Sheer Yakh – Afghani Ice Cream
The Sheer Yakh Dessert, translating to ‘Ice Cream’ or ‘frozen milk’ in English, is a handmade dessert originating from Afghanistan. The ingredients are similar to Indian Kulfi ice cream, but the preparation process is completely different.
This delicious summertime dessert with its unique flavor is served in a bowl and garnished with pistachios, almonds, and more. If you don’t have access to this delightful dessert and want to make it yourself, you’re in the right place.
This post provides a comprehensive recipe for making Sheeryakh and some essential tips for success.
How is authentic Afghan ice cream (shir yakh) made?
Afghans make shir yakh using snow. This is an interesting and simple method that gives you a delicious and authentic Afghan ice cream.
Afghans make shir yakh as follows:
- They fill a container with snow (or ice) and sprinkle some salt on the snow.
- They place a metal or aluminum container on top of the snow, into which they pour milk and sugar.
- Then, they shake the container within the snow until the milk solidifies and turns into ice cream.
- Finally, they pour sershir (Kaymak or clotted cream) on the Shir Yakh and serve it with crushed pistachios or walnuts.
In the image below, you can see how to prepare traditional Shiryakh (From Family Jafari YouTube page).
Don’t worry if you don’t have snow available and need a simpler recipe to make Afghan Shiryakh. Here is an easy Shiryakh recipe that is very delicious. This is a very good recipe for making Afghan Shir Yakh and it tastes very good. It is very refreshing, and kids will definitely love its taste. So stay with me.
Sheer Yakh
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 cup Full cream milk
- ½ cup Condensed milk
- ¼ cup Dry milk
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 Cardamom
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 tbsp Chopped pistachio For garnish
Instructions
- Start by pouring the full cream milk, condensed milk, and dry milk into a large pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Then add cardamom to the mixture, allowing them to reach near-boiling on heat.
- Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch in a separate bowl with a little water (About 2-3 spoons) to create a smooth paste. Add this to the boiling milk, which makes it thicken and gives the ice cream its unique texture.
- Heat for about 10-15 minutes until the water evaporates. Then remove it from the heat once the mixture's texture thickens.
- Add a pinch vanilla extract to the mixture and stir them.
- Pour the mixture into your desired container and freeze it for at least 8 hours or until it's completely frozen.
- Once frozen, scoop the ice cream into bowls or onto sticks.
- Finally, sprinkle chopped pistachios (or whatever else you like) over the Sheer Yakh before serving.
Notes
Golden Tips for Perfect Sheer Yakh
Here are the tips you can apply while making the Sheer Yakh to ensure its taste is similar to the one you can taste in Afghanistan.- Patience is the key: Although making Sheer Yakh is simple, it does require some patience. The mixture should be stirred continuously while it's boiling to prevent it from burning and to ensure a smooth texture.
- Quality ingredients: without a doubt, the quality of ingredients for making any food always matters, and Sheer Yakh is not an exception. Using high-quality ingredients for a tasty and delicious Sheer Yakh is recommended. Fresh milk, pure vanilla extract, and high-quality saffron will make a significant difference in the flavor of your Sheer Yakh.
- Serving suggestions: Sheer Yakh is traditionally served with a drizzle of rose water and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios in the bowl. This enhances the flavor and adds a beautiful visual element to the dessert.
Freezing time
Freeze the mixture for at least 8 hours. This will ensure the ice cream is completely set and has the right texture. And if you check your Sheer yakh after 8 hours and see it does not reach its thickened texture, wait more.
A golden advice
Saffron gives Sheer Yakh its distinctive color and flavor. To get the most out of your saffron, grind it into a powder and infuse it in hot water or put some ice before adding it to the mixture.
How to use cardamom in Shir Yakh?
You can use ground cardamom, or you can add them whole into the ice cream mixture. Ground cardamom gives more aroma to your Afghan ice cream. Remember, if you add them whole, when you remove the mixture from the heat at the end, separate the cardamom pods so that the cardamom seeds do not get stuck in your teeth when eating the ice cream.
ShirYakh is too sweet?
This recipe is sweet enough due to the addition of condensed milk and powdered milk; there is no need to add sugar. You can reduce the amount of condensed milk according to your taste; if you don’t want the Shir Yakh to be too sweet, add less condensed milk.
Conclusion
Sheer Yakh means frozen milk in the Dari language, belonging to Afghanistan. It is more than a simple ice cream and has a unique flavor, which makes it special.
With the ingredients mentioned in this article, you can make a tasty Sheer Yakh in addition to adhere the tips explored in this article. We hope reading this article helps you to make a delicious Sheer lakh and host your guest with this special dessert.
Have you eaten Sheer Yakh dessert? What are your favorite nuts for garnishing the Sheer Yakh dessert, and why? Please share with us in the comment section.
