Shahi tukda is a super-rich Mughalai dessert that is prepared by frying the bread slices in the ghee, soaking in sugar syrup, then topping it with thick rabdi and garnished with chopped nuts.
Warm up the milk in a microwave or stovetop. Add crushed saffron to it. Mix and keep it aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add ricotta cheese.
Start mixing and cooking with stirring constantly for 5 minutes. As it is heating up, it will melt and becomes runny.
Add condensed milk and saffron milk. Mix well and simmer for 3-5 minutes stirring constantly until it becomes thick and coats the spoon. Keep stirring while cooking to avoid sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan.
Turn off the stove and add cardamom powder, rose water and chopped almonds, pistachios. Mix well and let it cool down.
Fry Bread Slices:
Keep the bread slices on a wire rack and let them dry out for 30 minutes to 1 hour. So do this step first, then start prepping the rest ingredients and make rabdi. Dried-out bread will absorb less amount of ghee.
Trim the edges of the bread and cut diagonally to make 4 triangle pieces from one bread slice. Repeat the same for the rest.
Heat around 2 tablespoons of ghee in a wide, shallow pan. Once hot place bread slices in a single layer.
Fry until golden brown from the bottom, flip and fry another side until golden and crisp. Remove it to a plate and repeat the shallow frying rest of the bread. Keep adding a tablespoon or two or more ghee as needed while frying.
Make Sugar Syrup:
Take sugar and water in a saucepan and turn the heat on medium. Let the syrup simmer and cook.
Simmer until it reaches one thread consistency (ek tar chasni). If you’re checking with a candy thermometer then it should reach 220 F (104 C). As soon as it reaches the temp, turn off the stove.
You can check the thread consistency using the old-fashioned method. Take a drop or two of syrup on a plate, let it cool down to touch, take that drop between your thumb and forefinger, rub a couple of times and as your separate both you’ll notice a single thread is forming and it stays like that for some time. If the thread breaks quickly then cook syrup a little longer and check again.
Once it reaches single thread consistency, turn off the stove. Add cardamom powder and rose water. Stir well.
NOTE: If syrup cools down or crystallizes then add a tablespoon of water, and reheat until liquid and warm.
Assemble:
Take a slice of bread, and add to the syrup. Flip and coat both sides with warm sugar syrup. Take it out using a fork and let the excess syrup drip, and place it on the serving platter or plate. Repeat the same for the remaining bread.
Pour the rabdi on top.
Garnish with chopped nut and saffron.
Notes
Use 1-2 days old stale bread slices as dried-out bread absorbs less ghee while frying.
Also, let the bread dry out even more on a wire rack for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remember less moisture in the bread, the less ghee the bread will absorb.
Sugar syrup must have one thread consistency. If it’s runny and thin then the bread will absorb the syrup and it makes the soft, soggy bread. If it’s over/more than one thread and becomes too thick then it will harden like candy as it cools.
Rabri has to be thick yet runny consistency. As it cools down and if it becomes too thick then add a splash of warm milk and mix until it gets desired consistency.
Soft texture or Crispy Bread in your shahi tukda?
For soft bread, soak the fried bread in warm syrup for 15-20 seconds.
For crisp bread, just dip the bread on both sides in the syrup and remove it right away.