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This article was first published 11 years ago

Festive Parsi breakfasts: Ravo and Sev Dahi

August 16, 2013 17:26 IST

Image: Ravo

With the Parsi community celebrating their Pateti and New Year over this weekend, Coomi Selod provides two popular traditional recipes for a special breakfast.

Ravo (a sweet semolina pudding)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup thick rava (semolina)
  • 1/2 cup ghee
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 cups milk
  • Almonds, pistachios, cashews and raisins
  • 3-4 drops vanilla essence

Method:

  • Wash and blanch the almonds, pistachios and cashews; remove skin and cut into slivers.
  • Soak washed raisins in water till they swell. Remove stalks, if any.
  • Roast the rava in the ghee.
  • Add sugar and blend by stirring.  Take off the flame and let it cool.
  • In a bowl beat eggs. and pour in cool milk.
  • When rava has cooled, slowly blend the milk mixture into it.
  • On a low flame, keep stirring slowly till it thickens and leaves the sides of the vessel.
  • Add vanilla essence and stir in, then add raisins and dried fruit (leave some fruit for garnishing).
  • If the rava is still raw, add more milk and continue stirring till thick and cooked.
  • Serve warm, in small bowls and sprinkle dried fruit on top.

And for those who prefer an eggless version:

Ingredients:

  • 1 litre milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp rava (semolina)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp rose essence or 1 tbsp rose water
  • 1 tbsp blanched and sliced almonds
  • 1 tbsp raisins
  • Some rose petals
  • 1 tsp nutmeg, grated
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 4 cardamom pods powdered (remove the skins)

Method:

  • Fry nuts and raisins in a little butter.
  • Boil milk, sugar and semolina, and stir on a low flame for 20 minutes.
  • Mix in butter and nuts (not raisins), reserving a few for garnishing.
  • Remove from fire and add essences and raisins.
  • Pour into several small glass bowls or just one big bowl while piping hot.
  • Sprinkle nutmeg and cardamom powder on top.
  • Garnish with remaining nuts and rose petals.
  • Can be served hot or icy cold.

Festive Parsi breakfasts: Ravo and Sev Dahi

Image: Sev Dahi

Sev Dahi (fried vermicelli and sweet curd)

Ingredients:

  • 200 gm sev/fine vermicelli (Elephant brand is a good choice)
  • 6 tbsp melted butter/ghee
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp rose water
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 tbsp chironji nuts
  • 1 tbsp almonds, blanched and sliced
  • 1 1/2 tsp powdered cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp raisins soaked in water

Method:

  • Break vermicelli into approximately one-inch pieces.
  • Heat butter. Fry vermicelli till golden brown (do not brown too much).
  • Add the sugar to 1 1/2 cups of water.  Add to the vermicelli, cover pan and lower flame.
  • After 5 minutes, uncover and check if sev is cooked with a fork -- do not stir or it will become mushy. If undone, replace lid and simmer gently for five minutes more. Then remove from flame.
  • Sprinkle with nutmeg, essences and nuts.
  • Serve hot for breakfast with sweet curd or hard-boiled eggs on special occasions.