Sheer Khurma: A Symphony of Milk, Dates and Nuts

wellhealthorganic.com Sheer Khurma: Sheer Khurma is a decadent creamy pudding crafted from vermicelli, milk, dates, nuts, dry fruits, sugar, and ghee. In Persian, ‘Sheer’ signifies milk, while ‘khurma’ denotes dates.

Sheer Khurma

• Preparation Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Cuisine: North Indian, International
• Course: Desserts, Sweets
• Diet: Vegetarian
• Difficulty Level: Moderate

Ingredients:

For Roasting Vermicelli:

1. 1 cup vermicelli (seviyan), broken into thin strands – 40 grams

For Roasting Dry Fruits and Nuts:

1. 3 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter)
2. 30 unsalted pistachios, chopped or 20 grams
3. 20 almonds
4. 16 to 18 cashews
5. 2 tablespoons golden raisins
6. 4 large dates or 8 small to medium-sized dates, chopped – about ½ cup chopped dates – 100 grams
7. 2 tablespoons chironji (charoli), optional

Additional Sheer Khurma Ingredients:

1. 1 liter whole milk
2. 4 tablespoons sugar or as required (since dates and raisins add sweetness, adjust sugar accordingly)
3. 1 teaspoon cardamom powder or 4 green cardamoms crushed in a mortar-pestle
4. 1 tablespoon rose water 
5. 15 to 18 saffron strands, optional

Also Read: Gobi Manchurian

Instructions:

Preparation:

1. In a wok, frying pan, or skillet, dry roast the vermicelli until golden, stirring often. Set aside. Optionally, you can roast the vermicelli in ghee.
2. In the same pan, heat ghee and sauté chopped dry fruits, dates, and nuts for 3 to 4 minutes on low heat.

Making Sheer Khurma:

1. Heat milk in a heavy saucepan on medium-low to medium heat until it boils. Stir occasionally.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until milk slightly thickens, stirring often.
3. Add roasted vermicelli and sugar to the milk. Mix well.
4. Simmer on low to medium-low heat until vermicelli softens, about 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Add cardamom powder and saffron strands, if using.
6. Also, add the sautéed dry fruits, nuts, and ghee mixture to the milk.
7. Turn off the heat and mix well. Adjust sugar if needed.
8. Finally, add rose water and stir.
9. Serve hot, warm, or chilled, garnished with saffron strands, rose petals, or slivered nuts.

Scaling & Storage:

1. Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for a couple of days.
2. Sheer Khurma thickens as it cools, so adjust cooking time for preferred consistency.
3. Easily scale up the recipe to feed more people.

Also Read: Lemon Coriander Soup

Notes:

• Use thin, long, and fine whole wheat vermicelli, broken into smaller pieces before roasting.
• Customize nuts and dry fruits according to preference or allergies.
• Choose good quality dates, removing seeds if present. Soak dry dates in water to soften if using.
• Chironji seeds are optional; skip if unavailable.
• Enhance flavor with unsweetened desiccated coconut or grated khoya.
• Adjust sugar or use substitutes like jaggery, palm sugar, or coconut sugar.
• Customize flavorings by omitting saffron or using pandanus water instead of rose water.