This Indian bread pudding recipe is a very popular dessert in Hyderabad cuisine. It shares its root with Shahi Tukda, which is a popular dessert in the Awadhi cuisine. Double Ka Meetha can be loosely referred to as the Indian bread Pudding, as it is made with bread and a condensed milk component. Bread is called Double Roti and hence the name Double Ka Meetha, meaning sweet made with bread formed. I had seen several people talk about this Indian bread pudding, but just the thought of deep-fried bread kept me away from making it. When looking for recipes to make with the alphabet D, this was the first thing that popped into my mind. It is a very simple recipe and all the components can be made ahead of time and kept ready until ready to assemble. The Rabri or the condensed milk part takes a while to prepare. I took the shortcut and made it using evaporated milk and condensed milk. This way it was ready in under 20 minutes. The rest of the procedure is very simple and quick to make.
What kind of bread to use?
The bread slices are deep-fried in ghee until crispy and golden brown. I did not deep fry them but pan-fried them in a liberal amount of ghee. Do not use fresh bread when making Double Ka Meetha, as it tends to absorb too much ghee and also not crisp up quite as well. Use at least a day-old bread to make this. I used about 5 slices of bread which yielded 10 pieces of Indian bread pudding. The Rabri was left out a bit, but it was no problem. The kids were happy to finish that part by themselves. Our state is having a school strike and the boys have been home all this week. Not sure when they will be going back to school yet. This is working in my favor for me as well against me. In favor, because I have someone to taste test all the recipes I am cooking new. Against, because I am really not finding that ‘Me’ time to sit down and write. I am not an early-morning person, so I have been staying up late to finish writing and commenting.
Ingredients to make Double Ka Meetha - serves 4
Bread slices - 5 (Day-old bread works well) Ghee - 4 tbsp Evaporated milk - 1 can (12 oz) Condensed milk - ½ Can (7 oz) Saffron - few threads Cardamom - 5 (pods removed and powdered) Sugar - ½ cup Water - ½ cup Mixed nuts - 2 tablespoon (I used almonds, cashews, and pistachios)
Procedure to make Double Ka Meetha -
Making Double Ka Meetha involves 4 parts that are all cooked separately and then assembled together. There is a bread part, a sugar syrup part, a nut part, and the milk part (rabri).
Making the Rabri
I took the easy out on making the rabri. Traditionally it is made by simmering milk until it is nice and thick. I made it out of evaporated milk and condensed milk and it just took me 20 minutes to get the right consistency.
In a heavy bottom pan, combine the evaporated milk and condensed milk. Mix it well and bring it to a gentle boil. Keep cooking until is creamy.
Add the crushed cardamom and the saffron threads and continue to cook until it reaches a thick and creamy consistency.
I like my rabri a little bit on the thinner side as I feel it soaks up well that way. Let the rabri cool down to room temperature. We could even make it ahead of time and keep it chilled until ready to assemble.
Making the Sugar Syrup
Combine the sugar and the water in a pan and bring them to a boil.
Boil the sugar syrup for a couple of minutes until it is sticky. There is no thread consistency for the sugar. We want it sticky. If the syrup boils too much and becomes thick, the bread slices will not soak up the sugar. So just let it boil for a couple of minutes and come to a sticky consistency. Please turn off the flame and let it cool down to room temperature.
Making the Bread
Older bread works better for this. Fresh bread tends to absorb too much ghee when frying and also does not become as crisp as older bread.
Traditionally the bread is deep-fried in ghee, but I will not be doing that. I have pan-fried the bread by applying a liberal amount of ghee to them. The ghee is important to get that flavor and texture.
Using a sharp knife, remove the crusts off the bread. Slice each slice diagonally into 2. Pan-fry the triangles using adequate ghee on both sides. The bread has to be fried until golden brown and crispy. Don’t cook the bread in high heat as it will not become crispy.
Repeat this with all the slices and keep it ready.
Preparing the nuts
Chop all the nuts into fine pieces. I used cashews, almonds, and pistachios for my nuts layer.
Heat about a teaspoon of ghee and fry the chopped nuts until golden brown and aromatic. Remove it and keep it aside until ready to assemble.
Assembling Double Ka Meetha
Double ka Meetha can be served either warm or cool. I have tried both and they both taste unique in their own ways. If serving warm, prepare all the components and let it just cool down to warm, especially the rabri.
When ready to serve, dip the fried bread slices in the sugar syrup flipping it to coat both sides.
Place it on a serving plate and then drizzle the rabri over it.
Sprinkle the fried nuts over the prepared bread and enjoy.
Day-old bread works very well for this recipe. Traditionally, the bread slices are deep-fried in ghee / clarified butter, but I have pan-fried them to make them a little healthier. Boil the sugar syrup just until it is sticky. The dessert can be served warm or cold. If serving warm or at room temperature, assemble when all the ingredients are just warm or at room temperature.
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