Bread Halwa (Bread Sheera) is a delicious Indian sweet or dessert made using bread slices and a handful of ingredients. Bread slices are deep-fried in ghee and then cooked in sugar syrup until the consistency of halwa is reached. Here is how to make it (vegetarian).
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About Bread Halwa
Bread Halwa (Bread Sheera, Bread Pudding) is an Indian dessert made using white bread slices, ghee, sugar, cardamom powder, and dried fruits and nuts.
It is particularly popular in Hyderabadi cuisine and is made for all festivals and special occasions. It is also made for Muslim weddings.
Deep-fried slices of bread cooked in sugar syrup give this halwa a melt-in-mouth texture and the dried nuts and fruits perfectly balance the softness with their crunch.
Bread ka halwa recipe comes together in under 20 minutes using simple ingredients. This recipe is a great way to use leftover bread slices that have dried up. You can also make this sweet dish when you have unexpected guests at home.
Bread sheera recipe can be made in two ways – with milk and with water. I have mentioned both methods in the post below. My favorite is the one cooked in the water though.
You can easily scale this delicious bread halwa recipe if making it for a crowd.
Do try my Double Ka Meetha and Shahi Tukda recipe also.
Here are some more halwa recipes that you may like
Ingredients
Bread – White milk bread or sweet white bread slices are the best to make this halwa. I don’t prefer using brown bread or other hard bread to make it.
You can also use sweet buns in place of bread and call it bun halwa.
Ghee – This halwa is cooked in ghee. Do not replace it with oil, it won’t taste good.
Nuts – I have used cashew nuts and almonds, but you can add other nuts like pistachios, walnuts, etc. Some people garnish this delicious dessert with melon seeds also.
Sugar – Granulated white sugar is used to sweeten the halwa. You can replace sugar with powdered jaggery or brown sugar if you wish to.
Cardamom Powder – Use it to flavor the halwa.
You can add some saffron strands to make the halwa more flavorful.
How To Make Bread Halwa (With Water)
Cut the brown edges of 6 white bread slices using a sharp serrated knife and cut the slices into 4 pieces.
Heat 2 cups of ghee for frying in a shallow pan over medium heat.
Once the ghee is hot, deep fry the bread pieces in batches until golden brown.
Keep flipping the pieces using tongs while frying so that they fry evenly on all sides.
Drain on a plate and set aside.
Note – Do not over-fry the bread otherwise the halwa will not taste good. Keep in consideration that bread will keep browning a little from the residual heat.
Tip – Strain the leftover ghee using a fine-mesh strainer and use it to make other sweets.
Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium heat.
Add 10-12 almonds (coarsely crushed) and 10-12 cashew nuts (coarsely crushed) and fry until golden brown. Keep stirring frequently while frying.
Add ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water to the pan.
Cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
Now add the fried bread slices to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes until the halwa starts to leave the sides of the pan.
Keep mashing the halwa with the back of a ladle.
Once the halwa is cooked, add ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder and mix well.
Garnish with more slivered nuts and serve hot.
How To Make Bread ka Halwa (With Milk)
To make bread halwa using milk, just replace water with whole milk (full-fat milk) and keep the rest of the recipe the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make the halwa healthier, brush the bread pieces with little ghee and toast them until brown and crispy instead of deep-frying. Then use them in the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Bread Halwa can be served as a dessert after your weekend meals or even festive meals.
You can also serve it as a snack whenever hunger strikes and you are cravings for something sweet.
Storage Suggestions
You can store bread ka halwa in the fridge in an airtight container for about 3 to 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave or in a small pan and serve it hot or warm.
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Recipe Card
Easy Bread Halwa Recipe (Bread Sheera)
Ingredients
- 6 white bread slices
- 1 tablespoon ghee (plus 2 cups for frying)
- 10-12 almonds (coarsely crushed)
- 10-12 cashew nuts (coarsely crushed)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
- Cut the brown ends of bread slices using a sharp serrated knife and cut the slices into 4 pieces.
- Heat 2 cups of ghee for frying in a shallow pan over medium heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, deep fry the bread pieces in batches until golden brown.
- Keep flipping the pieces using tongs while frying so that they fry evenly on all sides.
- Drain on a plate and set aside.
- Note – Do not over-fry the bread otherwise the halwa will not taste good. Keep in consideration that bread will keep browning a little from the residual heat.
- Tip – Strain the leftover ghee using a fine-mesh strainer and use it to make other sweets.
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium heat.
- Add almonds and cashew nuts (coarsely crushed) and fry until golden brown. Keep stirring frequently while frying.
- Add sugar and water to the pan.
- Cook until sugar is dissolved.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
- Now add the fried bread pieces to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes until the halwa starts to leave the sides of the pan.
- Keep mashing the halwa with the back of a ladle.
- Once the halwa is cooked, add cardamom powder and mix well.
- Garnish with more slivered nuts and serve hot.
Angela
This was really awesome !!! I added a pinch of salt to the syrup but the taste was mindblowing! Thank you for the recipe
Neha Mathur
Happy to hear 🙂