Vermicelli cake, called vam-a-zelli, in Guyanese patois, is a dessert or snack made from vermicelli noodles that is simmered in milk and flavored with warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and clove. After the noodles are cooked and the mixture has a pudding like consistency, it is poured into a dish and left to set, then cut into small pieces. I love making vamazelli during holiday times, but it is also delicious as an anytime dish.
Trinidadians make a version known as sawine and differs from vamazelli cake at the point when you end the cooking process. For sawine, once the noodles are cooked and the milk is just a little thick it's removed from the heat and spooned into a bowl to enjoy. To make vamazelli cake, you'll continue to boil the mixture until it has thickened and reduced down to a pudding-like texture then poured into a dish to firm up.
Making vamazelli for special occasions
My mom made vamazelli during Hindu holidays and any special occasion in our home, it was truly a treat. During the Muslim holiday of Eid, the loose or soupy version is commonly made and enjoyed for breakfast or dessert. My South Indian friend Anjy who is from Kerala notes this dish is called paysum and is very similar to sawine; in Pakistan it is known as seviyan. It is interesting to learn how other cultures enjoy similar dishes, it shows how food can really bring us together and find commonality.
I called my mom for this recipe and naturally, she gave me a recipe that indicated a dash of this and a pinch of that along with 2 pot spoons of sugar. I said mom, "no one measures sugar that way" haha! It turns out that her pot spoon is equal to about a half cup, ha!
When the mixture becomes thick (about 15-20 minutes) and heavily coats the back of the spoon, turn off the heat. You can add some condensed milk here if desired. Remove from heat and pour into a dish.
The dish I'm using is 2 inches deep and my vermicelli came up 1 ½ inches. It was nice and thick.
Vermicelli Cake
Vamazelli (vermicelli) Cake
Vamazelli cake is a noodle dish made by simmering vermicelli in milk flavored with warm spices and sugar. It is enjoyed for breakfast on Hindu and Muslim holidays.
Ingredients
- 200g vermicelli noodles (about 2 cups)
- 14 maraschino cherries, roughly chopped
- desired amount of currants (I used ¼ cup)
- 4 tbsp salted butter (½ stick)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond essence
- 1 12oz can evaporated milk
- 3 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup water (not pictured above)
- ¼ cup condensed milk (if desired)
Instructions
- Melt butter in a deep pot on low heat. Add vermicelli noodles and toast it until some of the noodles become brown, about 3-4 minutes. This will happen fast so do not walk away from the stove.
- Once some of the noodles are brown, add the water, whole milk, extracts, and spices.
- Keeping the stove on low heat, let the noodles simmer in the milk until it starts to soften up, add the evaporated milk then add cherries and currants. Boil for about 15 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. If it has not reached this stage as yet, just wait until it dries down and starts to look like a really thick pudding.
- When the mixture coats the back of a spoon thickly without dripping, then add condensed milk (if using) at this time. Stir to mix, then remove from heat and pour into a dish.
- Let this sit out for a couple hours to firm up, or you can put it into the refrigerator to firm up faster. Cut and enjoy.
For Sawine:
- After step 3 when you add the evaporated milk to the noodles, boil 10-12 minutes or until noodles are completely cooked. Remove from heat before it starts to get very thick.
Notes
For added flavor, you can add a few cloves and cardamom pods to mixture while it is boiling. ¼ tsp ground clove and cardamom can work in place of whole spices.
Nisrine|Dinners and Dreams
Pretty cool dessert. I thought it was a savory dish at first.
Nanette
Very interesting. Have heard of this cake but never saw a recipe for it. Thanks for something different. N
cucinananette.blogspot.com
Nanette
What size can of evaporated milk? N
cucinananette.blogspot.com
Ms. Gourmet Express
Hi Nanette,
Thanks for visiting! I used a 12oz can of evaporated milk. I will indicate that in the recipe.
Also Nisrine, I checked out your blog, it is so beautiful! Thank you also for visiting 🙂
Alica
ShivaShakthi Asuri
wow nice cake Alica. Yes we have sweet soupy dish called payasam/payasum, and the one with vermicili is called semiya payasam/vermicili payasam. This is a very nice varaition of the dish. take care.
guavapineapple
This looks great! I tried making it myself around Christmas time and failed miserably.
GT Girl Ramblings
I'm inspired. I will make this for my husband tonight. He cannot envision, as he calls it 'sweet pasta'. I'll show him sweet pasta!
Ms. Gourmet Express
Awesome! I hope he likes it! lol "sweet pasta" is funny tho!
Anonymous
Hi, I was looking online for Vermicelli cake recipes and stumbled upon your site. Your recipes look SO GOOD!! I am going to try a few of them (bake/saltfish, scalloped potatoes, custard block). Your website is inspiring! Thank you.
Anonymous
I made this and it was delicious!! Thank u so much for the recipe. Keep them coming.
Sarah
I stumbled upon this post today while working on a newspaper story. Great recipe! I also shared this on my food blog: sarahinthekitchen.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/sawine-cake-recipe-for-ramadan
Gouda
My parents used to say "vam-a-zell-i" and I had no idea that they were saying "vermicelli". Was that just me?
Alica
Hi Gouda,
No, you are correct, my parents used to say vamazelli as well haha! The correct name for this type of noodle is vermicelli though.
Kay
Hi Alica,that would be the Guyanese dialect...lol
Preya Samuel
Hi, made it tonight and it taste amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
Vim
Lovely reminds me of my mom's. Here in South India vermicelli is called sevia/seviyan and the sweet dish made is called payasam, in north it is known as kheer. Also a salt dish is made from this in south called upma.
Vim
Lovely same as my mom's. Here in South India vermicelli is called sevia/seviyan the liguid sweet dish made is called payasam same as kheer which Is what it is called in North India and pudding in English. South also make a salt dish from sevia called upma.
Natalia
Hi Alicia,
I made this for my parents using your recipe and it tasted just like my mums. Amazing! They loved it.
Thank you for your blog. It's much needed. Especially when your parents cook without measurements so you have no idea how much to throw in the pot
Kevin
Hi Alicia,
I am from guyana and when i want a recipe for anything I always visit your site. I love this recipe it came out wonderfully thanks a lot.
Alica
Hi Kevin,
That's wonderful to hear! Thanks for trying the recipe ?.