Bread Malai Roll is a delightful, quick, and easy Indian sweet dish where sandwich bread slices are rolled and stuffed with mawa (solid milk) filling and then dunked into a creamy and mouth watering flavourful reduced milk. Tastes best when served chilled or at room temperature.
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This bread malai roll is so easy to make and yet looks so exotic! A final garnish of chopped nuts and dried rose petals makes it look more seductive.
When made from scratch, it is ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish. That makes it a perfect dessert to satisfy your sweet instant cravings.
About this Bread Malai Roll
This Malai Bread Roll is an instant and easier version of a popular Bengali sweet dish ‘Rabri Malai Roll’ where fresh chenna/paneer (Indian cottage cheese) rolls are cooked in sugar syrup first and then these rolls are topped with a sheet of malai (cream). After that, it is generously poured with rabri.
Malai bread roll is a very soft, rich, and creamy dessert that takes very little effort. This sweet dish or mithai is a lot similar in taste to a popular Indian dessert rasmalai where paneer (fresh cottage cheese) balls are dunked in rabdi/rabri (reduced flavored milk).
Malai bread roll can also be called as a modified version of bread rasmalai where sandwich bread pieces are cut into circles and then soaked in a chilled rabri. So if you are a fan of rasmalai, then this dessert is calling your name.
This effortless dessert is flamboyant enough to make a perfect space on the party or festive dinner table. It would become a show stopper and your guests would definitely fall in love with this dessert.
Who wouldn’t love to indulge in a creamy, milky, and flavorful dessert which is brimming with extravagant flavors and strikingly melt-in-mouth and nutty textures?
This sweet dish is adored by all age groups. So no matter who gets a luxurious bite of this Instant Rabri Malai Roll, they won’t stop praising your cooking skills.
On this page, you will get the malai bread roll recipe with detailed photos and video instructions.
This Bread Malai Roll
✓ is quick and easy to make
✓ makes a perfect party dessert
✓ tastes so creamy, rich, and delicious
✓ flavors can easily be customized
✓ is vegan, but can also be made gluten-free and vegan
✓ is ready in under 30 minutes
✓ can be made with leftover bread
✓ looks so pretty and festive
What is Bread Malai Roll
Bread Malai Roll or Bread Roll Malai is an Indian sweet which is an instant version of the traditional Bengali Malai Roll. Malai Bread Roll is an Indian sweet where white bread slices are stuffed with a thick mawa/khoya stuffing and then dunked in flavorful reduced milk.
It is prepared by trimming and rolling sandwich bread slices. Then they are stuffed with thick and creamy mawa (solid milk) filling and rolled into cylinders. After that, these stuffed bread rolls are poured with creamy and delicious thickened milk (rabri).
Within 5-10 minutes, malai bread rolls absorb the flavors and moisture from reduced milk and turn melt-in-mouth. Ready to devour!
Similar to these rabri bread rolls, check out these other milk based desserts: Milk Powder Burfi, Rajbhog - Kesar Rasgulla, Motichoor Kheer, Sago Fruit Custard, and shahi tukda.
Ingredients
For making Malai Bread Roll you will need the following basic ingredients.
Bread: For best taste and texture it is advisable to use soft white sandwich bread slices to make this Indian dessert. Any sweet and soft kind of bread can be used here. Just avoid using whole-grain, sourdough, or brown bread here.
Milk Powder: I used full cream milk powder in the filling and also in the reduced milk recipe. Adding milk powder speeds up the cooking process, if you do not want to use milk powder then you can easily make this dessert entirely with the milk.
Milk: Since this is a milk-based dessert, full cream or whole milk gives the best results. However, if you are not so fond of full-fat milk, then you can use semi-skimmed milk.
Milk Cream: Adding some milk cream makes the filling richer and creamier. I have used homemade milk cream, but you can also use heavy cream.
Sugar: White sugar is used in both filling and reduced milk recipes. The amount of sugar can be adjusted according to your taste preferences.
Nuts: I have used a combination of chopped and crushed almonds, cashews, and pistachios in the stuffing and in the reduced milk recipe. All these nuts are used in Rasmalai, so I kept the same flavor profile here.
Flavoring: For exotic Indian dessert flavors, I have used saffron, cardamom, and rose water.
Ghee: A little bit of ghee adds a nice rich taste and aromatic flavor to the milk powder filling. Adding ghee is completely optional.
Milk Powder Substitute
I have used milk powder for making filling and reduced flavored milk. If you want to avoid using milk powder then you can use whole milk or you can also use homemade or store-bought mawa/khoya (dried milk).
Mawa is made by simmering full cream milk until it thickens and reaches a smooth dough consistency.
How to make Bread Malai Roll
Making bread malai roll is really simple and it can be done in 4 simple steps:
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Make milk powder filling.
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Make rabri (reduced flavored milk) by simmering milk with saffron, sugar, cardamom, nuts, and rose water.
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Trim all the bread slices and roll them.
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Stuff bread slices with the prepared mawa filling and then roll them to make cylinders.
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Pour rabri over bread rolls and garnish with desired nuts and saffron milk. Done!
On this page, you will get step by step photo recipe and video instructions to make easy and simple Bread Malai Roll at home.
Important tips, tricks, and variations to make Best Bread Malai Roll
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Saffron Milk: Making saffron milk in this recipe is optional. Drizzling bread rolls with saffron milk make them look more appealing and flavorful. If you don’t want to use saffron, then you can simply omit the saffron from this recipe.
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Flavoring: I have added saffron strands to the milk while simmering. It gives a yellow color and beautiful flavor to the milk. Adding saffron is optional though. I have also used cardamom powder and rose water in the rabri recipe. If you don’t want to use rose water, then you can skip adding it.
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Always use fresh and soft bread for making this dessert. They make the best tasting malai rolls.
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Properly trim the edges. Doing this would make rolling simple. Also, the brown hard corners won’t taste good.
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Nuts: I have used almonds, cashews, and pistachios. You can also add raisins and melon seeds.
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Do not store soaked bread rolls for more than 2 hours, or they will turn soggy.
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Garnish: I have garnished these rolls with chopped nuts and dried rose petals. But you can also decorate them with glazed cherries, or tutti frutti.
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If you don’t want to prepare stuffing from scratch, you can use store-bought mawa.
FAQs
Is Bread Malai Roll Vegan?
No, it is not vegan because it uses milk powder, whole milk, cream, and ghee. To make it vegan, you need to swap milk with coconut milk, milk powder with coconut flour, cream with coconut cream, and ghee with coconut oil.
Is Bread Malai Roll Gluten-free?
I used white bread slices in this dessert, so it is not gluten-free. If you want to make it gluten-free then use gluten-free bread for making rolls.
Can I use brown bread?
Technically, you can. But I won’t recommend using brown bread. This is because it changes the texture and taste of the bread. And anyway when you are eating a dessert, it should taste authentic. I personally don’t like it when it is made with brown bread.
Any type of white or sweet bread slices can be used in this recipe.
How to store Bread Malai Roll?
This Bread Malai roll tastes good when served chilled. After pouring rabri, you can refrigerate it for up to 1-2 hours. But don’t keep it longer than that, or else it would start losing texture and taste.
Can I make a bread malai roll in advance?
Yes, you can. To make it ahead, make the stuffing and rabri. Then fill the bread slices with filling and shape them into rolls. Wrap each roll in cling wrap and store for up to 2 days.
At the time of serving, pour chilled rabri over rolls and let them soak the milk for about 10 minutes.
Bread Malai Roll (Step-by-step photo instructions)
Make The Filling
- To a medium-sized pan, add milk, milk powder, and whisk well to make a lump-free mixture. Once the mixture is smooth, turn on the heat.
- Add 1 teaspoon ghee and mix well. Keep stirring and cook for 2 minutes on low heat.
- Now add milk cream and mix again. I am using homemade milk cream, but you can also use store-bought heavy cream.
- Once the cream is mixed, add sugar mix well. Cook until sugar dissolves completely. After that, add cardamom powder, chopped or coarsely powdered almonds, and cashews.
- Mix well and cook on low heat for 10-12 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and stars leave the sides of the pan. Turn off the heat, and transfer this filling to a mixing bowl and set it aside to cool completely.
Make The Reduced Flavoured Milk (Rabdi)
- Add 3 cups of full cream milk to a heavy bottom or a non-stick pan. Now add 1/2 cup milk powder to the pan and whisk well to remove the lumps.
- Once the mixture is lump-free, stir the milk and let it boil on medium-high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, add saffron strands to it. Cook on medium-low heat until milk is reduced to half. Keep stirring and scraping the sides of the pan to prevent the milk from sticking to the pan.
- Once the milk is almost half, we will make the saffron milk for serving. To make saffron milk, add 7-8 saffron strands to a bowl and add the hot milk to the bowl.
- Stir well and keep this aside for 10 minutes. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder, 1 tablespoon chopped almonds and cashews, and 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
- Turn off the heat and add 1 teaspoon of rose water to the milk. Now mix everything well and transfer the rabri to a bowl. Keep it aside to cool completely.
Assemble The Rolls
- Trim the sides of the bread slice and roll it using a rolling pin to thin it out.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of mawa filling on one side of the bread and shape it into a log. Then roll it tightly to make a cylinder. Seal it from the edges. You can also use a dab of water or milk at the other end of the bread to seal it. Make all the rolls, in the same manner, using the rest of the bread slices.
- Arrange bread rolls closure side down in a serving dish. Pour rabdi over the top to soak the bread slices. Garnish the top with chopped nuts and dried rose petals. Serve at room temperature or serve it chilled.
- To serve chilled, refrigerate bread malai rolls for 1-2 hours.
Recipe Card
Bread Malai Roll [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 5 reviews)
| Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
|---|---|---|
| 35 mins | ||
| Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
| Desserts | Indian | 8 rolls |
| Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
| 125 calories | 1 roll |
INGREDIENTS
For The Filling
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup milk powder
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons malai (homemade cream) or heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 tablespoons almonds and cashews, crushed or chopped slivered almond
For The Rabdi
- 3 cups whole milk (use 5 cups, if not using milk powder)
- 1/2 cups milk powder
- 1/2 teaspoon + 7-8 saffron strands
- 1/4 cups sugar, or according to your taste
- 1/2 teaspoon rose water (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon almonds and cashews, chopped
- 1 tablespoon pistachios, chopped
For Assembling
- 6 large or 8 medium-sized white sandwich bread slices
- Saffron milk
- dried rose petals
- Chopped almonds, cashews, and pistachios
INSTRUCTIONS:
Make The Filling
- To a medium-sized pan, add milk, milk powder, and whisk well to make a lump-free mixture. Once the mixture is smooth, turn on the heat.
- Add 1 teaspoon ghee and mix well. Keep stirring and cook for 2 minutes on low heat.
- Now add milk cream and mix again. I am using homemade milk cream, but you can also use store-bought heavy cream.
- Once the cream is mixed, add sugar mix well. Cook until sugar dissolves completely. After that, add cardamom powder, chopped or coarsely powdered almonds, and cashews.
- Mix well and cook on low heat for 10-12 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and stars leave the sides of the pan. Turn off the heat, and transfer this filling to a mixing bowl and set it aside to cool completely.
Make The Reduced Flavoured Milk (Rabdi)
- Add 3 cups of full cream milk to a heavy bottom or a non-stick pan. Now add 1/2 cup milk powder to the pan and whisk well to remove the lumps.
- Once the mixture is lump-free, stir the milk and let it boil on medium-high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, add saffron strands to it. Cook on medium-low heat until milk is reduced to half. Keep stirring and scraping the sides of the pan to prevent the milk from sticking to the pan.
- Once the milk is almost half, we will make the saffron milk for serving. To make saffron milk, add 7-8 saffron strands to a bowl and add the hot milk to the bowl.
- Stir well and keep this aside for 10 minutes. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder, 1 tablespoon chopped almonds and cashews, and 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
- Turn off the heat and add 1 teaspoon of rose water to the milk. Now mix everything well and transfer the rabri to a bowl. Keep it aside to cool completely.
Assemble The Rolls
- Trim the sides of the bread slice and roll it using a rolling pin to thin it out.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of mawa filling on one side of the bread and shape it into a log. Then roll it tightly to make a cylinder. Seal it from the edges. You can also use a dab of water or milk at the other end of the bread to seal it. Make all the rolls, in the same manner, using the rest of the bread slices.
- Arrange bread rolls closure side down in a serving dish. Pour rabdi over the top to soak the bread slices. Garnish the top with chopped nuts and dried rose petals. Serve at room temperature or serve it chilled.
- To serve chilled, refrigerate bread malai rolls for 1-2 hours.
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NOTES:
- Making saffron milk in this recipe is optional. Drizzling bread rolls with saffron milk make them look more appealing and flavorful. If you don't want to use saffron, then you can simply omit the saffron from this recipe.
- I have added saffron strands to the milk while simmering. It gives a yellow color and beautiful flavor to the milk. Adding saffron is optional though. I have also used cardamom powder and rose water in the rabri recipe. If you don't want to use rose water, then you can skip adding it.
- Always use fresh and soft bread for making this dessert. They make the best tasting malai rolls.
- Do not store soaked bread rolls for more than 2-3 hours, or they will turn soggy.
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Author: Anupama
Recipe Source Link: https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/bread-malai-roll/