Nanima’s Siro (Nanima’s semolina dessert)

Siro is a delicious semolina dessert and a real treat that we often have around diwali time. Here’s my Nanima’s recipe…

Ingredients:

• 1cup soji (semolina flour)
• 1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pint milk
• 1 heaped tbsp pistachios, plus some for decoration
• 1 heaped tbsp almonds, plus some for decoration
• 15 cardamom pods
• 2 heaped tbsp sultanas
• 2 pinches saffron

Method:

1. Open up the cardamom pods and scoop out the black/brown seeds, discarding the shell. Grind the seeds with a little sugar into a fine powder
2. Finely cut the almonds and pistachios or crush them in a food processor
3. In a large pan, melt the ghee over a medium heat. Once melted, add the soji and stir often to stop it sticking at the bottom
4. At the same time, heat the milk (either in a pan until simmering or just whack it in the microwave for a few minutes)
5. Once the soji is toasted (the colour turns slightly beige), add the sultanas, saffron and the hot milk. Be careful, as the milk can splash so have the pan cover to hand
6. Add the sugar, almonds, pistachios and ground cardamom and stir thoroughly
7. Let it cook on a medium heat for a few minutes, adding in a little more ghee (about 1 tsp) and stirring regularly
8. Take out into a bowl or serving dish to cool a little and sprinkle the remaining crushed almonds and pistachios over the top

You can enjoy your siro warm or cold and feel free to add more sugar to suit your tastes.