Sawine
Trinidad Sawine Recipe
Sawine - one of the most loved Eid desserts on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. It is rich, sweet, and creamy, and is the most luscious dessert you'll ever have. It is made with toasted vermicelli, thick and creamy milks, and the perfect spices; all these together make a delectable dessert/drink that you can share with your loved ones on the most special day!
I've been eating sawine ever since I can remember, and I can never grow tired of it! I look forward to it every single Eid (but I also make it whenever I crave it throughout the year). It is creamy, satisfying, cozy, and comforting - simply the best!
And the best part about this milky dessert is that it is seriously so simple and so quick to make! It requires the most simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have. It is also fully customizable and you can make it to your or your family's liking. You can also easily veganize this recipe! So, it's pretty much a Trinidad sawine recipe for everyone!
Ingredients Needed
This Trinidad sawine recipe requires simple ingredients and you might already have most of them! You can also make switches here and there, which you think might be good!
Vermicelli: this is a type of pasta that is long and thin and works beautifully in this sawine recipe.
Unsalted butter: used to parch the vermicelli and adds a nice subtle flavour.
Water: used to cook the vermicelli until tender and helps create a base.
Cinnamon sticks + cloves: these spices spice the sawine to perfection.
Whole milk: used as the bulk of the creamy liquid. It adds richness and creaminess to the sawine.
Evaporated milk: this milk also adds richness and creaminess to the sawine. It also helps to thicken up the sawine a bit.
Heavy cream: this ingredient isn't traditional in sawine, but I find it adds a beautiful richness, creaminess, and just makes this sawine so decadent.
Condensed milk: not only does condensed milk add creaminess, but also is the sweetener in this recipe.
Vanilla extract: adds subtle flavour but it's not an absolute must.
How to Make Sawine
The process to make this Trinidad sawine is pretty straight-forward. Follow these simple instructions for the most delectable dessert made in less than 30 minutes!
In a heavy bottom pot over medium-low heat, add the unsalted butter and allow it to melt. Add the broken vermicelli pieces to the butter and stir well to coat. Continue to stir occasionally, allowing the vermicelli to become parched or toasted. It should become golden brown. Or you can toast it to your desired colour. This will take anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. Remember to stir frequently so the vermicelli does not burn.
Add the hot water and spices to the vermicelli. Stir and increase the heat to medium high. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and allow to simmer until the vermicelli becomes tender, about 5-8 minutes. Make sure that you don't overboil it, otherwise it will become soft and mushy.
Next, add the whole milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Stir well. Allow the milk to heat through, which will take a few minutes. Give it a stir every now and then.
Next, add sweetened condensed milk to your preference. Start with 1/4 to 1/2 cup, taste, and add more if necessary. Mix well and continue to cook for a few more minutes, until the sawine becomes thick and creamy. Serve immediately with your favourite toppings. You can mix in the toppings into the pot of sawine, or you can sprinkle them over individual servings. Enjoy!
Tips for the Most Delicious Sawine
Use your favourite spices: cinnamon and cloves are used to spice this delicious creamy dessert, but feel free to use your favourite spices. You can really change it up to fit your taste. Some spices that you can use in this sawine recipe include nutmeg, ginger, star anise, and cardamom.
Use your favourite toppings: there are an endless amount of toppings that you can use in your sawine. I personally like mine really simple, so pistachios are enough for me. However, you can use things like maraschino cherries, raisins, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, crushed pistachios, and more.
Use a heavy bottom pot: this is important because heavy bottom pots help distribute the heat evenly. This is helpful when cooking milky recipes to prevent scorching or burning.
Use ghee to parch the vermicelli: this can give the overall dessert a richer and deeper flavour profile.
Storage
You can store sawine in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop and add some milk to thin it out a bit, as it will have have thickened up quite a bit in the fridge.
I have never frozen sawine, so I'm not sure if it would be okay to do that. I have yet to test it out!
Frequently Asked Questions
There are many options available to make this recipe vegan. For the whole milk, you can use any nut milk instead. For the evaporated milk, you can use a can of coconut milk instead. For the heavy cream, you can just omit it and add any other milk to take its place. For the condensed milk, there are many vegan options available! Lastly, for the butter, you can use any vegan butter, or just use an oil, like coconut oil.
Yes, this sawine stays good in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. You can also just make it a few hours ahead of time. The sawine does thicken up as it cools, so you may need to add some milk to thin it out.
Yes! You can eat sawine hot, cold, or even room temperature.
Here are some other delicious desserts that you will love! Qatayef Asafiri, Carrot Cake Loaf, Lemon Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes, Banana Pumpkin Muffins
A sweet, creamy drink made with vermicelli, milk, and spices, making a deliciously simple Eid dessert.
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 200 g vermicelli, broken up into 1 inch pieces (approx. 2 cups)
- 2 cups hot water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 cloves
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 can (354 mL) evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- sweetened condensed milk (to taste)
- maraschino cherries
- raisins
- sliced almonds
- chopped pistachios
In a heavy bottom pot, melt the unsalted butter over medium-low heat.
Add the vermicelli to the melted butter and mix until coated.
Continue to mix occasionally, allowing the vermicelli to become parched, or toasted. Keep mixing until the vermicelli pieces become golden brown or to your desired colour. Just be sure to mix every now and then so it doesn't burn. This process should take about 5-10 minutes.
Once the vermicelli pieces have turned golden brown, add the hot water and the spices. Increase the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce to low, and simmer until the vermicelli pieces are tender, about 5-8 minutes. They should be tender, but not soft and mushy.
Add the whole milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract. Stir well. Allow the milk to become heated through. This will take a few minutes.
Add the sweetened condensed milk to your taste. I suggest starting with about 1/4-1/2 of the can, then add more if needed, to your desired sweetness. Stir in well.
Continue to stir for a few more minutes, until the milk has thickened up a bit and becomes creamy. If you find that it hasn't thickened up too much, don't worry. The sawine will naturally thicken up anyway, once you take it off the heat.
At this point, you can stir in your optional additions, as much or as little as you'd like. Or, you can top the individual cups with the additions.
Serve immediately and enjoy!