I feel haunted..in a good way, like I am being watched by my personal good fairy..
and I especially feel this way when I make the Royal bite..or the Shahi tukda as we know it.
I can almost feel the ghost of my ancestors, looking down at me with a big smile when I make this, I can feel the presence of my grandma,hovering over my shoulders, whispering in my ears "honey you forgot to add the kewra essence..." ,and if I look up at the evening sky, I know I can picture a giant thumbs up made up of stars, which me being me, i will take as a blessing from the entire Mishra clan!
Oh God..the drama this dish demands!!
But then,when one is indulging in one of those rare moments of nostalgic cooking,often relegated to the realms of a seldom opened notebook,one should make an effort at a proper introduction.
After all making and serving the Shahi tukda is no mean feat.
In the days of bygone era,when Nawabs were not merely fictional characters and seven course meals were the norm rather than the exception, almost every special meal wasn't considered complete until the "much anxiously and long awaited" Shahi tukda was served with aplomb and savoured with gusto!
Shahi tukra is a dish that is fit for a king. This dish actually belonged to the Nawabi food menu. This dessert is very famous in North India and is a closer cousin to the famous double ka meeta in Hyderabad.
The traditional shahi tukra is served in a different way. Deep fried pieces of bread are placed on the serving dish and the thickened sweetened milk is poured over it and topped with nuts and served.
Its a simple dessert with ordinary ingredients which magically form into a cohesive something that is rather extra ordinary..
may be its the humble bread fried golden in ghee, or the sumptuous khoya in it..or the delicious creamy layer..the few sublime drops of kewra essence or the extravagant sprinkling of dry fruits at the end!
Soaked in the creamy layers of condensed milk and served cold , this is by far the most exquisite and indulgent of all Indian desserts!
PS: I made this Royal bit for the first time,es..another first time like my Gulab Jamun, Rasgullas, Cheesecake, Caramel decorations...but its sooo good that I have started to believe "beginner's luck is not a myth".
Make these immediately..or any time you have bread thats drying up..and rescue them to heavenly heights!
Here's what you need to do :
INGREDIENTS :
5 slices breadGhee to fry
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Few strands Saffron
Few drops kewra essence or kewra water
150 gram mawa/khoya
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 cup fresh cream
Sugar 2-3 tbsp ( depends on your taste)
Cashews, Pistachios, Almond, raisins to garnish
METHOD:
1. Remove crust from the bread slices and cut each slice into two.
2. Heat ghee in a pan and shallow (or deep) fry the bread till golden brown and crispy.I shallow fried.
3. Drain and arrange on a serving plate.
4. Heat milk and add the condensed milk along with saffron and few drops of essence. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes stirring at regular intervals.
5. Pour this milk mixture on top of the bread and let it soak up the milk.
6. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a pan and lightly fry the crushed khoya along with cardamom powder and a tablespoon of sugar. Spread this mawa layer on top of the bread.
7. Add a few drops of kewra essence to the cold cream. Add 2 tbsp sugar. Whip till fluffy. Spread this cream on top of the mawa.
8. Sprinkle chopped nuts. Chill for 4-5 hours. Serve.
Notes:
✔️ If you don’t want to deep fry the bread in ghee, just shallow fry it in ghee till crispy.
✔️ If you cant findKewra essence or water, replace it with rose water.
✔️ Khoya or mawa is basically dried milk used for making most sweet dishes. You can get khoya from indian sweet stores. If not you can prepare it at home, but it is quite a cumbersome process. If you don’t find it in stores and don’t want to make it, just replace it with paneer. You might want to add more sugar if using paneer. Just check and add. The taste will be slightly different but that works well too.
