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Sheer Khurma

June 4, 2019 by Vaishali Leave a Comment

Eid is around the corner and it always brings back memories of my childhood days.  Naseem Banu, our neighbour would invite my family every year for Eid lunch.   Among the wide variety of dishes served to us, there is one dish that would always stand out is”Sheer Khurma”.

Sheer means “milk” and Khurma means “dates.  It is a popular and must dessert prepared specially during “Eid-Ul-Fitr” and “Eid-Ul-Adha by the Muslim community.  It is served on the morning of Eid day for breakfast after Eid prayers and to others visiting their homes.

Significance of Dates:

History holds that Prophet Mohammed broke his fast with 3 dates and water.  Hence it is regarded as a part of a blessed prophetic diet.  Muslims throughout the world break their fast with dates during Ramadan. Nutritionally, dates are an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, potassium and magnesium.

A 100 gram serving of dates provides the following nutrients :

  • Calories: 277
  • Carbs: 75 grams
  • Fiber: 7 grams
  • Protein: 2 grams
  • Potassium: 20% of the RDI
  • Magnesium: 14% of the RDI

Sheer Khurma is a rich and delicious milk based dessert made using vermicelli, dates, nuts, raisins, sugar and saffron.  Every household has their own version of making this delicious dessert.  This is my humble attempt at recreating this magnificent delicacy.

Points to note before preparing:

  1. Always use full fat milk for making Sheer Khurma (I used 3.8%)
  2. Use fine vermicelli (see picture)
  3. Dried fruits must be soaked overnight
  4. Add saffron and kewra essence
  5. Dried dates are generally used in this recipe.  If using, soak them along with the nuts.  I have used regular dates hence did not soak them.

Ingredients:

4 cups milk

1 cup vermicelli, broken

1/2 cup condensed milk

3 tbsp ghee

1/4 cup pistachios

1/4 cup almonds

1/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup dates*

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 tsp cardamom, powdered

Pinch of Saffron

1 tsp Kewra essence*

Rose petals (garnishing)

Method:

Soak the pistachios, almonds and cashews overnight in water.  Next day, drain and rinse the nuts.  Peel the skin of the pistachios, almonds and cashews and slice the nuts lengthwise.  Deseed the dates and chop them lengthwise as well.

Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan.  When the ghee is hot, add the nuts and toast them till they turn light brown.  Remove and set aside.  Reserve some nuts for garnishing.

Next toast the raisins till they plump up.  Remove and set aside.

In the same pan, toast the dates and fry for a few seconds until it leaves a good aroma. Remove and set this aside.

Finally, toast the vermicelli till it is golden brown.

Pour milk in a medium heavy bottom saucepan.  Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the milk starts to thicken.  Stir often so that the milk does not burn at the bottom.

Once the milk starts to thicken, add the vermicelli.  Reduce the flame and continue cooking for about 15-20 minutes.

Add the condensed milk and stir it thoroughly.

Next add the fried nuts, dates,raisins and saffron. Stir to combine and simmer it for another 5 minutes.

Add the cardamom powder and kewra essence and give it a quick stir.

Turn off the flame and let the mixture sit.  The mixture tends to thicken as it cools.  If that happens, add little more milk.

Serve warm or chilled.  Garnish with rose petals and the reserved nuts.

 

Filed Under: dessert, Eid, festival food

Badam milk

March 22, 2019 by Vaishali Leave a Comment

The winter in Toronto, this year is very cold and frigid. To me, winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is time for home and time for a hot drink like the ‘Badam Milk’ – an Indian version of Almond milk.

Almonds known in Sanskrit as ‘vatāda’ and in Hindi as ‘Badam’ is actually the seed of the fruit of the almond tree and like other fruits like peach, cherry and apricot bears fruits with stone like seed inside. The seed of the fruit is what we call nuts.

Apart from having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, almonds are among the richest sources of vitamin E in the diet. Vitamin E is known to reduce our risk of Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancers and also protects cells from oxidative damage. Ayurveda uses almonds as a brain tonic, for physical weakness, to improve quality of sleep, to treat nerve disorders and to tone up all the tissues of your body especially reproductive ones.

**Always soak any nuts or seeds for at least 6-8 hours before using them. Soaking helps the nuts/seeds release the harmful enzymes that cause indigestion and also increases their nutritional content.

The Badam milk recipe comes from the Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana cooking show by Chef Rajeev Sethi and it is delicious!!

Badam Milk Recipe

Ingredients:

Milk mixture

½ cup almonds

2.5 cups full fat milk (preferable unhomogenized)

1/8 tsp saffron

¼ – 3/8 cup sugar or as per taste

To powder :

20 almonds, raw, unsalted

30 pistachios, raw, unsalted

2o cashews, raw, unsalted

¼ tsp Saffron

½ piece of Mace

½ tsp Cardamom

½ tsp Turmeric powder

1 tablespoon organic Rose flower petals (dried) – optional

Method:

  1. Soak the almonds in water for about 6-8 hours. Drain off the water, rinse the almonds thoroughly, and peel the skins.
  2. Grind the almonds to a fine paste with a little water.
  3. Bring the milk to a boil. Keep stirring so that it does not burn at the bottom.
  4. Add the almond paste and continue to keep stirring until it is reduced and thickened a little.
  5. Finely powder all the ingredients in the ‘To powder’. Set aside.
  6. Add the sugar and the 2 tablespoons of the powdered nut mixture to the milk.
  7. Continue cooking until the sugar is dissolved and then switch off the flame.
  8. Serve hot or chilled, according to your preference.
  9. Garnish with slivered almonds, saffron and rose petals.

Filed Under: almonds, Ayurveda, beverage, dessert, drinks, Health, Milk, Recipes

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