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Shahi Tukda Bread Pudding

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This version of bread pudding was inspired by an Indian dessert called shahi tukda, aka the royal morsel that arose in the kitchens of the Moghul Empire, and it might owe its origin to the Egyptian dessert, Um Ali. At its very essence, shahi tukda is a simple yet elegant way to use up bread, just like people make bread pudding in the West. In the original recipe for shahi tukda, pieces of bread are fried in ghee and then served with a spiced concoction of sweetened milk (a lot of people like to use condensed milk), dried fruit, and nuts. Shahi tukda gets its aroma from the ghee, the ground green cardamom, saffron, and rose water.

  • Yield: 8 to 10

Ingredients

1 lb/455 g day-old challah or brioche (See The Cook’s Notes)

2 Tbsp ghee or unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, plus extra to grease the baking dish

1 ½ cups/360 ml heavy cream

1 ½ cups/360 ml whole milk

3 large eggs

1 cup/200 g packed light or dark brown sugar

½ tsp ground green cardamom

A good pinch/15 to 20 strands of saffron

¼ tsp fine sea salt

1 tsp rose water

½ cup/70 g packed raisins

¼ cup/30 g toasted or roasted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

Vanilla or green cardamom ice cream, to serve

Instructions

  1. Lightly grease a 9 in by 12 in by 2 in/23 cm by 30.5 cm by 5 cm baking pan with a little ghee. Place the bread cubes in the pan.
  2. Add the cream, milk, eggs, sugar, cardamom, saffron, and salt to a blender. Pulse for a few seconds over high speed until combined. Pour this liquid over the bread in the baking pan. Sprinkle the pistachios and raisins over the bread in the baking pan, and fold with a fork. Sprinkle the rosewater over the surface. Wrap the surface with plastic wrap and gently press the plastic wrap down to let the bread absorb the liquid. Leave the baking pan in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, for it to absorb the liquid.
  3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325F/165C. Unwrap the baking dish and discard the plastic wrap. Dot the 2 Tbsp of ghee over the surface and bake in the preheated oven until the top is crisp and the pudding is firm, about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cut into six equal parts and serve each slice with a scoop or two of ice cream.

Notes

  • If your bread is not a day old or dry, preheat the oven to 200F/95C. Cut the bread into 1 in/2.5 cm cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Dry the bread cubes in the oven on the tray till it is completely dry, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. They shouldn’tCook’s turn golden brown. On your kitchen counter, you can also dry the bread cubes overnight at room temperature.
  • I prefer pistachios in this dessert because they also add a bit of color, but slivered or sliced almonds will work just as well. Chopped walnuts and pumpkin seeds are good options too.

Find it online: https://niksharmacooks.com/shahi-tukda-bread-pudding/

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