Sheer korma is a traditional dessert of milk, nuts, and vermicelli that is served on the morning of Eid in many households in the Indian subcontinent. It is best served warm, but you can also serve it chilled.
The dates give this dessert a beautiful caramel-like flavor. For many, this sweet, warming, milky dessert—which in our house was usually served in delicate bone china cups—was the first breakfast after 30 days of fasting over Ramadan. I have often wondered if the boiling of dried dates was a way to use up dates that the family had left over from the stock they would have kept for the ritual breaking of the fast with a date during Ramadan.
You will need to boil the dates the night before you make this. If you cannot find chuwara, look for dried dates that are not plump or glistening. Ideally, you want a date that looks dehydrated. Seviyan is a wheat vermicelli that is usually roasted, ready to use in desserts; look for it in South Asian grocery stores.
This recipe was excerpted from 'Ammu' by Asma Khan. Buy the full book on Amazon. This book was selected as one of the best cookbooks of 2022.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
The day before making the sheer korma, put the dried dates in a saucepan with 1 cup (240 ml) of the milk, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 20 minutes. Leave to cool, then chill.
Step 2
If you haven’t got roasted seviyan you will need to dry roast the vermicelli over low heat until it starts to darken.
Step 3
Cut the almonds (and pistachios, if using whole ones) into slivers. If including coconut, chop the flesh into ½-in (1.5 cm) cubes. Break the vermicelli into small pieces.
Step 4
Put the remaining milk in a pan, add the soaked dates and their milk, and bring to a boil.
Step 5
Meanwhile, heat half the ghee or butter in a frying pan over medium–high heat and flash-fry the vermicelli with the cloves and cardamoms, then add to the boiling milk. Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Take the pan off the heat and discard the cloves and cardamoms.
Step 6
In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining ghee and quickly fry the almonds, pistachios, coconut, cashews, and raisins until the nuts darken—you do not want to burn them.
Step 7
Add the mixture to the vermicelli, reserving a little to sprinkle on top if you like. Serve the milky vermicelli warm or chilled in individual glass dishes.
Recipe notes
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