Double ka meeta - Shahi tukda

In Hyderabad, India, any big, lavish wedding/ dinner is incomplete, if it doesn't include Double ka meeta in the dinner menu. After a scrumptious meal ,winding up with this delicious dessert is a must. The technique of using dry fruits and  nuts like cashews, almonds, milk, ghee is inspired by Moghuls. It became immensly popular. To top it off, fragile strips of pure gold and silver (called varq) are used, to garnish. Every country has its own version of bread pudding, But this traditional royal dessert is hard to resist, it's a sweet guilty pleasure.

Ingredients

Bread - 1 full loaf ,cut in triangles, dried and fried in oil

Milk - 1 ltr

Ghee - 50 g

Sugar - 500 g

Dry fruits and nuts :Almonds, cashews

Khoya - 1/4 cup

Cardamom - 4/5 crushed, for flavouring

Oil for frying - (clarified butter is normally used for frying)

Water - 1/2 cup

Saffron strands - few or (saffron colour if real saffron not available)


Method:

Step 1:
Slice the bread slices into triangles and deep fry them on both sides in oil till they are dark brown. Make sure it is not burnt. Remove the fried bread slices and arrange them on a wide tray.

Step 2:
Boil the milk until it is half reduced, throw in the saffron threads and cardamom powder and keep aside.

Step 3:
 Prepare sugar syrup: In a saucepan, pour the water and the sugar. Stir to dissolve and let the water boil on high for 10-12 minutes. or until it is nice and thick and changes colour and gets carmalized.

 Step 4:
In a small frying pan, take ghee, fry the dry fruits and nuts till they are browned
Step 5 - layering:
Gently pour the milk , still hot, over the bread slices, until the slices are immersed in the milk.  Let it sit for 15-20 min, allowing the bread to absorb all the milk.

Pour the warm sugar syrup over the arranged bread slices.

Take Khoya and spread over the bread slices.

Sprinkle the fried dry fruits and nuts all over them.

Serve it hot or cold according to your choice.

Enjoy the "Meeta" in the Hyderabad Nawabi  Ishtyle!
 and Don't forget to hit the gym!

Tip:  If you don't have the saffron, substitute it with orange colour.
        The recipe calls for frying the bread in clarified butter, you can substitute it with oil. 
        I found out the healthy version. Instead of frying the bread in oil,  toast the bread in the toaster.