Shahi Tukda Recipe (Mughlai Bread Pudding)

A bowl of Mughlai shahi tukda, an Indian dessert, featuring fried sugar syrup soaked bread slices topped with yellow saffron milk, garnished with sliced almonds, pistachios, and rose petals. Nearby bowls hold dried rose petals and nuts.

4.43 from 14 votes

Shahi Tukda Recipe (Mughlai Bread Pudding)

Shahi Tukda (Indian Bread Pudding, Shahi Toast) is a Mughlai dessert made with deep-fried bread slices, reduced saffron-flavored milk (rabdi), and sugar syrup. Make it using my easy recipe and serve it for festivals and special occasions.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian, Mughlai, North Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: people

Author: Neha Mathur

Ingredients

For The Rabdi Topping

1 litre whole milk (full-fat milk)
15-20 saffron strands
¼ cup granulated white sugar
½ teaspoon rose water

For Frying The Bread

6 white bread slices
1 cup ghee for frying

For The Sugar Syrup

1 cup water
¾ cup granulated white sugar
2-3 pods green cardamoms pods crushed
1 teaspoon rose water or kewra water

Others

almonds and pistachio slivers for garnishing
dried rose petals for garnishing

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make The Rabdi

Start this recipe by making the rabdi. While the rabdi is cooking, fry the bread and make the sugar syrup, and in the end, assemble the shahi tukda. You can also make the rabdi a day in advance.

Heat milk in a wide, heavy-bottom non-stick pan over medium heat.
When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add saffron strands and mix well.
Cook the rabdi until it is reduced by half (approximately 25-30 minutes), stirring frequently. Scrape the sides of the pan with a silicone spatula at regular intervals, then add the solidified milk back to the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan frequently to prevent the milk from scorching.
Once the milk is reduced to half, add sugar and cook for another 10-12 minutes until the rabdi is thickened to a custard-like consistency. The rabdi should coat the back of a spoon.
Add rose syrup and mix well. Remove the pan from the heat. Rabdi will thicken further as it cools. Set aside.

Fry The Bread

Cut the corners of bread slices and then cut them diagonally. Discard the corners.
Heat ghee in a shallow pan over medium heat. The ghee should be deep enough to submerge the bread triangles.
When the ghee is hot (170°C, 340°F), add a few slices of bread and deep-fry them on both sides until golden brown. The color should be uniform amber, not pale yellow. I like to use a tong to hold the bread slices while frying.
Fry all the bread similarly.
Transfer the fried bread slices to a plate and set them aside.

Make The Sugar Syrup

Heat water, sugar, and green cardamoms in a pan over medium heat.
Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring a few times in between. The syrup must not be too thick; otherwise, the bread will not absorb it. It should be of one-string consistency.

One-string consistency is a stage of sugar syrup in which, when you press a drop of syrup between your thumb and index finger and gently pull them apart, a thin thread (string) forms without breaking immediately.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add rose water or kewra water and mix well.

Assembly

Dip fried bread slices in warm sugar syrup for 10-20 seconds. (or more if you like a softer version)
Keep them on the serving plate.
Top with 2-3 tablespoon of rabdi. Garnish the shahi tukda with slivered almonds and pistachio and dried rose petals. You can also keep some edible silver leaf (varq) on top. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Do not use whole-wheat bread or any other grain bread for this recipe, as it will not give the dish an authentic taste.

Try to use fresh bread, as dry bread crumbles a lot while frying, and the crumbs burn in the ghee, sticking to the next batches.

While frying the bread, be very careful. It burns in a second.

Ensure the ghee is not too hot, and fry the bread slices on medium heat until golden brown.

The rabdi on top of the shahi tukda should have a flowing consistency but not be too thin. I like to make the rabdi a day in advance and chill it in the refrigerator. The combination of hot sugar-soaked bread topped with chilled rabri is a delight.

The cardamom sugar syrup should not be too thick. It should have a one-string consistency. You can also add a few saffron strands to the syrup to make a saffron sugar syrup.

Nutrition