Bread Halwa (Bread Sheera)
on Jan 31, 2022, Updated Oct 06, 2023
Bread Halwa (Bread Sheera) is a delicious Indian sweet or dessert made using bread slices and a handful of ingredients. Here is how to make it.
You may like some more halwa recipes: Beetroot Halwa, Lauki Halwa, Rajgira Sheera, Carrot Halwa, and Sooji Halwa.
I have a big sweet tooth and love to eat a little Meetha post-meal. Indian desserts are my most favorite, and I keep trying a variety of them. Yesterday, I made this delicious halwa using bread. Here is my recipe!
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, including Muslim weddings.
Deep-fried slices of bread cooked in sugar syrup give this halwa a melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the dried nuts and fruits perfectly balance the softness with their crunch. Some people also add khoya to their recipes, which I am sure makes the halwa even richer and more delicious.
This bread ka halwa recipe comes together in under 20 minutes using simple ingredients.
The bread sheera recipe can be made with milk or water. I have mentioned both methods in the post below. My favorite is the one cooked in water, though.
Do try my Double Ka Meetha and Shahi Tukda recipe also.
Ingredients
Bread – White milk bread or sweet white bread slices are best for making this halwa. I don’t prefer using brown bread or other hard bread, and I don’t use stale bread. If the bread is not fresh, it crumbles a lot while frying, making the ghee unusable for multiple batches.
You can also use sweet buns instead 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.
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
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; the halwa will not taste good. The residual heat will cause the bread to keep browning a little.
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. Stir frequently while frying.
Add ½ cup granulated white 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 leaves 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make bread halwa using milk, replace water with whole milk (full-fat milk) and keep the rest of the recipe the same.
To make the halwa healthier, brush the bread pieces with a little ghee and toast them until brown and crispy instead of deep-frying. Then, use them in the recipe.
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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 white 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.
Video
This was really awesome !!! I added a pinch of salt to the syrup but the taste was mindblowing! Thank you for the recipe
Happy to hear 🙂