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Dilkhush
Coconut and candied fruit stuffed bread
Karnataka bakery bread stuffed with coconut, tutti-frutti and cashews
Teatime at an Iyengar bakery in Bengaluru or Mangaluru means dilkhush ("happy heart") stacked in wedges beside the khara buns: a soft, sweet bread round with a thick layer of grated coconut, sugar, tutti-frutti and cashews baked inside it. The dough in these bakeries is usually eggless, so the crumb is light and milky rather than rich, and the filling stays moist and chewy. Eat a wedge with a small glass of filter coffee or masala chai, or pack it for a school snack. The usual mistake is to pile the filling to the very edge; leave a clear 2 cm rim or the seal splits and the coconut toasts black on the tray. Chef's tip: squeeze a little milk into dry desiccated coconut before mixing the filling, so it tastes closer to fresh coconut and does not steal moisture from the bread.
- Total time
- 145 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 16 oz plain flour (maida)
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast1 sachet
- 1 ¾ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milklukewarm
- 1 ¾ oz buttersoftened
For the filling
- 5 ½ oz grated coconutfresh or frozen; or desiccated moistened with 3 tbsp milk
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- 2 ⅛ oz tutti-frutti
- 1 ⅜ oz cashew nutsroughly chopped
- 1 oz raisins
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 oz buttermelted
To finish
- 2 tbsp milkfor brushing (the dough stays eggless)
- ½ oz buttermelted
- 4 glacé cherries (optional)halved, for the top
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Mix 16 oz plain flour (maida), ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 1 ¾ oz caster sugar and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Pour in 1 cup whole milk and bring it together into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Step 2: Knead for 8–10 minutes, then work in 1 ¾ oz butter a little at a time until the dough is smooth, glossy and stretches thinly without tearing.
10 minStep 3: Cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 4: Meanwhile, mix 5 ½ oz grated coconut, 2 ⅞ oz sugar, 2 ⅛ oz tutti-frutti, 1 ⅜ oz cashew nuts, 1 oz raisins, ½ tsp ground cardamom and 1 oz butter into a moist, clumping filling.
Step 5: Knock back the dough and divide it in two, one piece slightly larger. Roll the smaller piece into a 22 cm round and lay it on a lined baking tray.
Step 6: Spread the filling over it, pressing it down firmly and leaving a 2 cm clear rim. Brush the rim with a little water.
Step 7: Roll the larger piece into a 25 cm round, lay it over the filling and press the edges hard to seal, then crimp with a fork. Make 3 short slits in the top.
Step 8: Cover loosely and leave for 25–30 minutes, until puffy. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
30 minStep 9: Brush the top with 2 tbsp milk and press the cherry halves on top if using. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden, the base sounds hollow when tapped and the centre of the bread reads about 194°F.
33 minStep 10: Brush with ½ oz butter as soon as it comes out, then cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting into 8 wedges. It keeps 2 days in a tin.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dilkhush take?
- About 145 minutes in total: 110 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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