Shahi tukra recipe/ Double ka meetha in 3 steps / Bread pudding

Shahi tukda is an Indian style bread pudding in which fried bread is soaked in thickened milk which is flavored with spices like cardamom, saffron, or rose water and topped with dry fruits. This dish was originated in Hyderabad in the royal kitchen of Nizams and Qutub shahis, thus goes with ”shahi” as the title which means royal in Urdu.

It also goes with the name double ka meetha which refers to milk bread called ”double roti” locally, as it swells up into double the size after soaking milk.

Shahi tukra is a simple yet very delicious, rich dessert which is served in dinner parties, weddings, get-togethers, and on festivities like eid-ul-zuha.

Here’s is a simple recipe of shahi tukda in 3 simple steps. Team it up with Nizami Chicken Biryani or Nizami Mutton Biryani or tahari to make a full course Hyderabadi meal.

Shahi tukra recipe/ Double ka meetha in 3 steps / Bread pudding – – White milk bread, cooking oil, Ghee / Clarified butter ((optional)), Whole milk (600 ml of milk (full fat milk preferably)), Sweetened condensed milk, Sugar ((as per taste)), Pistachios ((sliced)), Raisins / kishmish, Almonds / badaam ((sliced)), Cashews / Kaju ((sliced)), yellow orange food color/saffron strands ((To impart color to the dessert)), , Step 1: Frying the bread: Remove the brown sides of the bread slices with the help of a knife and cut it into triangular pieces by making a slanted slit. (You can also cut the bread into squares by making horizontal and a vertical slit); Air-dry the pieces for at least 1 hour or more. (This makes your bread crisp and absorbs less oil while frying).; Heat oil+ghee in a pan or kadhai and deep fry the dried bread pieces on constant medium flame until they turn golden in color on both sides.; Remove them on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Keep aside.; Step 2: Making milk sauce: In a cooking pot boil the milk on high flame and reduce it to half by constant stirring at regular intervals. (The milk should thicken nicely and should be reduced to 1.5 glasses approx.); Now add cardamom powder, sugar, and condensed milk to the thickened milk and give this mixture a boil.; Finally, add the food color and mix well. Switch off the flame. The milk sauce is ready.; Step 3: Assembling: Slice the almonds, cashews, and pistachios. In a pan heat about 1 teaspoon of oil or ghee and fry the almonds, cashews, pistachios, and raisins on a low flame for 1 minute. Keep this aside.; In a serving dish arrange the fried bread slices either slant as shown or horizontally as you wish.; Now pour the hot milk sauce over the bread slices. (If your milk sauce has cooled down then give it a boil and then pour over the bread); Now garnish it with fried almonds, pistachios, and raisins. Leave it for 15 -20 minutes for the bread to soak milk sauce. That's it. Shahi tukda is ready to be served.; – <ol> <li>As Double ka meetha tastes best when it has a slight crunch to it, do not cook the dessert after adding milk sauce to bread. As this will only make your bread soggy and lose its crispiness.</li> <li>The longer you air dry the bread slices the better.</li> <li>Be attentive while frying the bread, as the bread turns to darker shades of brown very quickly. Be careful yet fast while flipping the bread, fry only until it turns golden in color. Always maintain a constant medium flame to avoid overcooking