Sheer Khurma
Ingredients
- 5 cups whole milk
- 4 pods green cardamom – lightly crushed
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1/4 cup almonds – sliced (~19 n/a almonds)
- 1/4 cup cashews – halved
- 1/4 cup pistachios – sliced
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 2 tbsp chironji (charoli) seeds
- 3 1/2 ounces fine vermicelli (seviyan) – broken into short pieces
- 3/4 cup dates – pitted and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp kewra water
Instructions
- 1.
Combine the whole milk and green cardamom pods in a medium saucepan. Bring just to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to a bare simmer.
- 2.
Heat the ghee in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the almonds, cashews, pistachios, golden raisins, and chironji (charoli) seeds; fry, stirring, until lightly golden and fragrant, 2–3 minutes. Lift the mixture out with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.
- 3.
Add the fine vermicelli (seviyan) to the same pot and toast, stirring constantly, until deep golden and aromatic, 2–4 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- 4.
Stir the dates into the simmering milk mixture and cook until they soften and perfume the liquid, 3–5 minutes.
- 5.
Carefully pour the hot milk mixture into the pot. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the strands are tender, 4–6 minutes.
- 6.
Stir in the sugar and continue to simmer until dissolved and the liquid lightly thickens to coat the back of a spoon, 2–4 minutes.
- 7.
Stir in the fried nut mixture and simmer 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the kewra water.
- 8.
Let rest 5 minutes to settle. Serve warm or chill until cold; it will thicken further as it cools.
Sheer khurma is a celebratory milk-and-vermicelli dessert known for its silky body, perfumed aroma, and layered textures. Fine seviyan strands turn tender in rich, reduced milk, while dates lend gentle caramel notes that echo through the pudding. A quick fry of nuts and raisins in ghee adds a toasted bite, creating a balance of creamy, chewy, and crunchy in every spoonful. It can be enjoyed warm for comfort or chilled for a denser, pudding-like treat.
Rooted in Persianate culinary traditions, the name translates to “milk with dates,” reflecting both its flavor and symbolism of abundance. The dish traveled and took firm hold across the Indian subcontinent, where it became inseparable from Eid festivities, especially in Pakistani homes. Over generations, families have adapted it with regional nuts, aromatics, and levels of richness, but the defining pillars—milk, vermicelli, dates, and cardamom—remain constant.