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Shahi Tukda is a rich, royal, and popular dessert from Mughlai cuisine that originated in Hyderabad. In Hindi and Urdu, the word shahi means 'royal', whereas tukda (often spelt tukra) means 'a piece' and combinedly called a 'royal piece'. In this dish, crispy breads are soaked in aromatic syrup, topped with rabri, and garnished with saffron and nuts. This sweet treat is particularly beloved during Ramadan as a pleasant way to end iftar dinners following a day of fasting.
From making the perfect sugar syrup and frying the pieces of bread to preparing a creamy rabri, all these steps are essential to preparing this dessert. Follow the tips below to ace the recipe for this royal dish.
Selection Of The Right Essential Ingredients
The primary ingredients of this dish are bread, milk, sugar, and a variety of aromatic ingredients. Good quality white bread that gives the dish texture and richness is considered the best option in traditional recipes. Use slices that are a little old to prevent them from getting too soggy. Use full-fat milk for the rabri to get a thick, creamy texture. Always prefer ghee for frying bread, because it adds a unique nutty flavour. For aroma use cardamom and saffron strands in the sugar syrup.
Preparation Of The Sugar Syrup
Sugar syrup is one of the most important ingredients of shahi tukda which gives it sweetness and a unique aroma. To prepare it in a saucepan, mix sugar and water. For extra taste and aroma, include a green cardamom pod and a few strands of saffron. After that bring the mixture to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer until it reaches the right consistency. This ensures that the syrup is thick enough to evenly coat the bread without getting overly sticky. Once the mixture has slightly cooled, you can add a few drops of rose or kewra water for a stronger flavour. This helps to improve the aromatic profile of the dish.
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Frying And Soaking Of The Bread Slices
At first slices of white bread should be cut into squares or triangles shapes. After that, heat a pan, and add ghee to it. Then add the slices to the pan and fry them till lightly brown on both sides. Make sure that they are crispy but not burned.
To make it a little healthy you can use whole wheat bread or pan-fry the bread with less ghee. But for its distinctive crunch, traditional shahi tukda is deep-fried. To absorb extra oil, lay the fried bread on paper towels. Before soaking them in the sugar syrup, let it cool slightly. Then, for a few seconds on each side, dip the slices into the prepared syrup.
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Preparation Of The Rabri
For making rabri take full-fat milk and boil until it has reduced to half its volume. Then add a few strands of saffron soaked in warm milk, a pinch of cardamom powder, and sugar. You can add mawa for extra richness. Then the mixture should be simmered until the consistency becomes thick and creamy. However, you can speed up the process by using condensed milk. Before adding the rabri to cover the fried bread, let it cool slightly.
Assembling And Serving
Transfer the breads which are coated with sugar syrup to a plate and cover with the rabri. You can cover them completely or leave some edges visible for visual appeal. For a more festive touch, garnish with chopped nuts, such as pistachios or almonds, dried rose petals and silver varq.
Serve shahi tukda chilled because cool desserts are perfectly refreshing after a day of fasting, especially during Ramadan.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
