Shahi Tukray
Shahi tukray carries its Mughal heritage in its name — «shahi» means royal — and remains one of the few desserts surviving from imperial court kitchens that has passed down through the centuries to ordinary Pakistani tables. The idea of turning stale bread scraps into a rich dessert, soaked in saffron-sweetened milk, reflects the court cooks' ingenuity in wasting nothing, even at royal banquets. Though the name evokes luxury, the base ingredients remain accessible — bread, milk, sugar — the transformation coming from technique rather than ingredient cost. Today it is served almost exclusively at special occasions, religious holidays and weddings, rarely cooked for an ordinary daily meal, because of the time required to reduce the milk.
Fried bread slices, not baked
Slices of white bread are fried in clarified butter until golden and crisp, forming the dessert's base.
Milk thickened with saffron
Milk simmers at length with sugar and saffron until reduced and thickened, taking on an intense golden color.
Soaked slices, not just topped
The fried slices are left to fully absorb the sweetened milk, becoming soft and saturated with flavor.
Chopped pistachios and almonds on top
Finely chopped nuts, especially green pistachios, are scattered generously on top for contrasting texture and color.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 8 slices white bread
- 1L whole milk
- 150g sugar
- 1/2 tsp saffron, bloomed
- 4 tbsp clarified butter
- 3 tbsp pistachios, chopped
- 2 tbsp almonds, chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp rosewater
How to make it
- 1Pour the milk into a large pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
- 2Add the sugar, bloomed saffron and cardamom, then let the milk simmer over low heat for forty minutes, until reduced by half and thickened.
- 3Add the rosewater right before turning off the heat and stir well.
- 4Melt the clarified butter in a wide pan over medium heat and fry the bread slices on both sides, three minutes each, until golden and crisp.
- 5Arrange the fried slices in a serving dish, in a single layer.
- 6Pour the hot thickened milk over the bread slices, letting them fully absorb the liquid for ten minutes.
- 7Sprinkle chopped pistachios and almonds on top before serving, at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
