Hyderabadi sheer korma

Chitra’s Hyderabadi sheer khurma, also named sheer korma in her account, is a milk-and-vermicelli dessert taught to her by Sharmila Banu. This selected version uses full-fat milk, sugar, several nuts, dry grapes, dates, cardamom and saffron.

The milk is boiled and reduced. Dried dates are soaked in rosewater, then chopped and set aside. Almonds are soaked in hot water, peeled and chopped, while the other nuts are cut for the dessert.

Vermicelli is roasted in one portion of ghee and set aside on a plate. Cashews, pistachios, almonds, chironji, dry grapes and the prepared dates are roasted with another portion of ghee in the same pan, then held on a plate.

The roasted vermicelli is added to the boiling milk and cooked until soft. Sugar and saffron are mixed in and boiled briefly. The heat is then turned off before cardamom powder, the roasted nuts and dry fruit, and the finishing ghee are mixed through.

Chitra offers the finished sheer korma cold or warm. If it thickens after cooling, the selected optional extra milk can loosen it. The fine noodles remain in the milk base, with the roasted nuts and dry fruit distributed through the dessert.