Kulfi hails from (what I presume and could gather), the Indian sub-continent and is a dense, creamy, frozen dessert. It has been a favorite since childhood and I have rarely been able to pass a chance to have it. In the southern part of the country, where we live now, it's not as commonly available as in the North where the summer heralds the tinkling cart of the kulfiwallah filled with Kulfis in various flavors and sizes - Rs. 2, 5 or 10 with small sticks peeping out of their bottoms. Of course I am talking of an era 20 years ago, they have now been taken over by carts of icecream-wallahs. But, this dessert alone has probably more memories attached to it than any other - with no trip to Chandni Chowk complete without it, of having it every time we went to Haldiram's...I have my preference for the nuttier version and love it topped with falooda (a name used both for a dessert beverage and also loosely for the cornstarch/ arrowroot vermicelli put on top of Kulfis).
On a visit to Hypercity, I found a pack of ready to make falooda which required adding just milk and water to it. That is what spurred me to make Kulfi that the falooda could accompany. Next stop was to buy Kulfi moulds - I bought 6 of the standard size. Came home to rake through my cookbooks to find a recipe and landed on this one from Tarla Dalal. The Kulfi came out pretty well, creamy and well set. Next time, a nuttier version!
In a small bowl, soak the Kesar strands in warm milk and keep aside. In another bowl, dissolve the cornflour in 2 tbsp. water and set aside. Bring the milk to boil in a broad-base pan, add the cornflour solution and sugar and mix well.
Simmer this over a medium flame till it reduces to a quantity a little less than half of what you started with.
Cool completely, add the saffron mixture and the cardamom powder and mix well. Pour into the moulds and put in the freezer in an upright position (not lying down) for 8 hours or so till it is well set.
Take out when ready to serve and unmould by just running the sides of the mould under tap water. Pour falooda over it (if you have some - I am not recommending the Hypercity one!) and some Rose sherbet (like Roohafza). My 1.5 years old who shows complete aversion to milk loved the dense milky mix before I put it to set and licked away to glory.
Ingredients (fills 6 moulds):
1 ltr. Full cream milk
1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
A few strands of Kesar (Saffron)
1 tbsp. Cornflour
On a visit to Hypercity, I found a pack of ready to make falooda which required adding just milk and water to it. That is what spurred me to make Kulfi that the falooda could accompany. Next stop was to buy Kulfi moulds - I bought 6 of the standard size. Came home to rake through my cookbooks to find a recipe and landed on this one from Tarla Dalal. The Kulfi came out pretty well, creamy and well set. Next time, a nuttier version!
In a small bowl, soak the Kesar strands in warm milk and keep aside. In another bowl, dissolve the cornflour in 2 tbsp. water and set aside. Bring the milk to boil in a broad-base pan, add the cornflour solution and sugar and mix well.
Simmer this over a medium flame till it reduces to a quantity a little less than half of what you started with.
Cool completely, add the saffron mixture and the cardamom powder and mix well. Pour into the moulds and put in the freezer in an upright position (not lying down) for 8 hours or so till it is well set.
Nestle, has recently come up with ready mixes for some desserts, Kulfi being one of them. I being a stickler for from-the-scratch cooking haven't got around to using them but they maybe an alternative to making it at home.
Ingredients (fills 6 moulds):
1 ltr. Full cream milk
1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
A few strands of Kesar (Saffron)
1 tbsp. Cornflour
