Shahi Tukra or Tukda ( Lucknow Style )
Shahi Tukra is my favorite show-stopping Lucknow dessert—crispy fried bread soaked in sugar syrup and layered with creamy thickened milk, cardamom, and topped with almonds and pistachios. This royal treat, loved by Mughal kings, is easier to make than you'd think with just bread, milk, and sugar!
Equipment
- 1 Large frying pan
- 1 Large pan for making the milk rabri
- 1 Lagan dish or a wide, flat-bottomed pan
- Measuring Spoons
- 1 Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 14 White milk bread slices cut diagonally or vertically
- 3 Liters Milk for rabri
- 2 cups Milk extra
- 1 ¾ cups Sugar
- Oil for frying the bread
- 5 Egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon Yellow food color
- Almonds and Pistachios for garnishing
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 2 cups of milk using a hand mixer untilwell combined.
- Cut each bread slice in half and dip in the egg yolk mixture.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the bread slices in batches until they are goldne brown.
- Place the fried bread on kitchen paper to drain excess oil.
- In a separate large pot, boil 3 liters of milk on medium heat for about half an hour. Keep stirring occasionally, until it reduces and thickens.
- Add the yellow food color to the milk rabri.
- Arrange the fried bread slices evenly in a deep pot or lagan. Pour the boiled and thickened milk over the bread slices. Reserve 1 cup of milk for later use.
- Cook the milk and bread on medium flame, continuously spooning the milk mixture over the bread slices for even soaking and cooking.
- Cook for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until it thickens to a creamy consistency.
- In the reserved 1 cup of milk, add 1 and ¾ cups of sugar. Cook until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Pour this sweetened milk mixture over the bread slices.
- Cook it further, until the milk becomes thick, creamy, and almost dry.
- Once cooked, remove Shahi Tukre from the heat and allow it to cool.
- Refrigerate until chilled. Before serving, garnish with chopped almonds and pistachios then serve Shahi Tukray cold.
Notes
You can use stale white milk bread for this recipe.
If you have fresh bread, place it in the toaster or leave it in the sun for half an hour to dry out.
Cooking the milk on a low flame till it thickens is crucial for the recipe as it adds flavor and richness.
Shahi tukre should always be served cold.