SHAHI TUKDA

INGREDIENTS

for rabri:

4 cups milk or 1 litre full fat whole milk
2 to 2.5 tbsp sugar or as required
3 tbsp milk powder (optional) or ¼ tsp
cardamom powder, a pinch of saffron
1 tbsp masala milk powder (optional)
1 tsp kewra (pandanus) water or 1 tsp rose
water or a drop of kewra essence or rose
essence
a pinch of saffron/kesar strands or saffron
powder

for sugar syrup:

½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
4 green cardamoms powdered in mortar
pestle or ¼ tsp cardamom powder or 1 tsp
rose water or a drop of rose essence
for pan frying bread:
5 to 6 slices of bread (white/brown/whole
wheat or milk bread)
2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter (1 tbsp for
frying each batch of bread, add more if
required)
for garnish:
12-15 almonds/badam, blanched and sliced
a few strands of saffron (optional)
10 to 12 pistachios, blanched and sliced

METHOD

blanching the dry fruits:

1. first heat a cup of water till it begins to
boil in a microwave or stove top or electric
heater.
2. add the pistachios and almonds to the hot
water.
3. cover and keep aside for 30 mins.
4. then peel both and slice them. keep aside.

preparing the rabri or sweet creamy thickened
milk:

1. in a broad thick bottomed pan or sauce
pan or a kadai take 1 litre of full fat whole
milk and bring its first boil.
2. then add milk powder (i used nestle
brand) . the addition of milk powder
reduces the cooking time of rabri. milk
powder is not essential and if you don't
have then also its fine. just that you will
have to simmer the milk for some more
minutes.
3. add masala milk powder (this was
homemade one). again optional and if you
don't have just add a pinch of crushed
saffron and ¼ tsp cardamom powder.
4. remove the clotted cream/malai which
forms on top of the milk and add it back
to the milk. also keep on scraping the
dried milk from the sides and add them
back to the milk.
5. do stir and scrape often so that the milk
does not get browned or burnt from the
bottom as well as the sides.
6. keep on simmering, stirring, removing the
clotted cream and scraping.
7. switch off when the milk has reduced and
become thickened.
8. add sugar. stir well so that the sugar
dissolves.
9. next add crushed saffron or saffron powder
along with kewra water (pandanus water).
skip this step, if you have added saffron
before. you can also add sliced almonds
and pistachios here. i did not add as i
have already added homemade masala
milk powder, which is finely ground dry
fruits with a few fragrant spices. substitute
kewra water with edible rose water or rose
essence.
10. the consistency and texture of the rabdi is
shown above in pic 10.
11. it will take about 1 hour for the milk to
thicken on a low flame.

pan frying the bread slices:

1. slice the crusts of the bread. cut them into
squares, rectangles or triangles.
2. heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a flat pan, tava or
frying pan.
3. place the bread slices and on a low to
medium heat toast them.
4. when one side is browned, flip and toast
the other side.
5. flip once or twice more to get an even
golden color and browning.
6. drain the bread slices on paper towels.
7. add 1 tbsp ghee again and toast the
remaining batch. keep all the toasted
bread side.

preparing sugar syrup:

1. mix ½ cup of sugar with ¼ cup water in a
pan. you can begin with the sugar syrup
when you start to toast bread slices.
2. keep the sugar solution on a low heat.
3. the mixture would start to come to a boil.
4. cook till you get a one thread consistency
in the sugar syrup.
5. switch off the flame, when one thread
consistency is reached, add cardamom
powder and stir.
6. in case the syrup cools and crystallizes
before you soak the bread in it, then just
add about 1 to 1.5 tbsp water and reheat
the syrup.

assembling the shahi tukra:

1. now dip the bread slices in the sugar
syrup. with the help of a spoon or small
tongs, coat the bread slices evenly with
the sugar syrup. if this is difficult for you,
then just pour the sugar syrup evenly on a
neatly arranged bed of bread slices.
2. arrange the sugar syrup soaked bread
slices neatly in a serving tray or plate.
3. pour the rabri on the sugar syrup coated
bread slices.
4. garnish with sliced blanched almonds and
pistachios.
5. serve the rich royal shahi tukra.
6. if not serving, then keep in the fridge. if
you plan to add silver foil (chandi ka
varak) then place it at the time of serving,
whether serving chilled or warm or at room
temperature.