Shahi Tukda

No festival is complete without sweets. But as I wanted to make something different and not the regular stuff, I thought of giving Shahi Tukda a try. Since I was making it for the first time, I tried to stick as much as possible to the true recipe and keep it as Shahi as possible. But instead of frying the bread, I have toasted it. You can follow the authentic recipe and deep fry the bread.

Ingredients for Pan Frying Bread:

2 slices of bread

2 tablespoons Ghee 

Ingredients for Sugar Syrup:

½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

 ¼ tsp cardamom powder or 1 tsp rose water 

Ingredients for Rabdi:

1 litre full fat whole milk

2 – 3 tbsp Sugar

½  tsp cardamom powder

1 tsp kewra (pandanus) water or 1 tsp rose water or a drop of kewra essence or rose essence

a pinch of saffron/kesar strands 

For Garnish:

12-15 almonds/badam, blanched and sliced

10 to 12 pistachios, blanched and sliced

a few strands of saffron (optional)

METHOD

Preparing the rabri:

1.       In a broad thick bottomed pan or sauce pan or a kadai take 1 litre of full fat whole milk and bring its first boil.

2.       Add cardamom powder and keep boiling till the milk reduced till half the quantity.

3.       Now add sugar and boil for another 10 minutes till the milk becomes thick and lumpy.

4.       Switch off the milk and add saffron strands and kewra water.

     Pan frying the bread slices:

1. Slice the crusts of the bread. Cut them into desired shapes.
2. Heat ghee in a flat pan, tava or frying pan.
3. Place the bread slices and on a low to medium heat toast them.
4. When one side is browned, flip and toast the other side.
5. Flip once or twice more to get an even golden color and browning.
6. Keep the bread slices aside.

Preparing sugar syrup:

1. Mix ½ cup of sugar with ¼ cup water in a pan.
2. Keep the sugar solution on a low heat.
3. The mixture would start to come to a boil.
4. Cook till you get a one thread consistency in the sugar syrup.
5. Switch off the flame. Add cardamom powder and rose water and stir.

Assembling the shahi tukra:

1. Dip the bread slices in the sugar syrup with the help of a spoon or small tongs.
2. Coat the bread slices evenly with the sugar syrup.
3. Arrange the sugar syrup soaked bread slices neatly in a serving tray or plate.
4. Pour the rabri on the sugar syrup coated bread slices.
5. Garnish with sliced blanched almond, pistachios and saffron strands.

Aloo Puri

Aloo puri is a hot favorite in every household. It’s the perfect breakfast recipe for a Sunday morning.  Though it’s a heavy start to the day, but it is more filling and equally loved by everyone. No one can ever say no to this spicy potato gravy served with puffed, deep fried puris.

Everyone has their own unique way of making Aloo Puri but I prefer it without onion and garlic, which makes it apt for pujas and fasts too. 

Ingredients for Potato Gravy:

4-5 large boiled potatoes, boiled

2 big tomatoes, chopped

2-3 geeen chilles, chopped

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 pinch hing

1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped (optional)

Salt to taste

Method:

1.       Heat oil in a pan. Add hing and cumin seeds. As they crackle, put in the chopped tomatoes and chillies.

2.       Add all the dry spices except for fennel seeds. Sauté till it becomes a paste consistency.

3.       Now add the boiled potatoes by crushing them slightly with your hands. Sauté for another 2 minutes.

4.       Add some water to make the gravy. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

5.       Now add the crushed fennel seeds and boil for 2 more minutes.

6.       Serve hot with puffed up puris.

Ingredients for Puri:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)

1 tbsp oil or ghee

1 tsp salt

Water to bind

Method for Puri:

1.       In a bowl, mix whole wheat flour, carom seeds and salt.

2.       Add the oil and rub with your fingers till crumble like consistency.

3.       Now add sufficient water to knead the dough. The dough should not be too soft else the puris will be difficult to roll out.

4.       Keep aside for 15 minutes.

5.       Now divide the dough into equal parts and make small balls out of it.

6.       Roll it using a rolling pin. If the dough is sticky you can add some drops of oil or whole wheat flour.

7.       Heat oil in a frying pan. To check if oil is hot, you can add small dough and it should instantly float on the top.

8.       Place the puri in the frying pan and press it with a skimmer, puri should puff right away.

9.       Turn puri over. Puri should be light creamy brown from both sides. Take the puri out and place it on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

10.   Serve puri with Aloo. You can store the puries in covered container after they cool to room temperature.