Sheer Khurma

Ingredients

Base

• 2 litreswhole milk
• 100 gfine seviyan, roasted vermicelli
• 150 gsugar, or to taste
• 3 tbspghee

Dates and nuts

• 12dried dates, chuara, sliced
• 50 galmonds, slivered
• 50 gpistachios, slivered
• 50 gcashews
• 30 gcharoli or melon seeds
• 50 graisins

Aromatics

• 6green cardamom pods, crushed
• a pinch of saffron
• 1 tsprosewater or kewra water

Optional

• 100 gkhoya or condensed milk, for richness
• silver leaf, vark

To serve

• warm on Eid morning, or chilled

Directions

1. Use dried dates, chuara, rather than soft Medjool dates. Dried dates hold their shape and go chewy in the milk, where soft dates dissolve into mush and make the whole thing cloying.
2. Soak the sliced dried dates in warm milk for 20 minutes to soften them slightly. Warm the saffron in a spoonful of milk and set it aside to bloom. Blooming saffron in warm liquid draws the colour and aroma out, and thrown in dry it does very little.
3. Fry each kind separately, because almonds, pistachios and cashews colour at different rates and burn easily. Take them out with a slotted spoon and set them aside, leaving the ghee. Fry the raisins for a few seconds until they puff, then remove them.
4. Fry the seviyan in the remaining ghee over a low heat until it turns a deep golden brown. Roast it properly. Pale vermicelli goes soft and slimy in milk, and well-browned vermicelli holds its shape and tastes nutty.
5. Set the roasted vermicelli aside. Use a heavy-based pan and stir often, because milk catches and scorches on a thin base and the burnt taste ruins the pot. Simmer it for 20 to 25 minutes until it has reduced by about a quarter and thickened slightly. That reduction is what gives sheer khurma its body, and it should not be rushed.
6. Add the cardamom and the bloomed saffron. Now add the roasted vermicelli and cook for only 4 or 5 minutes. Add the seviyan near the end and cook it briefly. It continues softening in the hot milk and it turns to paste if boiled long. Add the sugar, the soaked dates, most of the nuts and the raisins. Add the sugar after the vermicelli, because sugar added early makes milk more likely to catch.
7. Stir in the khoya or condensed milk if using. Simmer another 5 minutes, then take it off the heat and stir in the rosewater. Add the rosewater off the heat, since its aroma boils away immediately. Go carefully with it, because too much makes the whole pot taste of perfume.
8. Let it stand 10 minutes, during which it thickens noticeably. It thickens considerably as it cools, so leave it looser than you want it, and loosen it with hot milk when reheating. Serve it warm in small bowls, scattered with the reserved nuts. It is also served chilled, and both are normal, though warm is the Eid morning tradition.

Technique

• Chuara, dried dates, are sold in South Asian shops and are worth seeking out.
• Roasted seviyan is sold ready-browned, which saves the frying.
• It is traditionally sent to neighbours in bowls that are returned filled with something else.

Substitutions

• Condensed milk in place of khoya, which is easier to find.
• Any dried dates, sliced thinly.

Variations

• Made with khoya for a much richer version.
• Served chilled, which is common in summer Eids.
• The Hyderabadi version, which is thicker and heavier on nuts.

History

Vermicelli and dates in sweetened milk, eaten on Eid morning; the Persian name means milk with dates.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sheer Khurma?

Sheer Khurma is a dessert from Pakistan: eid vermicelli cooked in milk with dates and nuts. Vermicelli and dates in sweetened milk, eaten on Eid morning; the Persian name means milk with dates.

How long does Sheer Khurma take to make?

Sheer Khurma takes 15 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 8 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Sheer Khurma?

Yes, within limits. Condensed milk in place of khoya, which is easier to find. Any dried dates, sliced thinly.

What is the most important thing to get right in Sheer Khurma?

Use dried dates, chuara, rather than soft Medjool dates. Dried dates hold their shape and go chewy in the milk, where soft dates dissolve into mush and make the whole thing cloying.