Sheer Khurma, also known as seviyan is a traditional dessert made with vermicelli, whole milk, sugar, and dried dates (khurma). It is rich and creamy and tastes wonderful with an extra topping of nuts. Serve it on occasions like Eid or those extra-special dinners for family and friends!
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About Sheer Khurma
Sheer Khurma is a popular dessert in India and Pakistan, made especially on Eid-ul-Fitr, a day that marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. And, for sure, I cannot imagine Eid without sheer khurma. Growing up, it was the most anticipated part of the day when everyone would dig into bowls of chilled seviyan and never get enough!
This is an authentic recipe for sheer khurma, one that has been in my family for many generations. I've made just one small change to it in an attempt to make it creamier, a change that works like a charm every time! I have started adding ground rice to the milk, an ingredient that is normally added to kheer, not seviyan. However, the addition of just a very small amount of rice results in a creamy and flavourful dessert, very different from the thin, gruel-like consistency of the sheer khurma that you might have eaten elsewhere, the one that tastes too milky and 'unfinished' somehow. Tell me in the comments section below if you have!
More traditional desserts: Instant pot carrot halwa, sheera (sooji halwa), and shahi tukray.
Ingredients
1. Milk: It's quite essential to use full-fat whole milk for making this recipe since this is one of the factors that makes for a rich and creamy dessert. Avoid going for skimmed or fat-free milk.
2. Rice: An ingredient normally used for kheer, rice really improves the texture and consistency of sheer khurma too. But since we don't want to end up with kheer, we add very little of it, certainly not the same quantity you would use for kheer. Also, the rice is ground very fine, almost to a powder before we add it to the milk. These are the two keys to using rice in this recipe.
3. Ghee: Ghee is used in two prep steps - for roasting the vermicelli and for roasting the dried dates. Both these steps add a depth of flavour to the dish.
4. Vermicelli (Seviyan): There are different varieties of vermicelli available in stores, but what you need is the ultra-fine, prepackaged Indian or Pakistani seviyan that is specifically used for making sheer khurma. It might say 'roasted' on the packet, but as mentioned above, we will be roasting the seviyan anyway in a little ghee for more taste.
5. Whole spices: Yes, whole spices! Green cardamom pods and cloves are sizzled in the hot ghee before you add the vermicelli. This is yet another one of the many flavour building secrets in the making of this dish. You can fish out the whole spices later if you want 'cause chewing on them while eating the sheer is definitely not nice!
6. Saffron (optional): I like adding a bit of saffron for a touch of colour and warmth although you don't have to. Totally your choice.
7. Dried dates (Chuware): Also known as chuware, these are a staple in sheer khurma. You can, of course, make sheer without them, as I have many times, but for the authentic experience, try and get hold of this dry fruit. Available in Indian and Pakistani groceries easily.
8. White sugar: I have not made seviyan with anything other than white granulated sugar as this is what is traditionally used to sweeten this dessert. Do pay attention to the amount used for the perfect sweetness.
9. Chironji or chiraunji: This is a small, round dry fruit used in sheer khurma for its nutty texture. Like the chuware above, it is available in Indian and Pakistani grocery stores, and again, like chuware, it lends authenticity to your sheer khurma.
10. Almonds: To save time, I prefer buying skinless, slivered almonds from the grocery store, but if you have the time, you can soak a handful of raw almonds in a bowl of water for a few hours, then remove the skins and slice them fine. It is easier than it sounds:)
11. Kewra water: An extract of pandanus flowers, this is another ingredient you can easily find online or in South Asian groceries. This extract is highly fragrant and adds a pleasing aroma to the sheer; just a little goes a long way.
Preparation
1. Put the rice in a spice grinder and grind it to a fine powder. Add a few tablespoons of cold milk to it and set it aside. This is your rice powder mixture.
2. Add the ghee to a skillet and heat it until it melts. Add the whole spices (cardamom and cloves) and allow them to sizzle for a few seconds. Then add the broken vermicelli and use a large spoon to toss it in the ghee, making sure it is coated from all sides. The vermicelli strands will start to change colour in a couple of minutes and turn crisp and darkish. Remove the vermicelli and spices from the skillet and set aside.
Note: The vermicelli comes in long strands, so break it with your hands before roasting it in ghee. The strands are brittle, and they break easily.
Preparing the dried dates (khurma)
1. Soak the dried dates in a bowl of water for 2-3 hours or until soft and plump. Don't add a lot of water, just enough to cover the dates. Then cut into small bits, using a sharp knife.
Tip: Do not throw the water in which you soaked the dates. It is rich in the sugars from the dates. Reserve this water and add it to the milk along with the fried dates.
2. Heat a teaspoon of ghee in a small frypan and fry the dates until slightly crisp. Keep aside.
3. You will add these fried dates to the milk later while cooking it.
Cooking
1. Pour the milk in a large saucepan. Give the rice powder mixture (step #1 of preparation) a good stir and add it to the milk, making sure to stir the milk as well so that the rice mixture gets evenly distributed in the milk. Add the saffron too, if using.
2. Cook the milk on medium heat for about 10 minutes until it comes to a boil, stirring all the time to prevent the rice in it from clumping. Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.
3. Now add the vermicelli along with the roasted whole spices, chironji, slivered almonds, fried dates (khurma) and the water in which they were soaked. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Note: Reserve a few date bits and nuts for garnishing later.
4. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Cook for 5 minutes more. The milk will be slightly thickened and creamy at this point.
5. Finally, add the kewra water, give the mixture a good stir, and turn off the heat. Allow the sheer khurma to cool down completely. Note that it will become thicker as it cools down. Spoon it out in a dish and garnish with slivered almonds, more chironji and dried dates.
Top Tips
1. The consistency of chilled sheer khurma is slightly thick but of easy pouring consistency. It should not be so thin and runny that the seviyan appear to be floating separately in the milk. But neither should it be so thick that it sets into a pudding.
2. The key to getting the right consistency is to cook the milk until it is slightly thickened and creamy but not overly so. To achieve this, take the milk mixture off the heat just as you see it start to thicken. It should be more runny than you would like it to be in its final chilled state. The reason is that the mixture will continue to thicken as it cools on the countertop and even in the fridge!
Point to note: Sheer, when completely chilled, should NOT turn sludgy.
3. Do not skip the ingredients and details in the steps mentioned for a rich, flavourful result.
Serving Suggestion
Sheer Khurma can be had warm, but typically it is served cold and tastes best when cold. Keep the bowl of sheer in the refrigerator for a few hours and serve when thoroughly chilled.
If the sheer does thicken more than you would like to after a day or two in the fridge, pour it into a saucepan and add a little milk to it. Cook it for 3-4 minutes until runny again.
📖 Recipe
Sheer Khurma (Seviyan)
Equipment
- Small frypan
- Large saucepan
Ingredients
- 8 cups milk whole, full-fat
- 2 tablespoon rice
- ⅛ teaspoon saffron optional
- 5 dried dates chuware
- 2 teaspoon ghee divided
- 4 cloves
- 4 green cardamom
- 2.1 oz vermicelli Indian or Pakistani seviyan, broken into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon chironji
- 2 tsp slivered almonds
- 2 cups white sugar 382 g, granulated
- 1 teaspoon kewra water
Instructions
Preparation
- Put the rice in a spice grinder and grind it to a fine powder. Add a few tablespoons of cold milk to it and set it aside. This is your rice powder mixture.
- Add 1 teaspoon ghee to a skillet and heat it until it melts. Add the whole spices (cardamom and cloves) and allow them to sizzle for a few seconds. Then add the broken vermicelli and use a large spoon to toss it in the ghee, making sure it is coated from all sides. The vermicelli strands will start to change colour in a couple of minutes and turn crisp and darkish. Remove the vermicelli and spices from the skillet and set aside.
- Soak the dried dates in a bowl of water for 2-3 hours or until soft and plump. Don't add a lot of water, just enough to cover the dates. Then cut into small bits, using a sharp knife.Do not throw the water in which you soaked the dates. Add it to the milk along with the fried dates.
- Heat a teaspoon of ghee in a small frypan and fry the dates until slightly crisp. Keep aside.
Cooking
- Pour the milk in a large saucepan. Give the rice powder mixture (step #1 of preparation) a good stir and add it to the milk, making sure to stir the milk as well so that the rice mixture gets evenly distributed in the milk. Add the saffron too, if using.
- Cook the milk on medium heat for about 10 minutes until it comes to a boil, stirring all the time to prevent the rice in it from clumping. Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.
- Now add the vermicelli along with the roasted whole spices, chironji, slivered almonds, fried dates (khurma) and the water in which they were soaked. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.Reserve a few date bits and nuts for garnishing later.
- Add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Cook for 5 minutes more. The milk will be slightly thickened and creamy at this point.
- Finally, add the kewra water, give the mixture a good stir, and turn off the heat. Allow the sheer khurma to cool down completely. Note that it will become thicker as it cools down. Spoon it out in a dish and garnish with slivered almonds, more chironji and dried dates. Keep the dish in the fridge for a few hours. Serve when chilled.
Notes
- The consistency of chilled sheer khurma is slightly thick but of easy pouring consistency. It should not be so thin and runny that the seviyan appear to be floating separately in the milk. But neither should it be so thick that it sets into a pudding.
- The key to getting the right consistency is to cook the milk until it is slightly thickened and creamy but not overly so. To achieve this, take the milk mixture off the heat just as you see it start to thicken. It should be more runny than you would like it to be in its final chilled state. The reason is that the mixture will continue to thicken as it cools on the countertop and even in the fridge!
Fiona says
Saima, THANK YOU!!
I’m so happy to have this recipe. I love all your recipes, they’re not too complicated with lists of ingredients that are hard to find, and every single recipe that I’ve tried from your Blog, has turned out perfectly.
With my kindest regards, and a huge thank you.
Saima says
Thank you, Fiona, for your vote of confidence! I truly am humbled and grateful for your support.