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Rich and Creamy Pakistani Sheer Khurma (Seviyan) is easy to make, and merely takes a few ingredients. It's rich, creamy, and flavorful.

WHAT IS SEVIYAN?

Seviyan is Pakistani-style vermicelli. It's a common staple used in many traditional Pakistani desserts. Some dessert recipes heavily encourage the use of milk, such as this recipe, and others use little to no milk, like Meethi Seviyan.

WHAT IS SHEER KHURMA?

Rich and Creamy Pakistani Sheer Khurma (Seviyan) is essentially the product of sautéing vermicelli with butter or ghee, and then adding the mixture to a pot with milk. Afterwards, you cook them together on medium-to-low heat. It's a perfect Eid recipe, Eid will be incomplete without this Pakistani recipe.

2 bowls of sheer khurma a bowl of pistachios on the side.

In Persian, Sheer means milk and Khurma means dates—put them together, and you get our well-known dessert, Sheer Khurma! Even though dates are a key ingredient in many versions of this dish, my personal recipe actually doesn’t include them!

This version is my husband's recipe, though my mom makes it almost the same way. Eid just wouldn’t be the same without Sheer Khurma!

I still remember growing up in Wichita, Kansas—before we left for the mosque to pray, my mom always had Sheer Khurma ready for us. We’d take a few bites, then head to the mosque, and when we came back, we’d sit down for a big Eid breakfast as a family. Sheer Khurma was always there, along with other delicious dishes like Dahi Baray, Aloo Channa Chaat, and my favorite—Biryani!

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEVIYAN AND SHEER KHURMA?

The biggest difference between Seviyan and Sheer Khurma is that Sheer Khurma has dates and nuts, which are added after sautéing the vermicelli. Seviyan, on the other hand, is much simpler and easier to make.

WHY CALL IT SHEER KHURMA?

Last month, I did a poll on instagram and found that 70% of people don't include dates or other types of nuts while cooking Sheer Khurma! My family follows this fair, vote-based rule just like everyone else.

Like many others, we often serve Sheer Khurma as a dessert after Eid prayer. So, I have no shame in calling this recipe Sheer Khurma—the people have spoken, and our bellies have always been happily filled!

STEPS IN MAKING SHEER KHURMA

Break down the seviyan.
Sauté the seviyan with ghee and whole spices.
Place a tawa on the stove.
Cook the milk and heavy whipping cream.
Add sauteed seviyan and cook until mixture is reduced and thick.
Garnish with warq and nuts.

INGREDIENTS

Vermicelli- I typically use store-bought National or Shan.
Ghee- Even though this recipe calls for desi ghee, I find that butter is an awesome substitute.
Whole spices- No Pakistani dish is complete without whole spices. Even in Sheer Khurma, you'll need green cardamom and cloves for subtle traditional flavors and smells. Even Kheer has some whole spices in it.
Heavy Whipping Cream- This gives a thick and creamy texture to Sheer Khurma.
Kewra- No Pakistani dessert is complete without adding Kewra to enhance the flavor and smell.
Nuts- Even though recipes typically call for only pistachios, you can also add almonds.

HOW TO MAKE SHEER KHURMA?

Melt the ghee, and add green cardamoms and cloves.

Now add heavy whipping cream. Let it cook until boil.

Add in sauteed vermicelli and whole spices.

HOW TO STORE SHEER KHURMA AND HOW LONG IT LASTS?

In the refrigerator, Sheer Khurma will last about 4-5 days, but you can freeze it and it will last about 6 months. Then you are ready to serve it, just leave it out to thaw overnight.

Hey Friend, You’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Let's Make Sheer Khurma!!!

3 bowls of sheer khurma a bowl of pistachios on the side.

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