Sheer Khurma

Make authentic Eid Sheer Khurma with basic ingredients in just 25 minutes with the same traditional indulgent taste. I've been making sheer khurma for 15 years and I bet this recipe is the best; rich, creamy, and perfected. And yes, in this post you find Pro-tips to make your best Pakistani sheer khurma with ingredients in the pantry and variations.

Why this recipe is best?

• I must say, I love Pakistani Sheer Khurma and every version of it, whether milky thin and hot ( with slow-cooked milk) or creamy rich, and cold. I could never say "No" to it! So it was difficult for me to develop this recipe.
• As when I make sheer khurma, I often ask my guest how they like it, especially cold or hot. With loads of nuts and dates or just plain similar to seviyan.
• Because best is subjective, I've shared a few variations and tips in the post so can create your best version which is often what you grow up eating on eid.
• Hot Sheer khurma is better served in thin consistency while thick consistency is more apt for serving cold.

Eid-ul-Fitr Dessert

Sheer Khurma originates in Persia and travels to Asia through the ancient Silk route of trade. The same route that brought Islam to Asia.

Ingredients

The main ingredients are milk, thin vermicelli, and sugar. All other ingredients can be substituted or skipped. With time, many regional variations helped evolve a delicate and rich taste.

• Milk: Full fat works best, you can also add milk powder to the milk if you like "karha howa doodh taste." I love it!
• Vermicelli: These are thin wheat flour vermicelli that is very fine and needle-like. They are often marked as roasted vermicelli. Look at the vermicelli image clearly. I prefer Pakistani brands like Shan, National, Laziza, or Malka. Ahmed is easily available on Amazon. Try to find these in any Indian store.
• Sugar: Start with less sugar, you can always add more later.
• Dried Dates: These are not soft dates. These are shriveled dates that are hard and sun-dried dates also called "chuara" or "Kharik". You need to soak these overnight. When they become soft after absorbing water. Then you can de-seed and slice them.
• This ingredient differentiates Sheer Khurma from seviyan, so even if you do not like it, add at least 2 dates for flavor. Try to look for it in Indian stores they are easily available around Ramadan and Eid. If you can't find it add 1 Medjool date for flavor. And you always skip it too.
• Spices: To enhance the aroma and flavors; saffron, cardamom, or rosewater is added. I love the background subtle flavor of saffron. So add it if you have it.
• Nuts: Nuts like pistachio, and almonds are commonly added. Soaked raisins are optional.
• Ghee or butter: To fry vermicelli, you need to add little ghee or butter. I like the taste of butter but ghee is traditionally added. Actually, you can dry roast vermicelli without ghee too but then it doesn't taste as nutty.

How to make it?

If you want the straightaway recipe, have look at the visuals and jump to the recipe card for precise cooking instructions. Below I have provided tips and how and where you can add other ingredients to the recipe like condensed milk, and milk powder.

1. Take milk, sugar, saffron, cardamom powder, and sugar in a stainless steel pot. Bring it to a boil and then simmer on low flame. (Total cooking time of milk will be 20-25 minutes.) If you are skipping cream in the end, you may add some milk powder or condensed milk at this stage.
2. Soaked dried dates overnight in water. In the morning de-seed it and slice it. Also, soak raisins.
3. Fry sliced dates for 5 minutes until soft.
4. Dried dates aka kharak are soft.

5. Fry mixed nuts in 1 tablespoon butter until crisp for about 40 seconds.
6. While milk simmer, crush vermicelli or seviyan. Take butter and vermicelli in a pan and fry for 1 minute on medium flame until fragrant. This will burn quickly so keep stirring.
7. Vermicelli is golden.
8. Add fried vermicelli to a simmering milk pot and continue to cook. Seviyaan kheer or Indian sweet vermicelli is ready.

9. From here when you add other ingredients, it turns into sheer khurma or sheer qorma. Add most of it to milk and save some for garnish. Add nuts and sliced dates to the milk pot.
10. Continue to simmer until thickened to desired consistency. (Remember, it will thicken further upon cooling.) Add raisins in the last.
11. Do a taste test and adjust sweetness as needed by adding sugar. Add cream, this step is optional as the dessert is already rich. After adding cream the sheer khurma gets a thick fluffy texture. (My Mil would always add cream but I was averted to add it in the recipe as it is less traditional way. But it tastes great.)
12. If it is too thick, you can add extra milk to make it thinner. Garnish and enjoy hot or cold.

Variations

• Warm or cold: You can enjoy it warm or cold. Traditionally, it is served warm.
• The Rich factor!: Traditionally long-simmering gives the sheer khurma rich and creamy and somewhat nutty flavor. To reduce the cooking time, some people add milk powder or evaporated milk; or condensed milk instead of sugar. To make it creamier, you can add fresh cream.
• I've tried all the above variations over the years and I feel the below method gives the most authentic and rich flavor. However, every household has its own style so don't hesitate to try variations.
• A few other regional ingredients that go in the end with cream and that are not so Pakistani and more Indian family favorites are shredded coconut, chironji, and rose water.

Recipe FAQs

More Desi desserts to try.