Shirmal (Sheermal, شیرمال) is a kind of traditional, mildly sweet flatbread. The word “Sheer” means milk in Farsi, and “mal” means “Malidan” in the Persian language that refers to kneading the dough when you want to cook bread. So Shirmal implies a kind of bread that you knead its dough with milk. Sheermal’s place of origin is Semnan city, in Iran. But it is well-known all over Iran. Shirmal bread is famous in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, too. You can see Shirmal bread in every Persian family’s Ramadan’s table.
Different types of Shirmal:
There are different recipes that we can use to cook Shirmal bread that makes various tastes. It depends on your preference to choose which one. For example, you can add some flavorings such as cardamom, ginger, or cinnamon or remove them and make a simple one. Also, you can add some saffron to create a unique golden yellow or delete it and make a pure color of the flour. Some people like sweet Sheermal bread, but others prefer the salt version.
Important Nutrition facts:
Shirmal bread has high calories with 361cal per one serving (that is about 100gr). 143cal of total calories are from fat. So it is an energy producer dish because of its notable amount of carbohydrates with 46.5gr per 100gr obtained from flour and fat with 43mg cholesterol and 3.4gr saturated fat. Also, Sheermal bread is a good source of protein with 7.7gr per 100gr. It includes sodium with 318mg per 100gr and iron with 16% per 100gr. The dietary fiber properties are almost 1.6gr per 100gr, and it contains sugar with 5.8 gr per 100gr. Unfortunately, it is inferior to the number of vitamins.
So be careful if you are on a losing diet, it will make you gain more calories and stop losing weight. But it would be the right choice for those who are fast in Ramadan’s days and will need more energy after a long day of hunger.
Vegetarian tips:
Shirmal bread’s recipe is available and suitable for vegetarians. But unfortunately, vegans could not taste it because of some ingredients such as egg and ghee in its method.
Serving style of Shirmal:
This traditional sweet bread is very popular and suitable for breakfast. Some people like consuming it along with their meals like different kinds of soups or Ash, Adasi, and so on.
I love to have Sheermal bread for a light evening meal with a cup of fresh hot tea. These days Shirmal bread is available as a delicious street dish that street vendors make and sell it. You can also see Sheermal bread in every Persian family’s Ramadan’s table If Sheermal bread is served hot, it would be more pleasant. So if it gets cold, you could reheat it in the microwave.
What are the ingredients of Shirmal?
The main ingredients you need to cook homemade Shirmal bread are all-purpose flour, salt, egg, sugar, yeast, milk, and homemade ghee. Some other elements that you can add to this recipe according to your preference are cardamom powder, brewed saffron, cinnamon powder, and ginger powder.
How to cook Shirmal?
Shirmal bread has an easy recipe that every homemaker and chief like to test it. First of all, you need to soak saffron in warm milk. Meanwhile, you should prepare your combination. For this purpose, you should mix your ingredients, including flour, salt, sugar, instant yeast, ghee, and cardamom, and stir them until you have a smooth combination. Then you should add the egg and soaked saffron to the mixture and knead it well until you have a soft dough. After that, you need an oiled pan to place your dough in it and put it aside to rest and rise for one hour. After one hour, you have to divide your dough into four equal balls.
Now you need baking sheets that you lay them down on a baking tray. You should roll the balls out on the sheet into a circle shape thinly. You should not forget to prick the rolled dough with a fork to stop them puff up in the oven. In the end, you should brush the rolled dough with soaked saffron in the milk. Finely you can put them in the preheated oven with a temperature of 400F and bake them for 15 minutes. When their color change to the beautiful golden yellow, they are ready, and you can bring them out of the oven. You should brush melted butter on it when they are still warm. Now you can serve them.
Recipe
This recipe is adequate for four people. The preparation time of Shirmal bread is 60 minutes, and its cooking time is 15 minutes.
Shirmal
Ingredients
- 2½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- ½ cup + 3tablespoon milk
- ¼ cup homemade ghee
- 8-10 strands brewed saffron
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 2 teaspoon melt butter for final brushing of the Sheermal bread
Instructions
- Grab a small bowl. Pour your milk in it. Add the saffron to it and let it soaks.
- Grab another large bowel. Mix your ingredients, including all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, homemade ghee, instant yeast, and cardamom in it. Stir them until you have a smooth combination.
- Add the egg and ½ cups of milk to your mixture.
- Knead well until you have a soft dough.
- Take a suitable-size pot and oil the down well.
- Place the prepared dough in it. Let it rests and rise for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400F for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, divide your dough into four equal balls.
- Lay down the baking sheet on a baking tray.
- Put the balls on the sheets and roll them up to a circle shape thinly.
- Prick the rolled dough with a fork to stop them puffing up in the oven.
- Brush the rolled dough with soaked saffron milk.
- Put them in the preheated oven. Bake them for 15 minutes.
- Check them if they are ready. If their color changes to golden yellow, you can bring them out of the oven.
- Brush their top with the melted butter when they are still warm.
- You can serve Sheermal bread.
- Noosh-e-Jaan.
Notes
Uniqop's advice
- If you serve Sheermal bread warm, it would be more pleasant.
- You can use ready ghee that is available in every supermarket. But you should be sure about its quality.
- If you like it less sweet, you can reduce the amount of sugar and increase the amount of salt.
