Every Indian loves a piece or two after a sumptuous meal. If there is a guest, we prefer novel ways to startle with a Dessert, which may be tasty and make the guest flood us with the questions about the way we made the Dessert. It would surely give us a shot on our shoulders. I would like to present a Dessert which is well known but many a times we end up with a dessert which resembles any simple halwa or pudding. You would find a French texture yet taste of Indian cuisine embedded in it.

Spongy Shahi Tukda is my innovation after I was served the traditional Shahi Tukda by one of my Muslim friend way back in 2005 in Delhi. I took the recipe in writing but every time it ended in various textures and debarred me from reaching a good result. So let us start:

Ingredients:

Sandwhich Bread (Crest Sliced-off ) - 12 Pieces (Half-Cut into 24 pieces)
Milk- Amul Taaza 1 litre
Ghee (Clarified Cottage Butter melted) - 300 ml
Sugar- 750 gms
Cardamom (Elaichi Powder - without the outer shell)- Half Teaspoon
Pista (Grated) – 3 Teaspoons
Chironji (Coarsely crushed ) – 3 Teaspoons
24 Edible Silver Foils

Process:

Heat the Ghee. Before it smokes, bring the Flame to medium.

Fry the 24 half-Cut Bread slices to medium crispness ( Do not overdo it).

Spread it on a flat Tray.

Now pour the 750 ml of the milk into a sauce pan and bring it to boil. Add the 750 gms sugar and stir till it completely blends into the Milk.

Now slowly dip the 12 of the fried bread pieces into the Sweet solution we prepared out of the milk and sugar. Carefully arrange them back in the tray. Sprinkle the crushed chilonji carefully on each piece of bread. Then quickly dip and turn the remaining Fried 12 pieces of Bread slices (It is to avoid too much soaking of the bread this time). Put it one by one on to the already placed 12 pieces in the Tray. (This would give a dry texture to this 12 pieces as by virtue of gravity the milk absorbed would go down to the bottom pieces)

Now grind the Bread crests in a Dry Grinder, we got from the Bread slices. It should reach grainy texture only

Heat the remaining 250 ml of the Milk to boil. Put off the flame .Add the Bread Crest Powder and just fold gently that the milk attains a rabdi texture. (Do not boil after adding the bread Crest powder)

After 10 minutes take one spoon of the “Rabdi’ mixture and carefully pour on the sandwiches we already spread on the Tray.

Sprinkle the grated Pista flakes on the Sandwiches. Decorate it with the edible Silver Foil

Keep it in the fridge and serve it to your dear ones and guest with a dab of fresh whipped Milk Cream, if they don’t fear sinning as Epicureans (who believed in eating at whatever comes their way and avid Lovers of tasty Food)