Sawine is one of those things that trigger very vivid memories of growing up. It is a traditional dish from my childhood as I was born into Islam and raised in a Muslim household . Every year without fail we would wake up to the smell of parched vermicelli and spices steeping in milk filling the entire house as my mother would be preparing this dish for us for breakfast before we went to mosque. Sawine is traditionally made with dairy but I opted to use almond milk instead. That tweak aside, the rest of this sawine recipe is pretty close to what mother’s original recipe.
Sawine is our local version to the Cape Malay dish called Boeber which is a “sweet, milk drink, made with vermicelli, sago, sugar, and flavoured with cardamom, stick cinnamon, and rose water. The drink is traditionally served on the 15th night of Ramadan to celebrate the middle of the fast, for those who have completed the first 15 days of fasting.” – Wikipedia
Sawine
Sawine Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups almond milk
- 2 cups vermicelli
- 1/4 cup maraschino cherries sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped almonds
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 5 cardamon pods crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 grains whole clove
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp salt
Method
- Add milk, spices and salt to a pot on medium heat then cook for 12 to 15 minutes
- Add vermicelli to a pan and toast on medium/low heat until parched
- Add parched vermicelli to the milk while still hot
- Add maraschino cherries then sweeten to taste with sugar
- Cook vermicelli in milk for 6 to 8 minutes
- Top with chopped almonds and pecans
- Serve warm or cold and enjoy
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