Kulfi

Last weekend I invited my friend over for dinner. Since she is from Mumbai (just like us) I thought of creating Mumbai style menu for her. Sev puri, pav bhaji, tawa pulav. and to top it all with chilled kulfi! These are all juhu beach favorites! :)

Kulfi is an Indian ice-cream. It is not soft and airy like ice-creams, but it is dense and creamy. Kulfi is set in molds or containers and then cut into pieces and served with a popsicle.

I remember an old man with a clay pot on his head walking around in our community calling out Kulfi, Kulfi...which meant that he was a vendor selling kulfi. Weekends we would surely buy few kulfis from him after dinner. That would be our dessert of the day. He would roll kulfi mold in between his palm to loosen it, open up kulfi molds right in front of us, cut into pieces and serve it on a leaf with a bamboo stick. What a natural way of using disposable plates!! The taste and flavor of Kulfi served this way was amazing too. How many of you remember this??

This recipe is the traditional way of making kulfi by evaporating milk. I am not much in favor of using bread or cornstarch or artificial thickeners as they cannot be consumed during fasts and festivals. Simmering well and getting rid of the water content would make kulfi creamier and prevent it from freezing with icicles. Give it a try.

Ingredients for 10-12 Kulfi molds or 10-12 small Matkis:

2 liters (around 1/2 gallon) whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp cardamom powder
1 tsp. saffron strands
1/4 cup pistachios (slivered or chopped)
Ice-cream or Kulfi molds or small matki (earthen pots)

To make Malai Kulfi:

1. In a heavy bottom pan boil milk. Simmer for around an hour stirring occasionally for milk to evaporate and thicken. Scrape sides and bottom of the pan removing all stuck, condensed, milk. (do not discard it...this is malai which gives kulfi delicious taste).
2. Use a stick blender to blend all the bits of malai in well. 
3. Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream and sugar to the simmering milk.
4. Add ground cardamom seeds. 
5. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat
6. Let the mixture cool.
7. Fill into molds and freeze for 4-5 hours or till it sets.
8. Insert a stick or cut into pieces and serve.

To make Kesar Pista Kulfi:

1. In a heavy bottom pan boil milk. Simmer for around an hour stirring occasionally for milk to evaporate and thicken. Scrape sides and bottom of the pan removing all stuck, condensed, milk. (do not discard it...this is malai which gives kulfi delicious taste).
2. Use a stick blender to blend all the bits of malai in well.
3. Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream and sugar to the simmering milk.
4. Add ground cardamom seeds, saffron, and slivered pistachios.
5. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat
6. Let the mixture cool.
7. Fill into molds and freeze for 4-5 hours or till it sets.
8. Insert a stick or cut into pieces and serve. 

 Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

In a heavy bottom pan boil milk. Simmer for around an hour stirring occasionally for milk to evaporate and thicken. Scrape sides and bottom of the pan removing all stuck, condensed, milk. (do not discard it...this is malai which gives kulfi delicious taste).

Cardamom powder in my mortar & pestle.

Saffron & Pistachios

My new kulfi molds with a stand.

Since kulfi is my husbands favorite dessert, he wanted to help me fill the molds while I could take pictures :)

Garnish with more pistachios. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze.

Enjoy Chilled Kulfi!!