli I find very fascinating is the South Indian rice version called Sevai! In our parents generation, they would make the dough at home with rice powder, steam it and pass it through the sevai machine and get those really thin rice noodles which would then be tempered with some mustard and green chilli and then flavored with lemon or coconut. Now a days, we have instant sevai packets which just need to be added in some boiling water…much easier, eh?
Whether it is the rice sevai or the wheat vermicelli, one thing is for sure, each one tastes super yum? So what are you waiting for? Make this awesome pheni, whether you do Karwachauth or not, because sweet desserts are always welcome 🙂
Pheni : Thin silky sewiyan Kheer
Ingredients
- one 100 grams Pheni Roll
- 300 ml Milk
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tbsps Cashew
- 2 tbsps Raisins
- 2 tsps Badam Powder (optional)
Instructions
- In a heavy bottom pan, bring the milk to boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes till slightly thick.
- Add the sugar and badaam powder if using and simmer for two more minutes.
- Add the pheni and mix well. Switch off the gas and let it stand for 5-10 minutes
- In a small pan, heat the ghee and roast cashew and raisins.
- Add to the kheer and serve warm.
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