Lacchi Shemai is probably one of the most popular Bangladeshi desserts. A delicious, milky, sweet, fried vermicelli dessert usually made at weddings, birthdays, Eid, or what have you. Pretty much on any and every occasion.
Shemai, although very popular in the subcontinent, first originated in Bangladesh. The ingredients are numbingly simple and can be made from scratch using just flour, ghee/oil, sugar and milk.
If you are into subcontinental desserts then you must have come across the name "Kheer". Albeit it is a different recipe by itself, it is still a variation of the Shemai.
You can now easily get your hands on packed vermicelli. I would highly recommend getting "fried vermicelli" as it is the only kind that truly completes the recipe. More specifically, the iconic Banoful Lascha Shemai kind.
Banoful is one of the biggest brands coming out of Bangladesh and I am a little partial towards it since I grew up with the kids of the owner who turns out to be my father's ex-classmate. Nevertheless, still the best out there.
Although it is "fried" vermicelli, I always give the Shemai a light toasting on a medium flame. Do not keep it on the pan for too long or else the shemai will start burning. You want to TOAST the shemai not outright burn it.
The toasting gives the shemai some extra texture when the whole dessert comes together. It also gives it a little kick since the Banoful's Lascha Shemai is already a little sweetened from the palm oil they use.
You then have to place the toasted shemai in a separate container. Most optimally use a nice big container from which the shemai will be served. Constantly moving the shemai will only leave your dessert unsaturated. You want to keep the shemai well rested for all the flavor to dissipate equally into the dessert.
One a different pan pour full cream milk and boil it with sugar. You can add as much sugar as you like. Full cream milk will give the shemai richness. Always keep stirring since you don't want the milk to break open.
Once the sugar has dissolved and the milk has thickened, you can pour it into the container with the shemai. You can add more or less milk depending how soggy you want the shemai to turn out.
I usually add just enough so that the milk is hovering over the shemai. This usually ends up with the shemai absorbing most of the milk and leaving a thick and rich Lacchi Shemai.
For final touches before serving, take some cashew nuts and crush them into tiny bits. Spread them all over the top of the shemai once it has cooled. You can also use other different mixes of nuts. Or powders. Or even fruits.
There isn't a rule to follow with the toppings but cashew and other nuts have always been the authentic way for Lacchi Shemai.
And there you have it. One of the simplest and quickest desserts to ever bless your palette. It is incredibly simple yet mind-blowingly delicious. Nothing beats a good bowl of shemai on any occasion!
Affiliate links
Exode
Huobi. Earn upto $170 with my link.
Appics
Splinterlands
Actifit
Binance
Ionomy
Cryptex
