Awadhi cuisine takes pride in its sweet dishes. We begin by exploring some varieties of Sewaiya. These rich sweet dishes are perfect to nourish the vata dosha :-)
Recipe for Sheer Khorma Sewain from the Nawabi kitchens of Lucknow
Ingredients
Samples of Awadhi cuisine – Sewain dishes from Lucknow kitchens
Sewain (fine, toasted vermicelli) – 100 gm
Milk – 1 kg
Sugar – 150 gm
Dried dates – 100 gm, (diced)
Khoya – 100 gm
Almonds – 5
Chiraunji – 1 tsp
Ghee (clarified butter) – 2 tbs
Preparation of Sheer Khorma Sewain
Shallow fry the sewain in 1 tbs ghee, and keep aside.
In a separate pan, heat the milk until it boils down to half the original quantity. Now add the khoya and diced dates to the thickened milk. Let it simmer some more while stirring.
Allow the almonds and chiraunji seeds to soak in luke warm water for an hour and peel. Slice the almonds.
For tempering, heat 1 tbs ghee in a separate pan. Add the almond and chiraunji. Saute and add to the sewain.
This Lucknowi Sheer Khorma Sevaiya is now ready to serve - hot or cold.
Recipe for Qimani Sewain, an Eid special in Lucknow kitchens
Ingredients
Sewain – 1 kg
Sugar – 1 kg
Saffron – 5 gm
Milk – 500 gm
Khoya – 250 gm
Ghee – 150 gm
Almonds – 5
Pistachio – 10 gm (sliced)
Cloves – 5
Green cardamoms – 5
Kewra – 4 drops
Chandi Waraq (edible silver foil) – 1
Preparation of Qimani Sewain
Heat ghee in a pan. Add cloves and cardamoms. Now add the sewain and stir.
Soak saffron in milk. Add the milk to the sewain. Simmer and keep stirring. The sewain will become a little tender.
Meanwhile, in another pan, add a cup of water to the sugar and simmer till a thick, sticky syrup (chashni) is formed.
Add the sugar syrup to the sewain. Add khoya, almonds and pistachio and simmer and stir until the sewain is cooked and tender. Switch off the fire. Add kewra to the sewain and keep the pan covered for some time for all the flavours to absorb in the dish.
Garnish with edible silver foil and sliced nuts, and serve :-)