A soft, slightly sweet flatbread leavened with yeast and baked with saffron milk — the Nawabi bread of Lucknow served at Eid feasts and kebab accompaniments.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp ghee
A generous pinch of saffron soaked in 1/2 cup warm full-fat milk
2 tbsp milk — extra for brushing
Kalonji (nigella seeds) for topping
Method
Combine maida, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in ghee until crumbly.
Add the saffron-infused warm milk gradually.
Knead 8 to 10 minutes into a smooth, soft, slightly sticky dough.
Cover with a damp cloth. Rest in a warm place for 60 minutes until the dough has risen and looks puffy.
Punch down. Divide into 6 balls. Roll each into an oval about 15 cm long and 1.5 cm thick — sheermal is thicker than regular roti.
Brush the surface generously with plain milk.
Press a few kalonji seeds onto each.
Bake on a preheated tray at 200°C for 12 to 14 minutes until the surface is golden and the bread is cooked through.
Brush immediately with a little ghee while hot.
Sheermal should be slightly sweet, fragrant with saffron, soft inside and golden on the surface.