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SHEER KHURMA

Sheer Khurma, though I had heard of this Dessert, the chance of eating it came across during my recent trip to Dubai. Though it looked more or less like Seviyan Kheer or our own Semiya Payasam, what made it look different was the consistency on the first hand. It was thick & creamy and loaded with dry Fruits & Nuts and laced with a wonderful note of Rose Water & Kewra.

It was a delectable delicacy and I loved the consistency, texture & flavour. Though, Firni/Phirni pops into my mind whenever I think of Eid, but this all-time classic Persian delicacy - Sheer Khurma, takes a special place when it comes to Ramadan or Eid al-Fitr. It is served as a breakfast dish after the Eid Morning Prayer and throughout the day to all the visiting guests.

In its original form, it consists of dates mixed with milk. As the name suggests, Sheer means Milk and Khurma means Dates in Persian, and how Vermicelli ended up in this dessert is a history. A history made with an Indian twist. It is modified in India by the addition of fried Vermicelli, alias Semiya.

The Arabian Peninsula is rich and abound of Dates and people would break their fast with Dates during Ramadan fasting. Dates play a significant role in the culture and hence a Dessert laden with Date cooked in milk is of no wonder as a matter of fact. It's an Eid-ul-fitr delight in all Muslim households.


SHEER KHURMA

This Sheer Khurma can be made in a traditional method where Milk is slow-cooked until it thickens. Another easy version is by cooking the Sheer Khurma with Condensed Milk, which makes the Kheer thicker & creamier and also sweetens the Kheer. This Sheer Khurma recipe is prepared in an authentic method, which calls for reducing and thickening the milk on a low flame. I have thickened the milk before adding Vermicelli and have slow-cooked it with Milk until it gets a creamy texture.

Dates being one of the main ingredients, it naturally enhances this dessert with its flavour & taste. Traditionally, in those days, Sheer Khurma was sweetened with just the dates and not sugar. Dates naturally enhance this delicacy, and it is highly nutritious and a complete meal.

Sheer Khurma is flavoured with Cardamom, Rose Water/Kewra Essence & Saffron Strands and elaborately garnished with slivered Nuts and Rose Petals. Slow cooking on a low flame gives a rich & creamy texture with an off-white hue to the Sheer Khurma with an additional note of aroma from the flavourings added and from the reduced milk. Sheer Khurma is usually served warm/chilled.

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Cuisine - Persian
Recipe Type - Kheer/Pradhaman/Payasam, Dessert
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 4- 6
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 5–10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 30 -45 Minutes

For more Recipes 'FOR THE SWEET TOOTH', Click here...

HOW TO MAKE SHEER KHURMA

SHEER KHURMA

INGREDIENTS:

For Sheer Khurma:

Ghee - 2 Tablespoons
Vermicelli - 1/3 Cup
Dates - 1/8 Cup
Milk - 4 Cups
Sugar - 4 - 6 Tablespoons
Cardamoms - 5 Pods.
Saffron - a Pinch (Optional)
Rose Water/Kewra Essence - a few Drops (Optional)

For Garnishing:

Almonds - Few
Pistachios - Few
Cashew Nuts - Few
Chironji - Few
Rose Petals - Few
Saffron Strands - Few

SHEER KHURMA

METHOD:

For Sheer Khurma:

Powder the Cardamoms into a fine powder and keep it aside.
Chop the Almonds, Pistachios, Cashew nuts & keep it aside.
Chop the Dates and keep it aside.
Soak Saffron strands in warm milk and keep it aside.
Boil the Milk mix on a medium-low flame, stirring it at intervals.
Once the Milk boils, reduce the flame to low and cook for another 20–25 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat Ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, add the powdered Cardamom & give a quick stir.
Add the Chopped Nuts & Dates and Fry this on a very low flame for a few seconds.
Once the nuts are slightly roasted, remove half the amount of Nuts & Dates and keep
Immediately add the Vermicelli and fry this on a very low flame for a few minutes.
Stir it continuously and fry the Vermicelli until it turns to light golden colour.
Pour in the reduced Milk to the above and mix well
Boil the Milk & Vermicelli mix on a medium-low flame, stirring it at intervals.
Once the Milk boils, reduce the flame to low and cook for another 20–25 minutes.
Care should be taken that the mix does not scorch at the bottom.
The amount of Milk should have reduced, and the Vermicelli should be cooked well.
Add in the Sugar and mix well.
Drizzle the Kewra Essence/Rose Water, and give a quick stir.
Pour in the Saffron milk and mix well.
Cook the Sheer Khurma on a low flame until it reaches the desired consistency.
Switch off the flame and garnish with the remaining roasted nuts & dates.
Can Garnish Sheer Khurma with slivered Almonds, Pistachios, Cashew Nuts, Rose Petals or with Saffron Strands.
Serve it Hot or Chilled.

SHEER KHURMA

NOTES:

Frying the powdered Cardamoms in Ghee makes the Sheer Khurma aromatic.
Adding Saffron is purely optional.
Adding Kewra Essence is purely optional.
Adjust the amount of Sugar to suit your Sweet Tooth.
Adjust the consistency of Sheer Khurma to your preference.
The dessert tends to get thicker even after switching off.
Can serve Sheer Khurma hot or chilled, to suit your preference/climatic condition.
Garnish Sheer Khurma with preferred choice of Nuts, Rose Petals & Saffron strands.

April 23, 2023 No Comments

HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE - TÜRK KAHVESİ

Let me start writing about Turkish Coffee with an age-old Turkish Proverb - "Coffee should be Black as Hell, Strong as Death & Sweet as Love." It's a Cup which tells your fortune, decides War, Empire and even Romance & Life. If I say, I drink more Coffee than its history, it might prove wrong for this simple cup of Turk Kahvesi. I have read more and long enough, rather than that I have just had only a few cups of Turkish Coffee. So as they say A Cup of Turkish Coffee is worth Forty Years of Friendship, but mine was a secret love for this Coffee.

After long years of wait - For a Cup of Turkish Coffee, here I am writing about it. I fell in love with this Turkish Coffee even before I tasted it. I always knew I would love it, so was my love for a Coffee as such and even more was my obsession for the Turkish Coffee Pot alias Ibrik/Cezve. The moment I caught my eye on it, I deeply knew I wanted to own one. To say, my trail for a Turkish Coffee (actually the Ibrik) got deeply enrooted in my mind in early 2000s from an article in an Indian Magazine. Though not a fancied or an extremely expensive item, but the period of time I set eyes on it, was neither accessible nor available, in my terms. Least I had an idea where I could source the Coffee pot or the Coffee. Left alone, then and there, I kept it locked within my long, want to buy list.

Though in recent years I had easy access to buy an Ibrik, and also there was one such occasion where I almost bought one and my conscience pricking, Strict Appicer, said, don't buy, it is way far expensive for its original price. And there, with a heavy pang, I left the Ibrik, and she promised me that she would buy me this Coffee pot. So I set my mind that I would buy it when time comes.

So, the story of my Turkish Coffee and my most loved Ibrik/Cezve, took a twist when I travelled to Dubai recently. The street markets or the Souks were lined up with these Brass and Copper Ibriks. Least to mention my enthusiasm and with the looks of my all-knowing husband & daughter, I bought my long wanted - Ibrik. Some things bring a kind of satiated happiness after buying them and this Ibrik bought a thought of happiness(I should say, I got a Massive Dopamine fix!!!) and I felt, it was worth the wait. Least to mention the numerous shapes and sizes of antique Ibrik/Cezve, I saw in the Dry Bridge Market at Tbilisi, Georgia later. My hands were literally itching to get hold of a few, which I strictly controlled, convincing myself to pick it up during my next visit to the place. Hopefully...

HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE - TÜRK KAHVESİ

Now, let's talk about Turkish Coffee!

Turkish coffee! It's a strong cup of caffeine made in a special pot called a Cezve/Ibrik. In some places, the coffee pot is called Dallah, that's of a different shape as such. The fine Coffee grounds are boiled along with water on an open fire until it thickens & then the coffee is served in a small cup. It is usually made with extra finely ground coffee beans. This gives the drink a much stronger and bolder flavour than filtered coffee.

Is Turkish coffee Turkey?

Though it is called Turkish Coffee, the drink didn't originate from Turkey, but was introduced to an Ottoman governor stationed in Yemen. The Ottoman governor then recommended it to Sultan Suleiman, who popularized it in Istanbul, Turkey, as well as nearby countries and regions. And, as the people in each region put their own spin on the recipe, new drinks were born despite similarities to the Turkish coffee preparation method.

Taste & Smell of a Turkish coffee:

Turkish coffee has a strong, bold, bittersweet taste. It has a concentrated and gritty body due to the way that it's brewed. The use of extra finely ground coffee and direct contact with boiling water throughout the cooking time effectively extracts the flavour compounds. And it isn't filtered, so the bottom of the cup will have a noticeable layer of sludge and the coffee grounds will float freely around, giving it a much heavier body and concentrated feel.

HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE - TÜRK KAHVESİ

Generally, Turkish coffee smells rather nutty, burnt, and spicy, especially when it's brewed with cardamom (which I personally like). However, it will depend on what type of beans you use, too.

The 3 Main Factors which makes Turkish Coffee famous are the

Brewing Method:

Turkish Coffee is made with a special pot called Cezve or Ibrik. And in Arabic Regions they use a Coffee Pot called Dallah. These Coffee Pots have a very narrow neck, with a pouring spout. Without this feature, the foam that forms during the brewing process can't be built up and sustained, which gives its ubiquitous & infamous concentration. The Cezve also has a long handle to help the user handle the brewer more easily.

DALLAH

Turkish Coffee Beans:

Traditional Yemeni Mocha beans are used to make Turkish Coffee, but any type of Arabica coffee beans fits well into the suit. In terms of grind size, make sure to get it extra fine, even powder-like. I got hold of a fine ground from Georgia, suitable for making Turkish Coffee, well, that's what the package suggested. And it does a decent job, too.

Water:

Rule suggests going for a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:9. But my rule is to always stick on to our taste and preference, so adjust it accordingly - as you like the brew, too weak or too strong.

HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE - TÜRK KAHVESİ

Optional Add-ons:

Sugar

This is absolutely optional. Feel free to add sugar to make it sweet. With little or moderate sugar - az şekerli kahve, orta şekerli kahve or orta kahve, as it's colloquially called in Turkish or a Sweeter version of çok şekerli kahve. But anyway, as I mentioned at the beginning of the post - "Coffee should be Black as Hell, Strong as Death & Sweet as Love." And my love is always for the unsweetened 'Sade Kahve'.Turkish Coffee is traditionally served with along something small & sweet Turkish delights or dates.

Flavourings:

Cardamom - I love my Turkish Coffee with a note of Cardamom in it.

It is sometimes flavoured with

Mastic, a resin taken from the Mastic Tree also, known as the Tears of the Chios. The flavour is bitter at first, but after some chewing, it releases a refreshing flavour similar to pine and cedar.

Salep, is a flour made from the tubers of the orchid genus Orchis & it contains a nutritious, starchy polysaccharide called glucomannan. Salep flour is consumed in beverages and desserts

Ambergris is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish colour produced in the digestive system of sperm whales. Freshly produced ambergris has a marine, faecal odour. It acquires a sweet, earthy scent as it ages.

HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE - TÜRK KAHVESİ

Turkish Coffee Recipe

Turkish coffee yields a thick, concentrated, and aromatic brew that's very easy to make. Simple steps to make this strong caffeine drink using extra fine grounded beans over a stovetop.

Cuisine - Turkey, Arabian
Recipe Type - Beverage
Difficulty - Medium
Serves - 2 Small Cups

Author - SM

Preparation Time - 5 Minutes
Brewing Time - 8–10 Minutes

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HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE -