Sawine Trinidad Vermicelli Dessert (dairy-free, coconut)
Sawine is a rich & creamy dessert made with vermicelli noodles, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, milk and dried fruit that is most often served for special occasions.
Sawine is most often made milk, evaporated milk and condensed milk. I’ve made some changes to the sawine recipe to reduce the dairy or make it dairy-free by substituting full-fat coconut milk, and changed the sweetener to something I usually have on hand at home: brown sugar.
In Trinidad, this dessert is often served around Diwali and Eid, and while I grew up in Toronto (Canada) this is one of the many recipes that my Trinidadian family made for special occasions. I looked forward to it every Diwali!
Why did I adjust the recipe?
Sawine is delicious as it is: milky, a bit sweet and fragrant with cardamom and cinnamon. I made some tweaks to the recipe to suit my preferences, most notably reducing or eliminating the dairy altogether. I am not allergic to dairy but too much makes my stomach hurt.
I switched out the condensed milk and used brown sugar in this dessert recipe for convenience, as I don’t often have condensed milk at home but brown sugar is a pantry staple.
Sawine Ingredients and Variations
The basic ingredients for this sawine recipe are:
- vermicelli (fine noodles)
- full-fat coconut milk – this replaces both the milk and evaporated milk
- ghee or coconut oil – if you want to be sure that your sawine is completely dairy-free then you can use coconut oil
- brown sugar – this replaces the condensed milk, but keep in mind that brown sugar changes the colour of the final dish and gives it a bit of a tan tinge
- cinnamon stick – if you prefer to use ground cinnamon that would work as well
- cardamom pod, cracked open and the seeds inside crushed
- vanilla extract
- freshly grated nutmeg – ground nutmeg would work if that’s all you have on hand
- currants – this replaces raisins that are most often used in the dessert
Some optional ingredients are:
- toasted slivered almonds – almonds add some texture to the otherwise soft and creamy dish, toasting brings out a depth of flavour
- dried fruit – any dried fruit would work but raisins are most often used
- maraschino cherries – these cherries can be chopped and stirred through to add some colour, flavour and extra sweetness
- if you want a slightly different flavour try using almond extract
Things to consider
As the sawine cools, the noodles will continue to absorb the liquid and the end dish will be quite thick and more like a porridge consistency rather than a soup. If you prefer a runnier or more soupy dessert you can reduce the amount of vermicelli used.
This dairy-free version of sawine tastes like coconut, so if you don’t like the taste of coconut then this is not the right substitution for you. You could try another dairy-free option such as almond milk or oat milk. I have not tried either option and cannot comment on how well they work.
How to serve
Sawine can be served warm or cold. Whether you use dairy or a dairy-substitute, sawine is quite rich and a small portion goes a long way! I like to add the toasted almonds to the top so that they retain the crunchy texture.
Sawine (with coconut milk)
Equipment
- 1 Sauce pan
- 1 Measuring cup Liquid
- 1 Set Measuring Cups Dry
- 1 Set Measuring Spoons
- 1 Cooking Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup vermicelli
- 1 tbsp coconut oil ghee can also be used
- 1.5 cups water
- 1.5 cups coconut milk full-fat
- ¼ cup brown sugar white sugar, coconut sugar or other sweetener can be used
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 pod cardamom cracked open and ground
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- ¼ cup dried currants raisins or cranberries can be used
- ¼ cup slivered almonds toasted
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, melt the fat over medium heat.
- Add in the vermicelli and stir thoroughly to coat with the fat. If needed, break up the vermicelli with your hands.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and continue stirring to toast the vermicelli until it starts to brown.
- Add in the liquids (coconut milk & water) and stir.
- Add in the salt, sugar & spices and bring to a simmer.
- Continue stirring while the mixture is simmering until the vermicelli is al dente. As the sawine cooks the vermicelli will expand absorb liquid.
- Turn the heat off and add in vanilla extract and dried fruit. Stir to combine.
- Remove the cinnamon stick.
- To serve: spoon into bowls and top with toasted slivered almonds.
Notes
- Use any kind of nuts: almonds, pistachios, peanuts
- Try different dried fruits: cranberries, raisins, apricots
