Sheer Khurma Recipe
Sheer Khurma (also known as Sheer Korma) is a traditional Muslim dessert originating from the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia, typically prepared to celebrate the festivals of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha. This luxurious vermicelli pudding is made by cooking fine vermicelli with ghee, milk, dates, and nuts. Make it using my easy recipe.
Here are some more Indian dessert recipes you can make on Eid: Bread Halwa, Gajar Ka Halwa, Shahi Tukda, Fruit Custard, Seviyan Kheer, and Double Ka Meetha.
A Quick Look At This Sheer Khurma Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8 people
Cuisine: Mughlai / Hyderabadi
Course: Dessert
Diet: Vegetarian
Skill Level: Beginner
Equipment: Heavy-Bottom Pan, Spatula
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Why You’ll Love This Family Favorite Recipe!
- Rich, creamy, and perfectly balanced — not overly sweet.
- Made with simple pantry ingredients like vermicelli, milk, and dates.
- Authentic Eid-style flavor with slow-roasted nuts and khoya.
- One-pot recipe that comes together beautifully without fuss.
- Tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen.
- Perfect for festivals, celebrations, and special family gatherings.
Table of Contents
About Sheer Khurma
Sheer Khurma (Sheer Korma) is a traditional South Asian and Middle Eastern dessert that is a must-have for the Muslim festivals of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha. It came to India through the Mughals.
Sheer means milk in Persian, and khurma means dates. This dessert translates to ‘milk cooked with dates’ in English.
This rich and creamy sweet dish is made by cooking fine vermicelli (sevai) with ghee, milk, dates, and nuts. Each house has its way of making sheer korma, and in this post, I am sharing the recipe I learned from the mom of one of my childhood Muslim friends.
She makes the best sheer khurma and Mutton Biryani. I fondly remember visiting their house every Eid and enjoying her excellent food to my heart’s content. I am so glad I learned the recipe from her and can now share it with you.
Sheer Khurma, just like Rice Kheer, is effortless if you follow the measurements correctly. If not, it may turn out either too thick or too thin.
Ingredients
All ingredients to make this delicious dessert are available at Indian grocery stores. You can also buy vermicelli and other non-perishable ingredients from online portals like Amazon.
Vermicelli – You will need fine vermicelli (seviyan) to make authentic sheer korma. Please do not use regular vermicelli.
Look out for nylon or fine vermicelli, which are very fine in thickness. You should be able to get them in a local Indian grocery store or on online portals like Amazon.
If, in the worst case, fine vermicelli is not available, then use regular vermicelli.
Milk – Always use whole milk (full-fat milk) to make this dish.
Dates – Buy seedless dates of the best quality. Medjool date is my favorite.
Ghee makes this dessert rich and luscious. Do not reduce its quantity if you want a perfect sheer korma.
Saffron – Adding saffron is optional, but it imparts a unique aroma and taste to the dish.
Cloves (Laung), when added to ghee, give this traditional sheer khurma recipe a fantastic flavor. Try it once.
Sugar – Use regular white sugar. This dessert will not taste good with jaggery, palm sugar, coconut sugar, or any other sweetener.
Cardamom Powder – Flavor this vermicelli kheer with cardamom powder (elaichi powder).
Nuts and Dried Fruits – Nuts and dried fruits give a lovely crunch to the sheer korma. I have added almonds, cashew nuts, raisins, pistachios, and chironji seeds (charoli seeds).
Note – Some people blanch and peel the nuts, and some don’t. I have had both versions, and both methods are equally good. I feel that blanching and peeling the nuts is not worth the effort. It makes almost no change in taste and also reduces their nutritional value.
If chironji is not available readily, you can skip adding it.
Others – You can add khoya (milk solids) or milk powder to make the sheer kurma thicker and creamier. However, this is not traditional. You can also add rose water, kewra water, or kewra essence to enhance the flavor. Add some dried rose petals to make it extra royal.
How To Make Sheer Korma
Preparation
Soak 15-20 strands of saffron in 2 tablespoons of warm milk and set aside for 1 hour.
Fine vermicelli comes in long strands. Break 3.5 oz (100 g) of fine vermicelli into 2-3 inch pieces.
Thickly slice 10-12 almonds and 2 tablespoon unsalted pistachios. Do not slice them too thinly; otherwise, they may burn while frying. Break 10-12 cashew nuts in half.
Finely chop 5-6 seedless dates.
Gather all the remaining ingredients.
Fry The Nuts
Step 1: Heat 3 tablespoon ghee over low heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pan.
Step 2: Once the ghee is hot, add the following ingredients to the pan and roast until lightly browned (3-4 minutes), stirring continuously.
- 3-4 whole cloves
- 10-12 thickly slivered almonds
- 10-12 halved cashew nuts
- 10-12 whole raisins
- 2 tablespoon thickly slivered unsalted pistachios
- 2 tablespoon chironji
Step 3: Remove them to a plate using a slotted spoon.
Note: The nuts can go from perfectly browned to burned in just a few seconds, so be very careful while roasting them. Also, slice them thickly and not finely. They will continue to brown in the residual heat, so remove them from the pan when they turn a light brown.
Make Sheer Khorma
Step 4: Add 1 tablespoon ghee and vermicelli to the same pan and roast on low heat until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Stir continuously while roasting to prevent them from burning at the bottom of the pan.
Step 5: Remove to a plate.
Step 6: Increase the heat to medium.
Step 7: Add 1.5 liters of whole milk and 5-6 chopped seedless dates to the same pan and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 8: Add the roasted vermicelli and roasted nuts to the pan and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes, until the vermicelli is softened and the khurma has slightly thickened. Stir frequently while cooking to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pan.
Step 9: Stir in the following ingredients and cook for another minute.
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- saffron soaked in milk
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder
Step 10: Serve it warm or chill it for a few hours before serving.
Instant Pot Sheer Khurma
You can also make sheer korma in an Instant Pot. Here is how to make it.
1. Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot and pour in 3 tablespoons of ghee.
2. Add the prepared nuts and dried fruits and roast them until they turn slightly browned (3-4 minutes). Take them out on a plate.
3. Add another tablespoon of ghee and 100g of vermicelli, and roast until browned. Remove to a plate.
4. Pour 1 liter of whole milk into the pot. Add the chopped dates, roasted nuts, and vermicelli, and stir gently. Close the pot lid and set the valve to the sealing position.
5. Press CANCEL and then press PRESSURE COOK. Set the timer to 1 minute at high pressure. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
6. Release the remaining pressure manually by moving the valve to the venting position.
7. Open the lid and add sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron that has been soaked in milk. Stir gently.
8. Press SAUTE and cook for 3-4 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the sheer khurma has thickened. Serve hot or chilled.
Sheer Khurma FAQs
It is generally served warm, but I like to eat mine chilled. There are no rules to enjoying this dish. Just see what suits your fancy.
Some people add condensed milk to the sheer khorma to make it rich. You can reduce the milk quantity by half and substitute it with condensed milk. Do not add sugar; condensed milk is already sweet enough.
But I do not recommend adding condensed milk, as it alters the traditional sheer kurma’s flavor.
These desserts are made using similar ingredients but are still very different.
1. Sheer khurma is always made using fine vermicelli, while seviyan kheer can be made using thick or fine vermicelli.
2. Sheer khurma is thinner (almost drinkable), while sevai ki kheer is thick like a custard.
3. Ghee is added while making sheer korma and not sevai kheer.
4. Dates are a must-add in the sheer khurma recipe, while they are not added in sevai ki kheer.
Check out my detailed recipe for making Seviyan Kheer here.
Pro Tips By Neha
Use fine vermicelli, also known as nylon vermicelli, which is specially made for making sheer korma. You should be able to get it in an Indian store nearby.
The consistency of sheer khurma is a personal preference. Most people make it slightly thin, which can be sipped directly from the bowl. However, if you prefer a thicker, custard-like consistency, reduce the amount of milk in the recipe.
Use full-fat milk (whole milk) to make this sweet. It will thicken to creamy goodness, enhancing the dessert’s flavor.
Using dates is essential when making sheer korma. Use seedless dates and chop them into small pieces before adding them to the milk.
You can also add or skip adding saffron. Adding saffron makes it richer and more flavorful, but skipping it would still yield a delicious version.
Chironji is not always readily available and tends to spoil quickly, so you can skip adding it.
Serving Suggestions
This delicious dessert is traditionally made in Muslim households on the morning of Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The Eid festivities begin by serving a bowl of sheer khurma after the Eid prayer. It is also made for Eid Al-Adha and for special occasions, such as weddings.
You can serve it piping hot or at room temperature.
This sweet pudding tastes even better the next day as the flavors come together with time.
Storage Suggestions
Sheer Khorma can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat it in a pan or microwave before serving. In fact, I also love eating it chilled.
If it has thickened after refrigeration, then add some milk to correct the consistency.
Other Indian Dessert Recipes We Recommend
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Sheer Khurma Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons ghee (divided)
- 3-4 cloves (laung)
- 10-12 thickly slivered almonds
- 10-12 halved cashew nuts
- 10-12 whole raisins
- 2 tablespoons thickly slivered unsalted pistachios
- 2 tablespoons chironji
- 3.5 ounces fine vermicelli (100 g, broken into 2-3 inch long pieces)
- 1 and ½ litres whole milk (full- fat milk)
- 5-6 finely chopped seedless dates
- ½ cup sugar (add more or less according to your liking)
- 15-20 strands saffron (soaked in 2 tablespoon warm milk for 1 hour)
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
Fry The Nuts
- Heat 3 tablespoons of ghee in a large, heavy-bottom pan over low heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, add cloves, almonds, cashew nuts, raisins, pistachios, and chironji to the pan and roast until lightly browned (3-4 minutes), stirring continuously.
- Remove them to a plate using a slotted spoon.
- Note – The nuts get from perfectly browned to burned in just a few seconds, so be very careful while roasting them. Also, slice them thickly and not finely. They will continue to brown in the residual heat, so remove them from the pan when they turn light brown.
Make Sheer Khorma
- Add 1 tablespoon ghee and vermicelli to the same pan and roast on low heat until they turn light brown (3-4 minutes). Stir continuously while roasting to avoid them from burning at the bottom of the pan.
- Remove to a plate.
- Increase the heat to medium.
- Add milk and dates to the same pan and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the roasted vermicelli and roasted nuts to the pan and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes until the vermicelli is softened and the khurma is slightly thickened. Stir frequently while cooking to prevent scorching at the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in sugar, saffron soaked in milk, and cardamom powder, and cook for an additional minute.
- Serve it warm or chill it for a few hours before serving.
How much cost and ingredant required for 40 person
This recipe serves 6-8 people. You can multiply it according to your need. I have not calculated the cost so no idea.
Yes, these are dried rose petals.
what a wonderful Recipe thanks for sharing this amazing Recipe ….I am going to try this one soon.
Thnx a lot Sana
Thank you for the awesome recipe…it just came out perfect….please post more iftar recipe..and the recipes which we can make on eid…take care