Shahi Tukray Recipe

Grandmother prepared her traditional Pakistani dessert Shahi Tukray with milky cardamom aroma in a simple way that became her signature recipe. As soon as you finish the preparation it will reveal its labored flavor taste.

A Personal Note

The process of writing this recipe lasted almost an eternity. This dessert has accompanied me throughout many years of my life since I tried it prior to learning to like kheer along with Chanay ki Daal ka Halwa. I had a special affection for those Shahi Tukray because my Nani prepared them precisely to my liking – tender yet satisfying. Excessive Kheer consumption brought joy to my young teenage self according to my amused Nani. In 2019 her illness took her life so I did not want to post this recipe when she passed away. The taste of kheer brought me pleasure once more when I enjoyed it at my two aunts’ homes and this sparked my desire to share this delight with others.

What are Shahi Tukray?

The sophisticated name Shahi Tukray (shahi=royal, tukray=pieces) describes bread pieces soaked in flavored milk although the dessert goes by the simpler title Shahi Tukda. Different versions exist of this particular dessert. Popular iterations include

• Where the bread is fried, dunked in sugar syrup, and then has a thicker milk (rabri) poured over it – what is often called double ka meetha
• Fried bread which has a thicker milk (rabri) poured over it, often with extra khoya (milk solids)
• Handi ke Shahi Tukray (this version) – where your bread is fried and simmered in a slightly thinner milk base than the above and left to soak it in.
  

  How do these Handi ke Shahi Tukray taste

  These desserts contain a sweet milk base which has saffron and cardamom performing as its main flavor elements. After adding the bread to the mixture it transforms into a softer with more delicate texture along with being airier as the product absorbs all present flavors. The perfect touch of salt enhances both flavor and sweetness to make this dessert uniquely special.

  Ingredients in Shahi Tukray

  • Milk (whole milk please!)
  • Condensed milk (sweetened) – for richness
  • Cardamom pods – for that quintessential Pakistani dessert flavour
  • Saffron – for extra flavour and oomph
  • Salt – for balance
  • White Bread – Stale is great, brioche is lovely here too!
  • Nuts and saffron for garnishing
    

    How to Make Shahi Tukda

    Okay folks let’s do it. Since this recipe is so straightforward to make I am going to share a few bonus tips okay? Also, I cut triangles, but smaller rectangles or squares are easier to manage! Use a bread knife and don’t rush it!

    Now fry your bread until beautifully golden brown on both sides. You can use ghee or oil (I use oil), but note it will absorb a fair bit of oil.

    Put all Shahi Tukray milk mixture ingredients except condensed milk into a wide bottomed pot. The milk mix reaches boiling temperature then requires 5-7 minutes of simmering followed by the addition of your condensed milk. Mix the ingredients thoroughly then maintain gentle heat during boiling.

    

    Now add your fried bread pieces carefully to your pot (they will expand as they soak up the liquid). The slices will get extremely tender (and tasty) as they do so so do be careful when transferring them to a dish!

    You can obtain better plating results by briefly dunking them before taking them to your platter then pouring the milk mix on top.

    For reference the slice in the front did a quick dunk, the ones in the back a proper soak. Let it come to room temperature and then refrigerate your dish. Garnish with nuts and/or saffron before serving.

    To achieve the highest flavor release from saffron using the correct method one should grind the spice before allowing it to bloom in either hot water or milk. I had tried that process during my previous dish photo session but the result was dramatically different from traditional presentations so I chose not to publish those images. Apologies to all readers while this blogger embraces sentimental memories. The correct method can be used according to your preference.

    

    Shahi Tukray Recipe

    A beautiful dessert with tender bread pieces that soak up a beautifully aromatic milky base. A classic, easy to make Pakistani dessert

    Ingredients

    • 6 slices white or brioche bread

    Milk Base

    • 4 cups whole milk
    • 1 tsp ground cardamom (freshly ground is optimal)
    • 1 tsp saffron, coarsely crushed by hand
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • 300 ml can condensed milk

    Garnishes

    • slivered almonds or pistachios
    • additional saffron

    Instructions

    • Remove the edges of your bread and slice into uniform pieces – I halved into triangles. You can use one piece of bread as a template for the others for even slices.
      
    • Combine all the milk mix ingredients except the condensed milk in a wide bottomed pot and for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened. (Note: this is for handi style, for a thicker base you can reduce the milk for another 5 minutes)
      
    • Stir in your condensed milk. You may want to use a little less if you are thickening the milk more.
      
    • Fry your breads pieces in oil (my preference) or ghee in batches until golden brown.
      
    • Add your bread slices into the milky base and let it simmer for a few minutes to help the bread absorb the flavour.
      
    • For easier plating don’t leave your bread in too long because it becomes hard to transfer. If you are making it in advance then you can also place the fried bread in your dish and gently pour over the milk. The bread will absorb the milk mix as it cools.
      
    • Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with nuts and saffron.
      

    Notes   The recipe instructions break down into two parts regarding milk and bread. Placing the milk mix over gentle heat on one burner allows you to simultaneously fry bread on another to produce this dish in less than 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes is how fast the dish finishes due to the time-saving method the dish uses.
    The choice of bread slicing method depends solely on personal preference since triangular or square or rectangular shapes work just as well.  keep visiting