Priya's Shahi Tukda

Photo by:

Sana Javeri Kadri

I've never met a Shahi Tukda I didn't like, and Priya's recipe is truly genius. But when I dug deep into the origins of it, and figured out that the British's precious bread pudding actually originated from this Mughal dish, I liked it even more. Shahi Tukda is better than bread pudding, and historically superior too, and it is high time the world knew it.

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
4 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
seeds from about 4 Baraka Green Cardamom pods, ground with a mortar and pestle
2 tbsp vegetable oil
5 slices white bread, crusts removed, each slice cut into 4 square
2 tbsp roughly chopped pistachios, for garnish

Methods

Coat the bottom of a medium pot or small Dutch oven with 2 tablespoons water (this will prevent the cream from sticking when you heat it), then add the cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the cream is warmed through, 4-6 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the sugar and cardamom, making sure the sugar has dissolved completely. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the bread, and cook until the undersides are golden brown, 4-6 minutes. Flip and cook until the other sides have also turned golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes more.
In a 9-inch square baking dish, arrange the pieces of bread in a single layer. Give the cardamom cream a stir to fully incorporate the sugar, salt, and cardamom, then pour the cream over the bread, making sure each piece of bread is fully soaked with cream.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 12 hours. Just before serving, garnish with the pistachios.