Khana Rozana
Sheer Khurma

Mughlai · India / Pakistan · South Asia

Sheer Khurma

Fine vermicelli simmered in milk with dates and nuts. The Eid morning bowl — sweet, pale, and meant to be shared.

45 min Weeknight Magazine kitchen
Vegetarian

Sheer is milk; khurma is dates. The dish travelled with Persian and Central Asian tables into Delhi, Lucknow, and Hyderabad, and it is what many houses eat before they dress for Eid. It is not a showpiece. It is a large pot, a neighbour’s bowl, a second helping because the first was polite.

Ingredients

6
  • fine roasted vermicelli1 cup
  • whole milk1.5 litres
  • sugar1/3 cup, or to taste
  • dates12, sliced
  • ghee2 tbsp
  • almonds2 tbsp, slivered
  • pistachios2 tbsp, slivered
  • cardamom4 pods
  • saffrona pinch, optional

Method

  1. 1

    Warm ghee. Fry almonds and pistachios until just gold; lift out. In the same ghee, toast vermicelli until a shade darker.

  2. 2

    Pour in the milk, cardamom, and saffron. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring so it does not catch, until the milk is creamy and the vermicelli soft.

  3. 3

    Add sugar and dates. Cook 5 minutes more. The sheer should coat a spoon, not stand in peaks.

  4. 4

    Serve warm, or chilled by afternoon, with the fried nuts on top.

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