Double ka Meetha

Name: Double ka Meetha
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: hyderabadi
Ingredients: 8 slices bread (white bread, edges trimmed and each slice cut into 2 triangles); 6 tbsp ghee; 750 ml milk (full-fat); 0.5 cup sugar; 0.5 cup water (for sugar syrup); 3 pcs green cardamom (pods, lightly crushed); 6 pcs saffron (strands); 2 tbsp almonds (slivered); 2 tbsp pistachios (slivered); 1 tbsp raisins

RATING

4.6/5(147)

TASTE SCORE

9/10

Rich, comforting bread pudding from Hyderabad made with fried bread, saffron milk, and a lightly thickened rabri. Every bite is soft, fragrant, and dotted with nuts for a festive finish.

PREP

15m

COOK

30m

SERVES

1 KATORI

600 cal

SERVINGS

METHOD · 8 STEPS

prep
Trim and cut the bread.
Remove the crusts from the bread slices and cut each slice diagonally into 2 triangles for even frying and layering.
boil · ~10 min
Make the saffron milk.
1.Pour the milk into a wide pan and bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat.
2.Add saffron strands and let the milk simmer until slightly reduced and fragrant, about 8-10 minutes.
3.Stir now and then so the milk does not catch at the bottom.
boil · ~4 min
Make the sugar syrup.
1.Heat water and sugar in a small pan over medium heat.
2.Add the crushed green cardamom and stir until the sugar dissolves.
3.Simmer for 3-4 minutes until you get a light syrup, then turn off the heat.
fry · ~8 min
Fry the bread and raisins.
1.Heat ghee in a wide pan over medium heat.
2.Fry the bread triangles in batches until both sides are deep golden and crisp.
3.Lift them out and set aside.
4.Add the raisins to the same ghee and fry just until they puff, then remove.
TIPKeep the heat medium so the bread turns crisp without burning before the center dries slightly.
assemble
Soak the bread with syrup.
Arrange the fried bread in a shallow serving dish or pan. Spoon the warm sugar syrup all over so the bread softens but still holds its shape.
assemble · ~5 min
Pour over the saffron milk.
Pour the hot saffron milk evenly over the syrup-soaked bread. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the bread absorbs the milk and turns soft and rich.
garnish
Finish with nuts and raisins.
Scatter the almonds, pistachios, and fried raisins over the top for texture and color.
serve
Serve warm.
Spoon into katoris and serve warm for the best texture, when the bread is soft and the milk is still fragrant.

PRO TIPS

What to keep in mind.

7 tips from the recipe — small details that make a real difference to the final dish.

1
Fry the bread until deep golden, not just pale golden, so it stays structured after soaking.
2
Use a wide pan for the milk reduction; it thickens faster and lowers the chance of scorching.
3
Pour the syrup while warm so the bread absorbs it evenly without turning patchy.
4
Let the fried bread cool for a minute before soaking to keep it from collapsing too fast.
5
Add the saffron to hot milk early so it has time to release both color and aroma.
6
Fry the raisins only until they puff; any longer and they can harden or taste bitter.
7
Serve within a short time of assembling for the best contrast between soft bread and crunchy nuts.