“My Sister Sana’s Surprise Creamy Vermicelli Treat”
The whole thing started on a dull afternoon when the house was unusually quiet. I had finally sat down to sort a few things when I heard a loud knock on the door. As soon as I opened it, there stood my sister Sana with her two kids, grinning as if they had just planned a prank. “We were nearby, so we thought we’d stop in,” she said before walking right inside, making the house lively again within minutes.
While we caught up on random things—family updates, neighborhood gossip, and everything in between—Sana suddenly looked toward the kitchen and said, “You know what I’m craving? Something sweet… something homemade.” Before I could even reply, she nudged me playfully and added, “Come on, make that creamy vermicelli dessert you always brag about!” And just like that, our lazy afternoon turned into an unplanned cooking session.
Sana took charge of breaking the vermicelli into smaller pieces while I warmed a little butter in the pan. The moment the butter melted, she inhaled deeply and said, “This smell reminds me of the times when Ami used to make sawaiyan before any festival.” The butter sizzled softly, and the crackling vermicelli added a familiar comfort to the kitchen atmosphere.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup vermicelli (thin sawaiyan)
- 2 tbsp butter or ghee
- 4 cups full-cream milk
- 1/2 cup sugar (adjust as you like)
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachios and almonds
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- Handful of raisins (optional)
- Few saffron strands (optional)
As soon as the vermicelli reached a soft golden shade, I gently poured in the warm milk. Sana stepped back dramatically as the steam rose, then burst into laughter at her own reaction. Together, we stirred it slowly, letting the mixture thicken with every passing minute. Soon the entire house smelled like Eid morning, which made her kids rush into the kitchen asking, “What’s cooking? Is it ready yet?”
I added sugar, cardamom powder, and some nuts while Sana sprinkled a tiny pinch of saffron “to make it look royal,” as she put it. We tasted a spoonful to check the sweetness, and her face immediately lit up. “This is exactly what I needed today,” she said with the kind of smile that makes all the effort worth it.
Once it turned perfectly creamy, we took it off the heat and let it settle for a minute. The combination of roasted vermicelli, saffron, and cardamom made the dessert taste like something special—something that carried the warmth of shared memories and the joy of family gatherings.
We served the Creamy Vermicelli Delight in bowls and topped them with pistachios. The kids finished theirs before Sana even picked up her spoon. She laughed and said, “Next time I’m not sharing mine with anyone.” And just like that, a random visit turned into a sweet memory that we’ll probably talk about for years.
