Sheermal
{{Short description|Saffron-flavoured traditional flatbread}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name = Sheermal
| image = Sheermal_bread_made_in_Iran.jpg
| caption = Sheermal served in Iran
| alternate_name = Shirmal
| country =Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan
| region = Iran, Indian subcontinent
| creator =
| course =
| served =
| main_ingredient = Maida, Milk, Ghee, Saffron
| variations =
| calories =
| other =
}}
Sheermal (Persian/Urdu: {{nq|شیرمال}}, {{langx|hi|शीरमल}},:, also spelled shirmal, is a saffron-flavored traditional flatbread eaten in Iran and the Indian subcontinent. The word sheermal is derived from the Persian words شیر (translit. sheer, Sanskrit Kshir) meaning milk, and مالیدن (translit. malidan) meaning to rub or to knead. In a literal translation, sheermal means milk-rubbed. It was introduced to North India by the Mughal emperors during the medieval period. It became a delicacy of Lucknow, Hyderabad and Aurangabad.{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/05/29/stories/2003052900410300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101023041532/http://hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/05/29/stories/2003052900410300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 October 2010|work=The Hindu|title=A nawabi affair|access-date=5 October 2014}} It is also part of the Awadhi cuisine{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/07/21/stories/2007072152370400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105230624/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/07/21/stories/2007072152370400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 November 2011|work=The Hindu|title=A slice of the Awadh exotica|access-date=5 October 2014}} and is enjoyed in Bhopal and Pakistan.
Preparation
File:Sheermal Lucknow.JPG, India.]]
Shirmal is a mildly sweet naan made out of maida, leavened with yeast and baked in a tandoor or oven. Shirmal was traditionally made like roti. Today, shirmal is prepared like naan. The warm water in the recipe for naan roti was replaced with warm milk sweetened with sugar and flavored with saffron and cardamom.
In Iran, there are slight regional variations in the preparation of sheermal. As such, it is sometimes sold as a souvenir when travelling between the regions.
In India, especially in the city of Lucknow, shirmal is sometimes served with kababs, tikkia, or alongside nihari.
See also
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References
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{{Indian bread}}
{{Pakistani bread}}
{{Iranian bread}}
{{Flatbreads}}