By Kimberly Ramkhalawan
May 14, 2021
This dessert is commonly shared among Muslims after they have broken their month long fast of Ramadan.
Using a fine rice noodle, vermicelli, it is parched along with slivered almonds and chopped peanuts until the strands are golden brown.
This is added to a spicy, sweetened milky mixture to boil and then topped with fruits and nuts such as maraschino cherries, golden raisins and chopped almonds.
Vermicelli was brought to the Caribbean by the Indian Indentured labourers and has since become part of a lifelong tradition to share a bowl of the milky pudding on the day of celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr.
One typical spice dominant is cardamom, and both the pods sliced open along with the ground powder is used. A spice sachet is used with several pods of cardamom and cloves are tied in, while bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks are added to ensure a rich aromatic flavour sure to bring warmth to your tummy. This milk mixture is made to bubble thoroughly before adding the vermicelli pieces, and in Indian terms is called a Phaag, pronounced (Pah-haag).
Now my family is not a purist of nature to this recipe, as over the years my mom has included some dollops of peanut butter to the mixture. She believes this makes it creamy, while this actual practice and tradition was passed on from my dad’s friend’s wife, who were also Muslims.
INGREDIENTS
1 medium sized packet of plain vermicelli
10 pods of cardamom sliced open
10 cloves
2 knobs of ginger, peeled and grated
2 sticks of cinnamon
3-4 bay leaves torn in half
2 tbsps of ground cardamom
1&1/2 ground cinnamon
3 pkts of evapourated milk (325ml each)
6 cups of water
½ tin condensed milk
¾ cup sugar (or to your liking)
METHOD
In a large boiling pot, place on heat adding the contents of the vermicelli and the slivered almonds and parch until colour has become golden brown. Remove from heat and empty into a separate bowl.
In the same pot, add water and milks to boil, along with spice sachet, bay leaves, ginger, cinnamon sticks and other spices and sugar. Allow to come to a boil and allow to bubble for 10 minutes. After you can add vermicelli along with nuts. Leave to boil until tender.
Serve in a bowl or cup topped with raisins, cherries and chopped nuts.
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