Shahi Tukda

Ingredients

• 6 thick slices white bread
• 6 tbsp ghee
• 1.5 litres whole milk
• 4 tbsp sugar, for the rabri
• large pinch saffron
• 2 tbsp warm milk, for the saffron
• 70 g sugar, for the syrup
• 120 ml water
• 1/2 tsp ground green cardamom
• 1/2 tsp rose water
• 2 tbsp slivered pistachios
• 2 tbsp slivered almonds
• a few saffron strands, to garnish

Before you cook

• Leave the bread slices on a rack for 3 hours to dry out.
• Cut the crusts off and slice each piece diagonally into two triangles.
• Crush the saffron and steep it in the 2 tablespoons of warm milk.

Steps

1. Pour the milk into a wide heavy pan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
2. Lower the heat and simmer the milk for 45 minutes, scraping the skin from the sides back into the pan every few minutes, until it has reduced to about a third.
3. Stir in the 4 tablespoons of sugar and the saffron milk and cook for 5 minutes more.
4. Take the rabri off the heat and leave it to cool to lukewarm.
5. Put the 70 g of sugar and the water in a small pan and bring to a boil.
6. Simmer the syrup for 5 minutes until it turns slightly sticky, then stir in the ground cardamom.
7. Take the syrup off the heat and add the rose water.
8. Heat the ghee in a frying pan over medium heat.
9. Fry the bread triangles in batches for 2 minutes on each side until crisp and deep golden.
10. Drain the fried bread briefly on kitchen paper.
11. Dip each triangle into the warm syrup for 5 seconds, then lay it on a serving platter.
12. Spoon the rabri generously over the bread.
13. Scatter with pistachios, almonds and saffron strands.
14. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.