The Royal touch..Shahi Tukde

Any Indian food lover, especially those who have a sweet tooth , will have definitely tasted this amazing dessert at some point in their lives. This sinfully rich dish has paved its way down the Moghul era,with its route passing the courts of the nawabs and royal households too.. which is why it has an important place in wedding menus and is also very popular during the ramzan festival second only to the amazing sheer khurma..This elaborate looking dish is actually very simple to make, needing just few ingredients. Many families have their own version of this dish , some serve it chilled, some at room temperature, even the way it is served varies from region to region.The Hyderabadi people call it DOUBLE KA MEETHA.. because of a type of milk bread that they use which literally swells to double its volume when soaked. The bread is always fried first till golden and then soaked in a warm saffron syrup, once the bread slightly softens up, it is topped with a rich rabri and nuts..This wonderful marriage of flavours which are a sheer delight in gastronomy is India’s delicious answer to the bread pudding of the western world..

The simpler Sindhi version of this dessert is known as chash ji dabroti, it was a standard once in a week dish in our home during winters, which my mom made on most saturdays , basically the bread was fried until golden then dunked in a warm sugar syrup flavoured with saffron and cardamoms.. my grandmother , amma loved this dish so much that she always asked for second helpings, with me not far behind.:) the Sindhi version does not include rabri. Today I will share with you my version of the recipe, enjoy it , though this rich dessert will make calorie conscious people think twice, do try a small portion.

SHAHI TUKDE

INGREDIENTS FOR THE RABRI

750 ML OF MILK

200 ML OF SWEET CONDENSED MILK

1/2 TSP CARDAMOM POWDER

METHOD TO MAKE RABRI..

BOIL THE MILK , CONDENSED MILK AND CARDAMOM POWDER TOGETHER AND SIMMER TILL THE QUANTITY HAS REDUCED TO HALF, STIR IN BETWEEN.. WE WANT A CONCOCTION WHICH IS THICK BUT NOT DRY, SHUT THE FIRE, COOL THE REDUCED MILK AND THEN ADD 1/2 TSP OF ROSE ESSENCE..KEEP ASIDE. THIS CAN BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME AND KEPT COVERED IN THE REFRIGERATOR.

INGREDIENTS FOR SUGAR SYRUP

500 ML HOT WATER

100 GMS SUGAR

1/2 TSP CARDAMOM POWDER

1/2 TSP SAFFRON STRANDS (soaked

METHOD

BOIL THE WATER AND CARDAMOM POWDER ALONG WITH GROUND SAFFRON TILL IT REDUCES BY ALMOST HALF… KEEP WARM

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BREAD BASE..

6 SLICES OF WHITE BREAD CUT INTO 4 PIECES EACH

OIL OR GHEE TO FRY THE BREAD

2 TBSP PURE GHEE

METHOD TO FRY AND ASSEMBLE

HEAT OIL OR GHEE IN A WOK, I USE OIL AND ADD 2 TBSPS OF GHEE FOR THE FLAVOUR, DEEP FRY THE BREAD PIECES UNTIL GOLDEN AND PUT ONTO A FLAT PLATE, POUR THE SAFFRON SYRUP ONTO THE BREAD AND ONCE THE BREAD SOAKS UP THE SYRUP TRANSFER TO A SERVING DISH, USE HALF THE PIECES FIRST, TOP WITH RABRI AND NUTS, AND TOP AGAIN WITH BREAD PIECES, GARNISH WITH MORE NUTS, ROSE PETALS AND SILVER VARKH.. SERVE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE OR COLD.