Recipe: Shahi Tukda

The name is self explanatory. The royal dish is made of bread deep-fried in ghee, soaked in sugar syrup, and then piled high with rabri and dried fruit and nuts.

Chef Sanjyot Keer

For making shahi tukda masala

1. In a mixer grinder, add 1/4 cup almonds, 3 to 4 skinless green cardamom, 1 skinless black cardamom, 3 to 4 black peppercorns, 1 tbsp fennel seeds. grind all these into a fine powder. shahi tukda masala is ready and can be stored in fridge in a an airtight container.

For making rabari

2. Boil 1.5 litres of full fat milk in a heavy bottom pan. lower the heat and stir continuously so to prevent the milk to stick to the bottom of the pan.

3. Once the layer of the cream starts to form, start collecting the cream on the edges of the pan.

4. Scrape of the cream layer stuck on the edges and repeat the process until the milk reduces to 1/3rd.

5. Add 3 tbsp sugar, and cook for 7-8 minutes while stirring. then add 2 tbsp shahi tukda masala and stir well.

6. Cool down the rabari and refrigerate it before serving.

For making chashni

7. Add 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water. let the sugar dissolve.

8. Add 12 to 15 saffron strands and a pinch of green cardamom powder.

9. Cook the syrup and bring it to one string consistency. cool down the syrup to luke warm temperature.

For making shahi tukda

10. Cut the brown bread slices into four triangles.

11. In a pan heat ghee to shallow fry the bread triangles on both the sides until crisp and golden brown. drain excess ghee and cool down the fried breads.

12. Coat the fried bread triangles with the sugar syrup.

13. Top it up with the chilled rabari and finish it by sprinkling shahi tukda masala, few almonds and pistachios slivers and some dried rose petals (optional).