{"id":352266,"date":"2026-06-29T17:38:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T17:38:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/semaiya-kheer-or-vermicelli-pudding-to-celebrate-eid-ishitaunblogged\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T17:38:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T17:38:38","slug":"semaiya-kheer-or-vermicelli-pudding-to-celebrate-eid-ishitaunblogged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=352266","title":{"rendered":"Semaiya Kheer or Vermicelli Pudding to celebrate Eid \u2013 IshitaUnblogged"},"content":{"rendered":"


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My childhood memories of Eid<\/em> are associated with the rich, creamy taste of Semaiya Kheer\u00a0<\/em>or\u00a0vermicelli pudding, also called\u00a0Shimuiyer Payesh<\/em>\u00a0in Bengali.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Recipe<\/p>\n

Eid Mubarak<\/em>! Festivities bring in lots of varied emotions\u2026 emotions of togetherness, memories of childhood and hope for the future. There\u2019s nothing like celebrating a festival like Eid in a city like Dubai, where people from all over the world have come together and made it their homes. The word Eid<\/em> means \u2018festivity\u2019 in Arabic. Every year when Eid is celebrated after the holy month of Ramadan, the city of bling <\/em>readies itself to welcome more than two million visitors over the festive weekend!<\/p>\n

\"Recipe<\/p>\n

\"Recipe<\/p>\n

Childhood memories of Eid bring in the sweet taste of\u00a0Semaiya Kheer <\/em>or\u00a0vermicelli pudding, also called Shemuiyer Payesh<\/em> (above) in Bengali. Payesh<\/em> or milk pudding has a lot of significance in a Bengali\u2019s life, specially Chaaler Payesh<\/em>, or the rice pudding<\/a>. It is the first initiation of solid food when an infant gets ready to embark on her\/his momentous non-milk food journey and inherits the rich culinary heritage of Bengali food (do read all about in my earlier post<\/a>). The introduction of semaiya to Bengali cuisine happened organically with the Islamic influence in Bengal. In 1857 AD, after the Awadh<\/em> kingdom (modern day Lucknow in India) was annexed by the British, the Nawab<\/em> was exiled to Calcutta, which is today\u2019s Kolkata. His passion for gourmet food traveled from Lucknow to Calcutta and was nurtured, garnished and fuelled by his special Bawarchis<\/em> or the Chefs of the Nawab. Mughlai food has since then become part of Kolkata\u2019s culinary heritage<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Sheer<\/p>\n

I have always associated semaiya\u00a0with Eid celebrations. The shimuiyer payesh that I have eaten at most Bengali homes, is made much like the rice pudding. The shimuiyer payesh, however, is sweetened with sugar and Gur or <\/em>jaggery is seldom used in it. It is also less dense. The Sheer Khurma <\/em>(above) is more popular amongst our Muslim friends, both from India and elsewhere in the subcontinent. The sheer khurma is a thicker version of shimuiyer payesh with a more generous amounts of dried fruits. Saffron, rosewater and Vark<\/em>, edible silver foil are often added. Sheer khurma is a very popular festive breakfast with Parathas, <\/em>specially Laccha Paratha<\/a> \u2013 <\/em>a type of paratha having multiple layers and lapped generously in Ghee<\/em>. Another popular variation of semaiya<\/em> is the cold beverage \u2013 Falooda<\/em> which itself is an adaptation of the Persian dessert Faloodeh. <\/em>This is very popular in Iran, Pakistan, North India and Afghanistan. The rosewater flavoured falooda (below) that we had in Haridwar is still lingering on my tastebuds!<\/p>\n

\"Rosewater<\/p>\n

Eid in Dubai<\/span><\/h5>\n

With more than two million tourists expected over the Eid<\/em> weekend, Dubai basks in all its glory. Cultural programs, various events, special Eid<\/em> menu in different restaurants \u2013 the weekend promises to be a whole lot of fun. Leading shopping malls are open twenty four hours. More than half of the expectant tourists are from the GCC countries alone \u2013 an exciting news for the tourism and F&B industry. Nothing can beat a city immersed in its own beat as it celebrates a local festival.<\/p>\n

\"Meenabazar<\/p>\n

Eid al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha<\/h5>\n

Whereas Eid al-Fitr<\/em> marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan<\/em> \u2013 the Islamic holy month of dawn-to-sunset fasting, Eid al-Adha<\/em> means \u2018solemn festivity\u2019, <\/em>also known as the Greater Eid <\/em>or Eid al-Zuha.<\/em> In India, it is called the Bakhri-Eid<\/em> or the Feast of Sacrifice.<\/p>\n

The latter is an important four-day religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to honour the willingness of the prophet \u02beIbr\u0101h\u012bm (Abraham) to sacrifice his young firstborn son Ism\u0101\u2019\u012bl (Ishmael) as an act of submission to God, and his son\u2019s acceptance of the sacrifice before God intervened to provide Abraham with a ram to sacrifice instead (wikipedia).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Recipe<\/p>\n

The essence of Eid to a non-Muslim like me<\/h5>\n

The beauty of growing up in a multicultural city like Kolkata is that we grew up celebrating all festivals from all religions. Although I am born in a Hindu family, on Eid, we flocked to the homes of our Muslim friends and pestered their mums, whom we addressed lovingly as mashis <\/em>(which means aunties). Sumptuous meals of home-made Biryanis and Laccha Parathas were followed by never-ending refills of our bowls of shimuiyer payesh<\/em>. This multi-cultural upbringing has shaped not only my personality but also my own philosophies in life as described in an earlier post of mine \u2013 Living by the water with sunset as prop \u2013 Kolkata & Ganges<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Semaiya<\/p>\n

During last Eid, we were enjoying our summer holidays in Kolkata \u2013 a period I like to \u2018brand\u2019 as my summer hibernation <\/em>as I go into my reticent creative cocoon. I took the Z-Sisters<\/a> to Mallick Bazar<\/strong> in the Park Circus area. This is essentially a Muslim neighbourhood and the road-side kiosks were full of semaiya, mixed dried fruits, firni <\/em>mixes (a dessert pudding made with rice powder) and brightly coloured glass bangles. The stacked up semaiya bundles looked quite surreal \u2013 as if, they were fluffs of cotton wool blown by the festive breeze.<\/p>\n

\"Semaiya<\/p>\n

A little boy manning one of the kiosks came running to me \u2013 \u2018Didi amar photo tulben?\/Sister, do you want to photograph me?\u2019<\/em> He immediately bombarded me with his next question -\u2018Apni ki kono bideshi magazine theke?\/Are you working for any foreign magazine?\u2019<\/em> He got disappointed that I was taking pictures\u2026 emni emni\/<\/em>just like that. <\/em>He instructed his peers, \u2018Dhoot char to didike\u2026 ja ja shob byabshay lag!\/Forget her\u2026 go and mind your businesses!\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Semaiya<\/p>\n

Since we weren\u2019t buying any semaiya<\/em> nor any dry fruits that day, or since I didn\u2019t work for any foreign magazine\u2026 I was declared pretty hopeless. I wish I had met this young lad this year as I could have impressed him with my food column with Gulf News<\/a>. We had planned to buy Haleem or Halim<\/em> (a special Ramadan<\/em> dish made with wheat, barley, meat) from one of the two popular restaurants in this area \u2013 Shiraz<\/strong> and Rahmania. <\/strong>Haleem <\/em>is a delicacy and is cooked in large quantities in a huge aluminium cooking pot. In the Park Circus<\/strong> and Mallick Bazar<\/strong> area, there are many alleys and small restaurants where one can find long queues for haleem during this Ramadan time. We too queued up for haleem and took a few containers home. Along with haleem, we also devoured the delicious Firni<\/em><\/a> made by mum-in-law. Set in small earthen clay pots, firni is definitely one of my mum-in-law\u2019s signature desserts.<\/p>\n

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\"Dried <\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Glass <\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Semaiya Kheer or Vermicelli Pudding <\/h3>\n
Category=Dessert; Cuisine=Subcontinental<\/p>\n

\"Recipe<\/h4>\n

Ingredients<\/h4>\n

100 gms semaiya or <\/em>vermicelli (Semaiya<\/em> packets are easily found in most supermarkets around Dubai)
2 lts full cream milk*
1 cup sugar (use less sugar if you are using sweetened condense milk)
4 cardamom pods, crushed into powder
\u00bc cup cashew nuts, unsalted
\u00bc cup almonds, slivered
\u00bc cup raisins, soaked in water
2 tsp pistachios, for garnishing
4 tsp ghee or <\/em>Indian clarified butter
a drop of mitha attar <\/em>(available in Al Adil supermarkets and spice shops in the Spice Souk in Deira)<\/p>\n

* You may substitute this with low-fat milk. Many prefer to use sweetened condense milk \u2013 in that case you will need much less milk (1 \u00bd lt low-fat milk, \u00bdcup sweetened low-fat condensed milk).<\/p>\n

Method<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n