Sirnee: A Celebratory Treat

Noteworthy ● From the list of ingredients, you can see that Sirnee has more ingredients than Parsad. Sirnee is the richer of the two sweets not only because of the number of ingredients but also the quantity of each ingredient used based in each family’s recipe.

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Sirnee is sweeter than Parsad given the use of sugar as well as condensed milk.

● While there are similarities, the flavour profile is very different. With Parsad, the use of 1 spice gives it a distinct flavour, in this case, cardamom. However, with Sirnee you have a more rounded flavour given the spice combination. It is important to note from the list of ingredients that the spices are cooked and added in two forms whole and ground. Spices cooked whole give a subtle and more of an overall flavour to food. Ground spices give a stronger flavour.

● Apart from the difference in flavour profile, the texture and mouthfeel is similar with a slight bit of extra tenderness given the addition of eggs to Sirnee. If you don’t like eggs in your Sirnee, you can omit it (I do). Only aficionados might pick up the difference in mouthfeel.

Like a lot of recipes of traditional dishes, each family’s version is different. Ingredients with measured amounts are not written down, most of these types of foods are handed down through learning by watching and doing. I remember when I first learned to make Parsad one of my cousins talked me through ingredients and the process over the phone from overseas. To determine the quantity of each ingredient, I made judgements based on her description of a coffee cup of this, a pot spoon full of another etc. Most of her instructions with regards to the process was to observe the visual cues - the ghee will absorb the flour and get dry and crumbly but lower the heat and keep stirring until it becomes wet and sandy. This turns out to be a key stage for making both Parsad and Sirnee. A lack of patience and failure to do this and you will find the roof of your mouth coated with a tacky layer of fat that is quite off-putting when you eat the Parsad or Sirnee.

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated over a period of days even though we only have 1 official public holiday. So, if you have not yet had your fill of Sirnee, make some today and share with your family and friends.

If you are observing the festivities, Eid Mubarbak!

Cynthia cynthia@tasteslikehome.org www.tasteslikehome.org

This is my version of Sirnee made with only sugar as the sweetener, instead of sugar and condensed milk. There are no eggs in the recipe either, however, please read the notes if you would like to include condensed milk and eggs in your Sirnee.

This recipe serves 5 - 6 people; double the ingredients to make a larger batch.

INGREDIENTS • 1 cup brown sugar • ¾ cup evaporated milk • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence • ¾ cup (6 oz.) unsalted butter • 1 - 2 cinnamon sticks • 4 green cardamom pods, cracked • 5 whole cloves • 2 cups all-purpose flour • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg • ¼ cup raisins • ¼ cup cherries, halved • ¼ cup raw or blanched and peeled peanuts

DIRECTIONS 1. Mix together the sugar, milk and essence until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside. 2. Add the butter and whole spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves - to a cold heavy-bottomed pan and place over low heat. Let the butter melt completely until tiny bubbles start to appear at the edges.

3. Add flour and stir continuously for 10 - 15 minutes. The mixture would be dry at first, keep stirring and cooking until it looks sandy and wet with moisture on the surface. 4. Stir in ground cardamom. 5. Turn heat to medium high and add milk mixture and stir continuously. Keep stirring to incorporate the liquid and the flour mixture, then sprinkle in the raisins, cherries and nuts. Reduce the heat a little and keep stirring until the mixture comes away easily from the sides of the pan. This should take about 5 - 8 minutes.

6. Leave in the pan to cool or transfer to a serving dish to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTES ● If you would like to use condensed milk, reduce the sugar to ¾ cup and add ½ cup of condensed milk. Mix the condensed milk with the evaporated milk, sugar and essence as instructed in direction # 1. Use the entire can of condensed milk if doubling the recipe and 1 cup sugar. If you would like to use eggs, add 1 egg to the milk-sugar-essence mixture as instructed in direction # 1. Use 2 eggs if doubling the recipe. If you are allergic to nuts, omit them from the recipe. Chopped walnuts or cashew nuts can be used instead of peanuts.