An innovative Pakistani dessert with vermicelli, rose flavored custard and jelly…
I am really not a fan of getting updated by what is happening around the world. To say the least, it is depressing. Nothing seems to be going well. People are being discriminated based on their religion and their choice of wanting to follow it. That goes every side. What is it with man, that he suddenly feels that what he thinks is big? From the time we are born to the time we die, we live in uncertainty. We have no clue as to what is going to happen at the very next second. Our life is one big bubble, ready to burst at any moment of time. Then what is it that we are proud about? That we have the money? That we have power over others to boss around? What good is it for us in the long run?
“And do not turn your face away from people in contempt, nor go about in the land exulting overmuch; surely Allah does not love any self-conceited boaster” (Quran 31:18).
Allah clearly loathes people who have even an atom worth of haughtiness inside you. Doesn’t He say that He seals the hearts and ears of those who are proud about themselves? With the way incidents are happening around us, it just shows how much ego, pride and power boosting will want to make you ignore the suffering and humiliation that your own neighbors have to go through, just because they are not the same as you. For that matter, if everyone was the same, what is the fun? Allah has created us in variety, for us to learn a lesson from it. Sometimes I wonder that there may not be much time left for this earth. There is too much mistrust, confusion, sadness and a huge gamut of mixed emotions that I can’t explain, but we can only be hopeful of His Mercy and pray that things get better…
I guess I will straight away hit to the recipe for today. Lab-e-Shireen is one dessert that I learned through blogging. First of all, the name has a beautiful ring to it. It makes you feel like it is a very exquisite, very difficult to make dessert. However, it actually isn’t. I would like to call it Pakistani trifle, since it has multiple layers like any trifle would have. I love trifles, though making them can be a little hectic despite the steps being easy. I will share a few of them at the end of this post. Now coming back to this one, since my girls love jelly custard pudding, I was sure they would love this too, though it has far more bite and chew in between.
The first layer is simply cooked and drained vermicelli. Then on top of it, drained fruit cocktail and crushed roasted nuts are spread on it. Now you can use fruits of your choice, usually the ones that go into a fruit chaat. But I took the short way and got a can of fruit. Hehe… Using fruit cocktail means there will be some level of sweetness to the down layer, which would otherwise only be sweet enough as the fruit. The top layer is a rose syrup doused creamy custard, which was my favorite of the whole dessert. I could make that alone and eat. Hehe… And then of course, the colorful jellies on top of it is like the crown. I was so impatient that I cut the jelly into huge chunks when I shot for this the first time. I made this dessert a few more times later for gatherings but didn’t have the mood to click again. Always happens… So if you want it to look better, try to be more patient unlike me and chop the jelly a little more small. 😉 Off to this simple recipe…
Lab-e-Shireen | Labe Shirin
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup vermicelli
- 425 gm pack fruit cocktail 250 gm drained
- 1/3 cup mixed nuts
- 2 packs jelly I used lime and strawberry
FOR CUSTARD BASE
- 350 ml milk
- 2 heaped tbsp custard powder
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp rose syrup
- 170 gm tub cream
Instructions
- First let us prepared the jellies. Whisk the jelly in one cup of boiling water till melted. Pour into a square container, allow to cool and refrigerate till set. You will have two jellies prepared this way.
- To prepare the custard, whisk the milk, custard and sugar and cook till thickened. Take off the heat.
- Whisk in the rose syrup and cream into the custard till homogenous. Allow to cool.
- Keep a deep dish washed and cleaned.
- Cook vermicelli in boiling water till done and drain. Spread immediately onto the prepared dish.
- Strain the fruits from the can and spread onto top of the vermicelli.
- Roast the nuts for a few minutes and coarsely crush them. Sprinkle on top of the fruit layer.
- Now spread the prepared rose custard layer on the top. Close with cling film and cool for around a couple of hours till the dessert is set and cold.
- Just before serving, slice up the jelly into pieces. Place on top of the custard layer and serve immediately.
Just like I mentioned earlier, if you love trifles, here are some of them that are already on the blog:
Mango Trifle – bookmark this for Ramadan time, since mangoes should be in by then… 🙂
Gajar Halwa Trifle – one of my favorite fusion desserts…
I hear you when it comes to the changes these days and the uncertainty and also the fact every one seems to have to show who is more vocal than the other , doesnt matter if they know any thing about itor not. this dish is an interesting one, very convenient as custard powder is a pantry staple esp during this pandemic , now I need some rose syrup