Sheera - a traditional meal from Pakistan

Sheera

This is a story about Sheera, It is a Pakistani/Indian sweet porridge given to women after childbirth. It is a ubiquitous Asian dish. It comes in different varieties. Some vary in their consistency and some in the type of flour they use. Also, it is not limited to women in postpartum, you can also make it for anyone who is looking for a sweet, less in calories and high in energy dish.

So I am going to list down the ingredients first.
1)    1 cup of Sooji (rava, semolina flour)
2)    ¼ cup of desi ghee (clarified butter)
3)    1/3 cup sugar (It also depend on your need)
4)    1 or 2 cups of water
5)    2 or 3 cardamom
6)    Dry Fruit (Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachio)

How to make

First of all, take a nonstick pan and put desi ghee in it. Then add Sooji in it and start mixing it well and stir it until it becomes slightly brown. Then add water to it and cook it for 10 to 15 min. While cooking, add sugar as well. Then turn the stove off and garnish it with the dry fruit and enjoy it hot. Sooji usually sucks up the water so leave more than you want because it will dry up.

Health benefits

Semolina flour does not contain cholesterol, saturated fat or trans fat. It is good for people who are gluten intolerant. It is high in protein and low on fat. It has a low glycemic index that makes it the best for diabetics and even for people who are trying to lose weight.
Semolina flour has the carbohydrate that makes it a good energy source, and it is perfect for women who have just been through childbirth. Since the women feel weak and low on energy, it helps to give them the strength they need and also being soft, women will be able to devour it and will also be able to digest easily.
As mentioned earlier, it is low in fat, so therefore it prevents high cholesterol. So many new mommies are conscious of their weight. During the pregnancy period they gain weight, and even after childbirth, they don’t start exercising right away. So their lifestyle pretty much becomes sedentary.  During this time most women eat decidedly less in fear of gaining weight and as a result, miss out on a lot of essential nutrients. This is the reason, why even after months of delivery they still complain of a backache and muscle ache. It is because of not receiving enough nutrients.
Semolina flour is very rich in iron. From 1 cup of this flour, you can get 8% of the daily recommended amount of metal. This vital mineral helps in the creating hemoglobin that provides oxygen to the cells in your body. It prevents an iron deficiency that can result in a weak immune system, fatigue, etc

Extra note

The women who have given natural childbirth can have this dish that day or the day after but for the women that had c section need to wait a day or two before she can eat it.