I realized I don’t bake very much anymore. I don’t know how this happened. Several nights a week after dinner I scour through my cookbooks and online to find something to bake. I always feel like eating something sweet after dinner and trying to satisfy my sweet tooth with fruit is essentially fruitless (hehe). But after dinner I want quick satisfaction, so I head over to the cupboard and snack on a few chocolate chips.
I want to bake marvelous cakes and pastries. I could look at baking recipes for hours, but when it comes down to the actual execution I’m always hesitant. I think it has something to do with me the fact that me baking always yields a tornado-like scene in my kitchen. I have enough counter space and yet without fail I manage to make a huge mess to cleanup and that leaves me feeling bitter. But of course if my baking project comes out as planned, I guess the tornado-scene is just the collateral damage to an otherwise successful (and delicious!) feat.
Back to my laziness, these vermicelli squares are a godsend for the ultimate lazy sweet satisfaction seeker like myself. It’s an easy recipe with just a handful of ingredients and not too many bowls and most importantly — no flour dust storms in the kitchen. It also looks like you spent hours making it, when in actuality these squares require no effort at all. My sister-in-law makes these and I never saw them before she made them one day. At first I thought they were some sort of baklava, but they’re just Pakistani vermicelli with sweetened condensed milk, cardamom, butter, and nuts. When she told me the recipe, I was shocked that it wasn’t something more complicated. Either way, it’s a win-win situation and those post-dinner sweet cravings will be thoroughly satisfied with these sticky and sweet squares.
Sweet and Sticky Vermicelli Squares (or Diamonds!)
Makes an 8″x 8″ pan
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter (unsalted or salted, doesn’t matter)
1 packet (about 200 grams) of Pakistani or Indian Vermicelli (found in Pakistani or Indian grocery stores)
1 (scant 2 cups) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup milk
2 cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed slightly in a mortar and pestle
pinch of salt
1/2 cup crushed almonds and pistachios, you can add more or less
Method
Grease an 8″ x 8″ baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
Heat a large pot on medium heat and add the butter and allow it to almost get to the brown stage (about 2-3 minutes). Watch the butter closely because you don’t want it to burn. Add in the cardamom seeds. Next, tear the vermicelli into the butter and cardamom and allow the vermicelli to toast a little. Keep stirring until the vermicelli begins to soften. Add in a 1 cup of milk and let the milk evaporate, stirring constantly. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and lower the heat to medium low. Mix in the sweetened condensed mik, until combined and keep stirring occasionally until the vermicelli is soft, but still has a little bit of a bite to it, about 20-30 minutes. Allow the vermicelli to cool for 5 minutes.
Next, transfer the vermicelli to the 8″ x 8″ baking dish and press it down with a spoon, so that it is evenly pressed into the baking dish. Press in the nuts over the vermicelli and leave it at room temperature for an hour or two. Put out the parchment paper and cut the vermicelli into squares or diamonds. Serve at room temperature.
i can totally understand the sweet cravings after meals. My meals feel so incomplete without desserts and fruits always doesnt help. I have had this vermicili sqaures once at an indian buffet place and really liked the taste and texture. Will have to keep them on my todo list
I exactly know what to do with the vermicelli packet staring at me for months.This is such a cool variation than the regular seviyan- which is usually what I make with vermicelli. I prefer to buy small dessert portions to satisfy cravings these days.I have stopped baking altogether just to avoid all the sugar, butter & flour coma that comes with it 🙂
They will satisfy my sweet tooth for sure. I would love to try this recipe. It looks pretty easy and delicious.
I am hopeless at making mithai because I get bored stirring for hours so am so glad to see this recipe is fairly quick and looks fantastic. That means I can spend my time eating (which is really one of my hobbies) 🙂
lovely little squares / diamonds. i love your piccies! now the main question is, *how come i never got to eat these, or did you not want to share ;)?* teeheee
Looks amazing …. and your delightful pictures make the reading experience so real 🙂
The first time I made sheer khurma I totally loved the idea that its such a quick thing and absolutely desi yumness too 🙂
I am going to try these must 🙂 may be this weekend IA
I love the idea of a sweet treat that doesn;t turn my kitchen into a huge mess! These little squares look wonderful!
oh.my.gosh.
This looks totally delish! I’ve never made anything other than the general sheer qurma/ seviyaan with desi vermicelli. This is so different and inviting! I have like 4 packets of seviyaan in my cupboard and I’m sooo excited that there is a new recipe to try it on 😀
Where do you serve all this food and how do free riders like me crash to get our hands on it? 😛
WOW, pretty
These look wonderful! I am a terrible baker, but I try on occasion 🙂
Happy New Year!
Sound delicious! I was lukin 4 sumthin difrent to do wit the vermicilli! I hav to try this!! Easy an inexpensiv!! Thank u for sharin!!!
Looks delicious i have never tried this before…but will do so for sure inshallah..
I also have a cooking website..try it out for great pakistani,indian,desi,recipes.www.momkfun.blogspot.com
This looks yummy. Do u suggest an alternative for condensed milk. Can i go with sugar and milk?
U did not mention any baking temp or time?
you don’t bake this – I mentioned you cook the vermicelli on the stove and then put it into the baking dish and let it dry in the baking dish without using an oven.
Condensed milk adds to the stickiness – maybe if you cook down the milk and sugar, it might get sticky. I think condensed milk would be the best option.