Bread halwa is a variation of halwa made with bread slices. To make bread ka halwa, bread cubes are first fried or roasted in ghee and later cooked in milk.
2 cups white bread cubes or about 4 to 5 white bread slices, cubed
7 to 8 tablespoons sugar or add as required
1.5 cups milk
8 to 10 saffron strands – optional
1 tablespoon Ghee(clarified butter) to be added later
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
frying dry fruits
Take a heavy thick bottomed kadai and heat 2 tablespoons ghee in it. Keep the flame to medium-low or medium.
Add 2 tablespoons cashews. begin to fry cashews stirring them often till they turn golden.
Then remove fried cashews with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
In the same kadai, add 1 tablespoons raisins.
Stirring continuously fry raisins till they become plump and swell in size.
Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
roasting bread
Again in the same kadai, add 2 cups white bread cubes. So before beginning the recipe, chop 4 to 5 white bread slices in cubes. You can slice off the side crusts if you want.
Mix the bread cubes with the ghee and begin to roast them.
Stir at intervals while roasting bread cubes. roast till the bread cubes look crisp and light golden.
making bread ka halwa
Then add 7 to 8 tablespoons sugar or add as per taste.
Next pour 1.5 cups milk. You can also use water or half-half of water and milk. Addition of milk gives a richness to the halwa.
Stir and mix everything very well so that the sugar dissolves.
Sprinkle 8 to 10 saffron strands and stir again. Adding saffron strands is optional.
Simmer on a low to medium-low flame. Stir at intervals.
The bread cubes will absorb milk and start thickening.
Once the halwa mixture thickens then after that keep on stirring often or continuously.
Keep stirring till mixture starts coming together. then add 1 tablespoon ghee.
Mix very well till ghee is absorbed.
Now add the fried cashews & raisins reserving a few cashews and raisins for garnish. Also add ½ teaspoon cardamom powder.
Continue to stir and mix till the entire halwa mixture has come together and you see some ghee at the sides. The stickiness in the mixture should not be there. The consistency of bread halwa will be like sooji halwa.
Serve bread halwa in bowls or small plates hot or warm. You can even spread the halwa in moulds or pans. If spreading in a pan, then add halwa after it is done and still very hot. Later you can slice and serve the halwa as cubes or squares.
Garnish bread halwa with a few of the fried cashews and raisins. Serve hot or warm. Leftover bread ka halwa can be refrigerated and warmed just before serving.
Notes
If using sweet bread, then add very less sugar and as per taste.