Pakistani Seviyan

{Ramadan Special} – Pakistani Seviyan from Sumayya of Pukka Pakistani

Today I am feeling short of words….Sometimes you cross such a beautiful personalities in life…that the charisma of them will leave you captivating….Such are the times today….The guest who is going to honor my space today is Sumayya Jamil of Pukka Pakistani. I encountered her space searching for a authentic Pakistani recipe….Got lost in her space discovering and reading more about Pakistani Cuisine….Sumayya says her mission is, “To Spread the love of Pakistani food – to introduce the haunting flavours of Pakistani cuisine and create an awareness of it’s authenticity, it’s difference from Indian food and to map a journey of my happy and safe memories of growing up in Pakistan. A country which gets too much negative publicity but here is my chance to highlight the beauty of our people, food and the simplicity of life through the love of food and the fond memories it leaves forever in your heart.”…Apart from scripting scrumptious recipes on her space, Sumayya also conducts Cookery Classes where she teaches Pakistani Cuisine…..she works as a freelancer and shares her family recipes in many famous magazines…..Her recipe has also been featured in Madhur Jaffery’s Curry Nation. It is my honor to have her on my blog today…..Thank you Sumayya for this awesome post…..Its overwhelming to have you on my blog today…Sumayya has scripted beautifully about Ramadan along with a recipe which is her Eid favorite recipe of Pakistani Seviyan.

Ramadan is a time for contemplation, perseverance and thankfulness for what we receive. We can spend days with abundance and never look once at the wastage, over-consumption or extravagance of food. But Ramadan is one month that allows us to think inwardly about what we eat and how we eat it. Such was the sentiment I was always taught by my grandmothers and parents while growing up in Pakistan. Our Ramadan mornings started early at Sehri (before daybreak), waking up to the nutty aroma of ghee with paratha’s on the tawa, spicy omelletes being whipped up and a bottomless pot of chai being prepared. My favorite Sehri meal however was plain cream buffalo milk yoghurt topped with chunky caramel-like Gur – Jaggary (raw sugarcane molasses). The rest of the days began and somehow I would be fine after the first few fasts, only feeling the intense need for water in the scorching heat of the relentless Karachi sun.

 

As Iftar (sunset meal) approached, the kitchen would once again be alive with the scent of hot, tantalizing snacks such as tangy tamarind black chickpea chaat, dahi baras (lentil fritters with yoghurt) and aubergine pakoras. Breaking the fast traditionally with a Medjool date my first sip of Rooh Afza (rose flavoured sherbet) would whet my appetite – though after many days of fasting I would find I could hardly eat much at Iftar time…. The month trains you to learn to  do without, reducing your intake and your need to consume more than you think you need.

 

A whole month of Ramadan left me feeling a calmer and more understanding person. The excitement of the end of the month celebration of Eid was a thrill with new clothes, bangles and lots of parties promised. The Eid celebratory foods of Pakistan are many, but one that never leaves my mind or my home without being prepared is Seviyan (sweet roasted vermicelli made with nuts, saffron and milk). Here is my grandmother’s simple recipe, which to me reminds me of the comfort of her hugs, Eid festivities and the sunshine of Pakistan.