Double Ka Meetha

Hyderabadi Double Ka Meetha is a classic dessert recipe which is often served in Andhra and Telangana Muslim Weddings. Bread, sugar, ghee, milk and cardamom powder are the main ingredients in making this double ka meetha. We usually serve this warm, garnished with chopped nuts such as cashews, almonds or pistachios.

More Delicious Desserts To Try – Hyderabadi Chobe ki Puri, Sooji ki Kheer, Zaffrani Gulab Jamun, Gil-e-Firadus, Sheer Khurma, Meethi Seviyan.

What is  Double ka Meetha?

The word Double comes from ‘Double Roti’ which means bread and ‘Meetha’ means sweet, so the name ‘Double Ka Meetha’. Double ka meetha is desi version of Bread Pudding and close cousin of Bread Halwa.

About This Recipe

No meal is complete without some “meetha” in the end. After enjoying spicy wedding meal, biryani, dalcha, ambada gosht, dum ka murgh, marag, etc., a dessert like double ka meetha comforts the taste buds. Over the years many different recipes are introduced in wedding dessert menu, but double ka meetha has its own charm.

I follow my nanima’s recipe (nanima – maternal grandma), which is simple and easy. In this recipe, first we trim the sides of the bread pieces, cut them into triangles or squares.

Then we dry them for sometime and fry in ghee until nice golden on all the sides. We soak these pieces in lukewarm milk and then add to sugar syrup. Cook till done. Simple, isn’t it?

Double Ka Meetha is a dessert that encapsulates the rich culinary heritage of Hyderabad and continues to delight food lovers around the world.

History Of Double Ka Meetha

The history of double ka meetha can be traced back to the rulers of Hyderabad state, The Nizams. This dessert was originally made using leftover bread in the royal kitchens, and was a favorite among the Nizams and their guests. Over time, the dish became popular among the general public and is now a staple dessert in many parts of India.

According to some sources, this sweet dish was first introduced to the Indian subcontinent by the Mughals. It is Mughals, who brought with them the tradition of bread pudding from their homeland.

Over time, the recipe for this meetha has evolved and adapted to local tastes. In Hyderabad, for example, we make this with rich milk-based syrup flavored with rose water and garnished with pistachios. In some parts of North India, instead of sugar, they add condensed milk and flavor it with cardamom and saffron.

Legend has it that Double Ka Meetha got its name from the double toasting of bread, which forms the base of this scrumptious dessert

Despite its humble origins, double ka meetha is one beloved dessert throughout India and beyond.

Double Ka Meetha Ingredients

Bread Slices: You can use any normal sweet bread or milk bread for this recipe. You can even make this with rusk. In Hyderabad, many bakeries and grocery stores, sell a special bread for making this sweet dish.

Milk: I use low-fat milk for making this dessert. You can use full cream milk too.

Refined Granulated Sugar: Traditional recipe calls for granulated white sugar. If looking for healthy options then you can use brown sugar or jaggery powder too. Depending on the sweetener, the taste varies. Try to use fine granule sugar in making sugar syrup for this recipe.

Cardamom Powder: These days cardamom powder is easily available in any grocery store. If not available, then you can easily make it at home. Take 4-5 green cardamoms, remove the skin and grind the seeds to smooth in pestle and mortar. Fresh ground cardamom will bring nice aroma and taste in the recipe.

Alternatively, you can even grind and make cardamom powder in mixer jar. Take small mixer jar (spice jar) and to this add 4-5 cardamoms (without skin) and add 4-5 tbsp. of sugar. Pulse till smooth. Remove this in a clean and dry moisture free, air-tight jar and use accordingly.

Dry Fruits: Adds crunch and make it look festive. You can add cashews, pistachio, almonds, raisins, etc. Apart from this I like garnishing this sweet dish with dried rose petals. During weddings and celebrations, we use silver leaf or warq as garnish.

Saffron: Authentic and traditional recipe of double ka meetha recipe calls for saffron. If you are not having saffron, you can easily substitute it with orange food color.

Ghee: In weddings and funcions, generally we use dalda or vanaspati. But you can use desi ghee. I use half of ghee and half of oil for frying bread slices.

How to make Shadiyon Wala Double ka Meetha

Step By Step Recipe With Pictures

Trim the sides of the bread slices. Cut them into triangles or squares. I cut them into triangles, as you can see in the picture.

Spread them in a single layer on a plate or kitchen towel and dry them. You can dry them in sun or under fan for 30-45 minutes. 

Now in a pan add ghee and separately fry raisins, sliced almonds and cashews till they turn light brown. Remove and Set aside.

To the same pan add ghee and oil in 1:1 ratio and fry the bread slices till they turn nice golden brown on all sides.

Fry the bread slices on medium flame and keep turning to ensure even browning on all the sides.

Once the bread slices turn brown, remove and set aside. Repeat and complete the remaining bread slices.

In a wide bowl, take milk and add dip fried bread pieces.

Remove and set aside. Repeat till you complete all the bread slices.

In another bowl, make sugar syrup by combining sugar and water. When the water starts to boil, add cardamom powder.

Cook on low flame till sugar is completely dissolved. If using saffron, then add the saffron strands. If using orange food color, then add it to the sugar syrup.

Cook till sugar syrup is slightly thickened. Reduce the flame and add bread pieces.

Using a wooden spatula, carefully mix everything. Cook on low flame till you get the desired consistency.

Stir in between and take care not to burn from the sides or bottom of the vessel.

Garnish with dry fruits, rose petals and serve warm or cool.

Once the halwa has come down to room temperature, transfer it in an air tight, moisture free box and store in refrigerator for a week.

Tips & Tricks

• It is important to taste the bread before cooking. If you are using a sweet bread then reduce the quantity of sugar.
• You can either use only ghee or half ghee and half oil in in making this sweet dish.
• The color of the meetha depends on deep-fried bread slices. So, fry the bread slices carefully on both the sides. Do not burn them.
• You can trim the sides of the bread slices or you can leave the sides. I prefer trimming the bread slices.
• As the sides of the bread will be hard, takes more time for frying and absorbs more ghee, I prefer trimming the sides of the bread slices.
• I even cut the bread pieces into triangles or squares. This helps in even frying of the bread slices.
• Do not skip the drying part of bread slices. Dry bread slices absorb less ghee and cook fast.

Popular Occasions for Double Ka Meetha

Double Ka Meetha is a popular dessert in South India and is often served on special occasions. Here are some of the most popular occasions for serving this delicious dessert:

Weddings

Weddings are one of the most popular occasions for serving Double Ka Meetha. This sweet dish is an integral part of wedding feast in many South Indian Muslim Weddings. The sweet and rich taste of this dessert is loved by everyone and is a perfect way to end the wedding feast.

Festivals

Double Ka Meetha is also a popular dessert during festivals like Eid, Diwali, and Christmas. We often serve this along with other traditional sweets and people of all ages love it. The rich and creamy texture of the dessert makes it a perfect addition to the festival menu.

Parties

Double Ka Meetha is also a popular dessert to serve at parties. It is easy to make and the good thing is we can prepare this in advance, making it a convenient dessert option. We make this sweet dish on other special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and other celebrations.

In conclusion, Double Ka Meetha is a versatile dessert, which fits the dessert menu to celebrate any sweet and happy occasion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Double Ka Meetha made of?

Double Ka Meetha is a traditional Indian dessert. Bread, milk, sugar, cardamom powder and ghee are the main ingredients of this sweet dish recipe. Fry bread slices till brown on all the sides. Soak these in milk and then add sugar syrup. Cook till the mixture thicknes. Garnish with nuts, rose petals and saffron. For special occassions, we even garnish with silver leaf (chandi ka warq).

How do you make Double Ka Meetha with condensed milk?

To make this meetha with condensed milk, you can replace the thickened milk with sweetened condensed milk. After deep-frying the bread, soak it in a sugar syrup and layer it with condensed milk and cook till thick. Garnish with nuts and saffron.

Can I order Double Ka Meetha bread online?

Yes, you can order Double Ka Meetha bread online from various sweet shops and bakeries. Some popular online stores that sell this bread include SweetKhana, Foodpanda, and Swiggy.

What is the difference between Double Ka Meetha and Shahi Tukda?

Double Ka Meetha and Shahi Tukda are similar desserts, but they differ in their preparation and presentation. Double Ka Meetha is made with deep-fried bread that is soaked in milk and then cooked in sugar syrup. Shahi Tukda, on the other hand, is made with toasted bread that is soaked in a sugar syrup and topped with rabri and nuts.