Shahi Tukda

Ingredients :

Bread slices - 6, large (remove crust and cut each slice into triangles)

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Milk - 1 1/2 liter

Water - 1 1/4 cup

Cashew nuts - fistful, break into small pieces

Kismis - fistful

Pistachios - fistful, lightly crushed

Almonds - fistful, finely sliced

Saffron - 4-5 strands (kumkum puvvu/kesar), soaked in 2 tbsps of milk

Ghee - 2 tbsps

Preparation Method :

1. Place milk in a thick bottomed stainless steel vessel and bring to a boil. Reduce flame and allow it to reduce to half its original quantity. Add saffron milk and mix. Turn off heat and bring to room temperature. 

2. Add 4 tbsps of the prepared sugar syrup (process to prepare sugar syrup in Step 2) and mix. Chill till serving time.

3. In another bowl, place sugar and water. On low to medium flame, let the sugar dissolve completely. Once it dissolves completely, allow to cook for 4 minutes. Turn off heat. Keep aside.

4. Heat a non-stick pan and drizzle a tsp of ghee over it. Add dried fruits and nuts and toast for a minute till brown. Remove onto a bowl.

5. Drizzle 2-3 tsps of ghee in the same pan and place 3-4 triangles. Toast the bread to a golden shade on both sides. Remove and place on a plate.

6. Drizzle the remaining ghee, and toast the remaining bread triangles to a golden brown shade.

7. Dip each toasted triangle in the sugar syrup to coat both the sides and remove onto a serving dish.

* At the time of serving, pour the chilled saffron flavored thickened milk over the bread slices, garnish with toasted nuts and kismis and serve.