Kulfi (Indian icecream)

Recipe contributed by: Dhara Balwa

With summer fast approaching, I can think of just one Indian dessert that would make everyone delighted and happy. Actually summer or not, I have seen nobody who can resist this Indian ice cream called Kulfi. While the traditional recipe calls for boiling milk for a long time, the results are not satisfactory as this quick recipe. You ask what's the difference? The one and major difference is the content of ice when frozen. If the kulfi is prepared in traditional way, after frozen, you will taste lots of small ice chips in between. I don't find it very appetizing.

This recipe here is devoid of any ice chips and it is very creamy. If I have made kulfi (which I did last week), my freezer door gets opened so many times by my son waiting and making sure he has a good share of it. :) And it is so common that friends always like to have second helpings. Yup! It's that good. Now, Kulfis are prepared in various flavors. The favorites in our home are Kesar(Saffron), Kaju-Badam(Roasted cashews and almonds) and Pista(Pistachios). If you have sweet kesar or alphanso mango, cut small pieces and add them to the basic kulfi mixture and you have fresh mango kulfi. Again, you can have other flavors too as long as the ingredients don't have/negligible water content.

Image contributed by Dhara Balwa

Serves:16

Prep time: 10 min Cooking time: 5 min Freezing time: 4-5 hrs

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

1 14 oz can Sweetened condensed milk

1 12 oz can Evaporated milk

1 6.5 oz Reddi wip whipped cream

1/2 pint Heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp+ 1 tsp. Cold regular milk

3/4 Tbsp Corn starch

1/4 tsp. Cardamom powder

1/8 tsp. Nutmeg powder

Generous pinch of saffron

30 unsalted pistachios (churned to powder form)

10-12 each roasted almonds and cashews (Chopped very finely)

Green food color (optional)

Method:

1) In a thick bottom pan, pour the evaporated milk and let is come to boil once. Keep stirring frequently. Lower the heat

2) Mix the cornstarch and regular milk and add the mixture to the boiled milk while stirring it so that the cornstarch doesn't sit at bottom and burn. It burns very quickly so be careful. Keep stirring the milk continuously for 3-4 min until the cornstarch is cooked

3) Turn off the stove and let the thick mixture cool. 

4) Once cooled, add sweetened condensed milk, reddi whip, heavy whipping cream and the evaporated milk  mixture to the food processor/ with the hand blender and mix the ingredients well. 

5) Add cardamom and nutmeg powder. This is the basic kulfi mixture.

6) Now, if you want to make just one flavor, triple the quantity of the flavor ingredients listed here. Otherwise, divide the kulfi mixture in three equal parts.

7) Mix saffron strands and 1 tsp milk and warm it a little. It will impart yellow color. Add this to one part of the kulfi mixture.

8) Add the pistachio powder and 1 small drop of green food color in the 2nd of the 3 parts. If you choose not to add the green color, it the kulfi would look very pale green.

9) Add the roasted cashews and almond in the last batch.

10) Freeze them in popsicle molds like shown above or plain storage container. Just make sure there is a good cover on it so that you don't get the 'freezer taste'. 

11) If you are using popsicle molds, when it is time to eat, run some hot water on the molds to separate the kulfi from the mold. Enjoy.