Try Shahi Tukda - a royal dessert that’s easy to make! Baked buttered slices of bread soaked in cardamom-scented syrup and topped with custard.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Breakfast, Dessert
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 6-8 slices your favorite bread (the edges removed and sliced into shapes that you prefer)
  • 2-3 teaspoons oil or melted vegan butter

For the sugar syrup

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 green cardamom pod (opened or 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom)
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • ½ teaspoon lime juice

For the Rabri custard

  • 3 tablespoons cashews
  • 1 teaspoon all purpose flour (or use a gf blend)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 7 strands saffron
  • 1 ½ cups oat milk
  • 2 tablespoons almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons crust of the bread slices that you sliced earlier (omit for Glutenfree)
  • chopped pistachios for garnish

Method

  1. Slice the bread into triangles or circles or rectangles. Then place the bread in a baking dish or a parchment lined baking sheet.
  2. Brush the bread with oil or melted vegan butter all over and put it in the oven at 400F (205C) for 10-12 minutes or until the bread is starting to turn evenly golden. Remove the bread from the oven.

Make the sugar syrup.

  1. Add all of the ingredients to a skillet and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture starts to feel slightly thick take off heat. It will take a minute or two after coming to a boil. Set the sugar syrup aside.

Make the custard.

  1. Blend all of the ingredients under custard until the cashews have broken down really well. I usually blend it for 1 minute then let it sit for 5 minutes and blend again, then repeat 2-3 times until the cashews have blended in really well.
  2. Add custard to a saucepan over medium heat and still and bring to a simmer until it thickens evenly. It will become an evenly thick custard. Taste and adjust sweet and set aside. If you like your Rabri thinner, add in 1/2 to 1 cup more non dairy milk, mix and bring to boil. Then take off heat.
  3. To assemble, take each of the toasted slices and dip it in the (now warm and not too hot) sugar syrup on both sides, Or you can brush the sugar syrup on both the sides. Then plate the bread on serving dish or individual plates.
  4. Repeat for all the bread sliced. Then top them with a generous helping of the custard. I usually put some on the center of bread slices, Sprinkle with chopped pistachios for garnish and serve immediately.
  5. Keep all of these 3 things separate until you’re ready to serve. You can warm up the sugar syrup a little bit then brush on the toast, then top with the custard whether warm or cold and serve.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.