RECIPE TYPE: dessert
CUISINE: mughlai, indian
SERVES: 3-4
INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)
for rabri:
- 4 cups milk or 1 litre full fat whole milk
- 2 to 2.5 tbsp sugar or as required
- 3 tbsp milk powder (optional) or ¼ tsp cardamom powder, a pinch of saffron
- 1 tbsp masala milk powder (optional)
- 1 tsp kewra (pandanus) water or 1 tsp rose water or a drop of kewra essence or rose essence
- a pinch of saffron/kesar strands or saffron powder
for sugar syrup:
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 4 green cardamoms powdered in mortar pestle or ¼ tsp cardamom powder or 1 tsp rose water or a drop of rose essence
for pan frying bread:
- 5 to 6 slices of bread (white/brown/whole wheat or milk bread)
- 2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter (1 tbsp for frying each batch of bread, add more if required)
for garnish:
- 12-15 almonds/badam, blanched and sliced
- a few strands of saffron (optional)
- 10 to 12 pistachios, blanched and sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
blanching the dry fruits:
- first heat a cup of water till it begins to boil in a microwave or stove top or electric heater.
- add the pistachios and almonds to the hot water.
- cover and keep aside for 30 mins.
- then peel both and slice them. keep aside.
preparing the rabri or sweet creamy thickened milk:
- in a broad thick bottomed pan or sauce pan or a kadai take 1 litre of full fat whole milk and bring its first boil.
- then add milk powder (i used nestle brand) . the addition of milk powder reduces the cooking time of rabri. milk powder is not essential and if you don't have then also its fine. just that you will have to simmer the milk for some more minutes.
- add masala milk powder (this was homemade one). again optional and if you don't have just add a pinch of crushed saffron and ¼ tsp cardamom powder.
- remove the clotted cream/malai which forms on top of the milk and add it back to the milk. also keep on scraping the dried milk from the sides and add them back to the milk.
- do stir and scrape often so that the milk does not get browned or burnt from the bottom as well as the sides.
- keep on simmering, stirring, removing the clotted cream and scraping.
- switch off when the milk has reduced and become thickened.
- add sugar. stir well so that the sugar dissolves.
- next add crushed saffron or saffron powder along with kewra water (pandanus water). skip this step, if you have added saffron before. you can also add sliced almonds and pistachios here. i did not add as i have already added homemade masala milk powder, which is finely ground dry fruits with a few fragrant spices. substitute kewra water with edible rose water or rose essence.
- the consistency and texture of the rabdi is shown above in pic 10.
- it will take about 1 hour for the milk to thicken on a low flame.
pan frying the bread slices:
- slice the crusts of the bread. cut them into squares, rectangles or triangles.
- heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a flat pan, tava or frying pan.
- place the bread slices and on a low to medium heat toast them.
- when one side is browned, flip and toast the other side.
- flip once or twice more to get an even golden color and browning.
- drain the bread slices on paper towels.
- add 1 tbsp ghee again and toast the remaining batch. keep all the toasted bread side.
preparing sugar syrup:
- mix ½ cup of sugar with ¼ cup water in a pan. you can begin with the sugar syrup when you start to toast bread slices.
- keep the sugar solution on a low heat.
- the mixture would start to come to a boil.
- cook till you get a one thread consistency in the sugar syrup.
- switch off the flame, when one thread consistency is reached, add cardamom powder and stir.
- in case the syrup cools and crystallizes before you soak the bread in it, then just add about 1 to 1.5 tbsp water and reheat the syrup.
assembling the shahi tukra:
- now dip the bread slices in the sugar syrup. with the help of a spoon or small tongs, coat the bread slices evenly with the sugar syrup. if this is difficult for you, then just pour the sugar syrup evenly on a neatly arranged bed of bread slices.
- arrange the sugar syrup soaked bread slices neatly in a serving tray or plate.
- pour the rabri on the sugar syrup coated bread slices.
- garnish with sliced blanched almonds and pistachios.
- serve the rich royal shahi tukra.
- if not serving, then keep in the fridge. if you plan to add silver foil (chandi ka varak) then place it at the time of serving, whether serving chilled or warm or at room temperature.
