Shahi Tukda French Toast

Name: Shahi Tukda French Toast
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 5-6
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp unsalted butter; 10 saffron threads; 2 ½ cups whole milk, divided; ½ cup heavy cream; 6 large eggs; ⅓ cup brown sugar; 1 Tbsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp salt; 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom; 1 (1-pound) brioche loaf, cut into 10 slices; Condensed milk, for garnish; Crushed pistachios, for garnish; Rose petals, for garnish (optional)

Image of Shahi Tukda French Toast — Photo by Aubrie Pick

Servings

5-6

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

"It feels like every write-up about shahi tukda is the same. People always mention that the dessert’s origins can be traced back to the 1600s during the Mughal rule of modern-day India. That it was a dish created for and fed to royals. That the name literally translates to “royal piece” or “royal bite.” That shahi tukda is often described as “Indian bread pudding.” And all of that is true, except for the fact that I’ve always felt the dish has more French toast vibes than bread pudding vibes—and so I transformed it into just that.

The traditional recipe calls for frying thin pieces of white bread in ghee, then soaking them in a sugar syrup and drowning the fried bread in a custardy sauce of cooked-down milk, sugar, and saffron, and garnishing with nuts like pistachios. Delicious, but more work than I want it to be. Instead of having to patiently watch milk thicken, you make a simple custard amped up with saffron, vanilla, and cardamom to soak the bread in, and drizzle the final product with sweetened condensed milk. You want to make sure to use a properly soft white bread, like brioche or challah. This dish is easy to make for a group and can be prepped the night before. Be sure to garnish the French toast with a generous amount of pistachios and edible rose petals, if you can. If you have any edible gold or silver foil on hand, use it, too—this is a dish for royals, after all."

Author:

Khushbu Shah

Ingredients

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
10 saffron threads
2 ½ cups whole milk, divided
½ cup heavy cream
6 large eggs
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp ground cardamom
1 (1-pound) brioche loaf, cut into 10 slices
Condensed milk, for garnish
Crushed pistachios, for garnish
Rose petals, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, crush the saffron between your fingers. Add 1 tablespoon milk and microwave for 15 seconds, then give the milk a swirl. The saffron should infuse the milk and turn it a beautiful yellow. Pour the saffron-infused milk into a larger bowl, add the rest of the milk, and stir to combine. Add the cream, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and cardamom and give it a good whisk until the mixture is well combined. Thoroughly soak each slice of bread in the milk mixture, then layer the slices like shingles in the buttered pan. Pour any leftover custard evenly over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight (though you can bake right away if you want).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the French toast, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until the bread is lightly golden and toasty. Drizzle with condensed milk and garnish with crushed pistachios and edible rose petals, if using. It’s definitely more fun with all the garnishes.

Recipe Note

Ingredient Note:

You can substitute milk for the cream, but cream makes the dish feel super rich and you deserve great things.

Storage Note:

This dish is not freezer friendly. Leftovers can stay in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two, but this really is best consumed straight from the oven. All the more reason to invite friends over!

AMRIKAN: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora by Khushbu Shah is available for purchase here:

Khushbu Shah | W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.