Sheer Khurma

The vermicelli is fried in ghee before any milk goes near it.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (ghee), dairy (whole milk).

Ingredients

• 100 g fine vermicelli
• 60 g ghee
• 1.5 litres whole milk
• 150 g sugar
• 150 g dates, stoned and sliced
• 60 g almonds, pistachios and raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 4 cloves
• a pinch of saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon rose water

Method

1. THE VERMICELLI IS FRIED IN GHEE BEFORE ANY MILK GOES NEAR IT. Its article gives the order as the first step: vermicelli are fried in clarified butter, THEN milk is added and the vermicelli allowed to cook further. That order is the dish. Fried first, the strands go a deep nutty gold, hold their shape through half an hour in milk, and taste toasted. Put in raw, they swell, soften into the milk and turn the whole thing into a pale starchy porridge -- which is the usual way this gets wrong.
2. IT IS FRIED SLOWLY AND WATCHED, BECAUSE IT TURNS IN SECONDS. Fine vermicelli in ghee over a medium-low heat, stirred continuously, three or four minutes. It goes from pale to gold to burnt faster than it looks, and burnt vermicelli flavours the whole pan bitter.
3. THE DATES ARE THE OTHER HALF OF THE NAME AND GO IN LATE. Its article translates the name as milk and dates, and says the sugar and dates are added as the mixture thickens. Sliced, in for the last ten minutes -- long enough to soften and give up their sweetness, short enough to stay as pieces.
4. THE MILK IS ADDED TO THE FRIED STRANDS, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. Poured in off the heat so it does not spit, then brought up.
5. TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES AT A SIMMER, AND NOT STIRRED HARD. The strands are brittle once fried and vigorous stirring breaks them into fragments.
6. THE CONSISTENCY IS A CHOICE AND ITS ARTICLE SAYS SO. It records that in some areas a higher milk-to-vermicelli ratio is preferred for a thinner, drink-like result. So the litre and a half here makes a pourable pudding; cut it to a litre for something you eat with a spoon.
7. THE CLOVES GO IN WHOLE AND COME OUT. Four, with the milk, fished out before serving. its article lists cloves among the additions used in some places and they are easy to overdo.
8. IT IS AN EID BREAKFAST AND IT IS SERVED ALL DAY. Its article has it served on the morning of Eid after the prayer and then to every visitor through the day, which is also why it is made in quantity and reheats without complaint.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes